Cardiff City v Hull City: Lure of small milestone proof that Tigers are slowly getting there

Hull City's Jacob Greaves Picture: Bruce Rollinson

Should City triumph in South Wales this evening, they will emulate their feats at the start of November 2019 and for one of their most consistent and impressive performers this season in defender Jacob Greaves, it will provide further evidence of their continued assimilation to the second-tier.

Despite a fraught run earlier this autumn, the fact that Hull were competitive in virtually every game indicated that their situation was far from a lost cause and nothing like the mess that the side found themselves in during the second half of 2019-20 when they descended into freefall and were relegated to League One in such insipid fashion.

Relegation was actually confirmed at the Cardiff City Stadium and should Hull achieve a positive result at the same venue tonight, it will lay a few ghosts.

Grant McCann applauds Hull City's fans at full time after seeing his team beat Barnsley at Oakwell. Picture: Bruce Rollinson

But whatever happens, Hull are plainly still finding their feet and while bumps in the road will occur going forward, incremental progress is being made by Greaves and his team-mates.

He said: “Before the Preston game (first game of the season) was the most nervous. Obviously, you get a little bit of nerves before a game, but before Preston, it was back to kind of making my debut.

“I was in first gear and thought I could be miles away from this. But I have always backed myself and thought I’d be able to cope.

“After the Preston game, I felt I did well and it put me in good stead to kick on. It is about improving as a player and how you test yourself as well.”

Should Greaves and his defensive colleagues record another shut-out in the Principality, it will represent the first time that City have kept three clean sheets at this level since January 2019, although the centre-half is mindful of the need to not even switch off for a split-second in this unforgiving division.

He added: “You get punished for the smallest details ever.

“You can be out of place by two or three yards, miss a jump or be outjumped and the strikers definitely have more quality.

“Players will take chances outside of the box and it has happened to us a few times where players have just stuck it into the top corner and you are thinking: ‘Wow, how has he done that?.’ There’s definitely more individual brilliance.”

Last six games: Cardiff LLDLWW; Hull LLLLWW.

Referee: T Bramall (Sheffield)

Last time: Cardiff 3 Hull 0, July 22, 2020; Championship.