Bury 1 Hull City 3: Lessons learned as Akpom shoots for Wembley

CHUBA AKPOM has given manager Steve Bruce another headache but this time it is for the right reason.
Chuba Akpom celebrates his third goal. (Picture: Simon Hulme)Chuba Akpom celebrates his third goal. (Picture: Simon Hulme)
Chuba Akpom celebrates his third goal. (Picture: Simon Hulme)

The Arsenal loanee threw a temper tantrum at being substituted against Reading in mid-December and Bruce had to decide if he should send him packing back to London.

Now, the Tigers chief has to ponder on restoring him to Championship action at Burnley on Saturday.

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Akpom believes Bruce’s leniency could be the making of him after netting the first senior hat-trick of his career at Gigg Lane.

Hull City's Josh Tymon on the ball.Hull City's Josh Tymon on the ball.
Hull City's Josh Tymon on the ball.

The England Under-21 striker is also eyeing a return to Wembley with the Tigers, having been on the opposite side of the fence two years ago, supporting the Gunners as they defeated them in that thrilling FA Cup final.

Clutching the match-ball, the 20-year-old said after his treble in a hailstorm: “Of course I felt as though I had a point to prove.

“When you get an opportunity like this, you have got to take it and I just thought to myself before the game ‘I’m going to give it 100 per cent when I go out there’. I did that and I’m hapy that we are through to the next round.

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“There’s no better feeling than hearing the fans signing your name again and I feel it will do a lot for my confidence. It’s going to be tough but with a lot of hard work I think I can get back in the team and help them to promotion.”

Chuba Akpom celebrates scoring for Hull against Bury. (Picture: by Simon Hulme)Chuba Akpom celebrates scoring for Hull against Bury. (Picture: by Simon Hulme)
Chuba Akpom celebrates scoring for Hull against Bury. (Picture: by Simon Hulme)

Akpom says he owes a lot to Bruce, continuing: “After the Reading game, he sat me down and said ‘listen, I love your competitive side but don’t react like that again’. I learned even more from that than if he had sent me back. It would probably have been different with another manager. I would probably have gone back to Arsenal so I am really thankful that the gaffer has opened my eyes and I will never do it again.

“I will let the anger show through my football as in working harder on the pitch. I can only learn. It’s all a learning experience at 20 years old. All the lads are helping me. I am at the perfect place at Hull because all the lads are so experienced and are always helping me. I appreciate it a lot.

“Sometimes I can come across the wrong way. I am over-competitive at times and I am just learning to manage it and the gaffer is helping me a lot and is managing me well.”

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The bond grew stronger on Saturday as Akpom explained after a tussle with David Meyler as to who was going to take the penalty that put the Tigers 2-0 up.

Hull City's Josh Tymon on the ball.Hull City's Josh Tymon on the ball.
Hull City's Josh Tymon on the ball.

“To be fair, we were going at it. I was trying to see if he would break down and say ‘Chuba you can have it’ but if he had taken it I would not have minded as long as he scored. The gaffer told Daws (Michael Dawson) to go over and tell us that he wanted me to take it – that’s why I love the gaffer!”

Akpom duly sent Ian Lawlor the wrong way to make it 2-0 in the 57th-minute, leaving Bury chief David Flitcroft even more incensed.

He claimed that Sone Aluko had taken a dive rather than being tripped by Chris Hussey, who had attempted to shield the ball out of play, and the incident had followed immediately after Ryan Lowe’s ‘equaliser’ had, in Flitcroft’s eyes, erroneously been ruled out for offside.

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Akpom’s instinctive reaction had seen him knock the ball into an unguarded net to open the scoring in the 14th minute after Meyler had raced through the middle onto Adama Diomande’s through ball and seen his shot cannon fiercely off the advancing Lawlor into the striker’s path.

Chuba Akpom celebrates scoring for Hull against Bury. (Picture: by Simon Hulme)Chuba Akpom celebrates scoring for Hull against Bury. (Picture: by Simon Hulme)
Chuba Akpom celebrates scoring for Hull against Bury. (Picture: by Simon Hulme)

The hat-trick came in the 69th when Aluko sent the ball down the left channel, Akpom checked inside as two defenders collided and curled the ball home.

Bury, who had enjoyed early ascendancy with Eldin Jakupovic doing well to block a drive from Danny Rose, were sunk but despite being starved of possession for much of the second half, they hit back late on when Craig Jones fired home at the far post.

A place in the last 16 assured, Akpom added: “You saw what happened a couple of years ago when we got to the final. Why can’t we do it again, why not? We know how much the FA Cup means to the fans so it would be good to get the final again and win it this time but I don’t want to meet Arsenal because I won’t be able to play! I was at the 2014 final, watching and rooting for Arsenal but now I am playing for Hull and rooting for Hull.”

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Bruce had made 11 changes, underlining the squad strength which has taken them to the top of the Championship.

Akpom’s hat-trick overshadowed the debut of left-back Josh Tymon, who, at 16, became the youngest player to appear in an FA Cup tie for the Tigers.

Quick in the tackle with an eye for an overlap, Bruce had nothing but praise for the England Under-17 call-up, saying: “The one thing we have tried to do since we have been at the club is try to arrest the local talent playing rugby.

“He lives around the corner from where we train so it’s great to see. Let’s hope he is the first of many because if he keeps his head down and works, he will have a bright future. You could see his natural ability today. He tired a bit towards the end which is normal but he was absolutely first-class.”

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Bury: Lawlor, Soares, Cameron, Brown, Hussey, Tutte (Jones 51), Etuhu (Riley 10), Pugh, Mayor; Rose (Lowe 51), Pope. Unused substitutes: P Clarke, Mellis, Burgess, Miller.

Hull City: Jakupovic, Taylor, Dawson, Bruce, Tymon (Hayden 80); Elmohamady, Huddlestone, Meyler, Aluko (Maguire 85); Akpom, Diomande (Clucas 68). Unused substitutes: McGregor, Hernandez, Snodgrass, Livermore.

Referee: D Bond ( Lancs).