Curacao 1 Hull City 0: Uncaged Tigers fail to take their opportunity in friendly

From coach Liam Rosenior's perspective, it was all about giving those who have not played many minutes in harem-scarem phase of the Championship (or at least one of them) an opportunity to scrape off the ring rust.

For the 50 competition winners and their plus-ones flown out by the club, it was the chance to watch something more competitive than a training session – although actually the way Jacob Greaves furiously contested decisions in a game of two-touch could not be matched. Cyrus Christie bouncing the ball off his man when he refused to retreat at a free-kick was as close as it got.

But one or two of Rosenior's caged Tigers might have headed back to their luxurious hotel wishing they had made a better case to be involved in a run-in they hope will end in a Wembley play-off final.

Those fans frustrated by a lack of a No 9 recently will have been pleased to see two on the team-sheet, but with Noah Ohio on international duty, beither Billy Sharp nor Aaron Connolly were able to demand further selection.

Only Sharp played at centre-forward, with Connolly at inside-left as he and Ozan Tufan played off the veteran.

The Republic of Ireland international was not the only one out of position, with Hull's specialist right-back, Christie, in central defence and Greg Docherty on the right of the back four – sort of.

Until he was restored to his rightful place on a more permanent basis, Docherty tucked into midfield so that a 4-3-2-1 became a 3-2-5 in possession.

But formations do not count for much if your players are not playing well, and none of Hull's players were anywhere near their best.

They created a good chance less than two minutes in as James Furlong – one of two youngsters providing width, along with Tyrell Sellars-Fleming on the right – pulled the ball across.

Tufan opened up his body but Eloy Room made a good save to claw it away from the top corner. It would be 65 minutes before the next shot on target - Docherty, from distance, straight at the goalkeeper.

With Tufan the only Turkish international on display it would have been a popular goal in front of a healthy crowd under the circumstances.

The accents behind the chants of "Hull City" in between thunderclaps and bouncing around were definitely more Bosphorous than Beverley.

Acun Ilicali, a television personality in these parts, did his bit to get the crowd going before kick-off, going over to wave to the fans with clubs mascots Roary and Amber alongside him.

Not that they needed much encouragement – one fan was waiting in his seat as the players came on to look at the pitch holding a sign asking Sharp for his shirt.

Goalkeeper Ivor Pandur was making his first Hull appearance of any description and fell into the some of the same traps the club's other senior goalkeepers have, forced to save twice in quick succession after playing passes to Adama Traore, facing his own goal, which he could have done without.

A fifth-minute pass was cut out by former Huddersfield Town player Juninho Bacuna, but again Pandur redeemed himself with a save. Bacuna was not the only familiar face, ex-Leeds United player Vurnon Anita having a shot blocked.

Curacao were having some joy down their left, right-back Sherel Floranus even popping up there, only to be let down by his touch, and the goal came from that side, Rangelo Janga sweeping in first time after 36 minutes. Bacuna quickly forced a low save on the back of it.

If Hull were breathing a sigh of relief at a 55th-minute offside gag, Kenji Gorre ought to have too, having only directed Jearl Margaritha's pull-back against a post.

Margaritha got in again, Adama Traore unable to cut out the ball over his shoulder, only for Docherty to sweep up.

And when now-full-time midfielder Docherty forced his save at the other end, Bacuna responded by shrugging off Matty Jacob – now at right-sided centre-back – only to shoot at Pandur.

Tufan was substituted after being treated at the start of the second half but the near-20-minute gap between the two suggests it should not be a major concern.

A 1-0 defeat was nothing to panic or fret about, just a wasted opportunity on a trip when the marketing men and women have shown the sort of clicinical edge their Premier League-wannabes too often lack.

Hull City: Pandur; Docherty, Christie, McLoughlin, Jacob; Furlong (Green 72), Traore, Sellars-Fleming (R Coyle 84); Tufan (Fleming 65), Connolly; Sharp.

Unused substitutes: Allsop, Ingram, L Coyle, Giles, Greaves, Slater, Carvalho, Zaroury.