Hull City 2 Burton 0 - Mallik Wilks provides relief as Tigers go second

HULL CITY'S opponents Burton Albion must have thought the world was against them.
KCOM Stadium, Hull.KCOM Stadium, Hull.
KCOM Stadium, Hull.

Some Covid chaos in the build-up ensured that six Brewers players were missing and six others were either self-isolating or unavailable due to a combination of international call-ups or injury.

For a side who went into the game on a 12-match winless sequence in all competitions, matters were seriously compounded ahead of kick off top-scorer when Kane Hemmings was omitted from their line-up, despite being named on the teamsheet.

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To further exacerbate matters, the Brewers saw defender Sam Hughes red carded just 18 minutes in after two clumsy fouls on Mallik Wilks. It never rains, but pours.

That said, inspection of Burton's side did suggest it was not weak as many may have expected.

Yet on a day when they were on many home coupons, Hull were tipped for a feast. But sometimes, things are not so straightforward and so it proved as Hull made heavy weather of it at times.

An impressive performance from visiting keeper Ben Garratt barred their way in the first half, with some pockets of sloppiness not helping their cause.

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But he was powerless when Burton failed to clear George Honeyman's free kick on the right and Wilks buried the loose ball high past Garratt for his seventh goal of the campaign on 62 minutes and it was a timely and much-needed moment.

There may have been no fans present at the KCOM Stadium, but the relief will have been palpable on those watching remotely.

Interval substitute Hakeeb Akelakun - who perked up the hosts - settled it late on with a crisp drive as an afternoon that had hitherto not been routine ended in belated comfort.

Before Wilks' intervention, there had been frustration, with Grant McCann and the Tigers bench also irked by the performance of referee John Busby, with the Hull chief booting a water bottle in anger after Adelakun booked for simulation after going down in the box, instead of a penalty being awarded.

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Fortunately, Hull - on an afternoon when the absence of Keane Lewis-Potter and Josh Magennis was starting to look as glaring as Burton's depleted look - soon found a way.

Hull were on top in the first period from the moment Hughes's afternoon ended early, but the interval substitutions of Thomas Mayer and James Scott suggested that McCann wanted more with the hosts failing to move the ball around quickly enough and take Burton out of their comfort zone at the back.

The pair's major contribution arrived on 40 minutes when they combined. But Scott's lack of composure in blazing over an excellent opportunity when played in by Mayer was a waste.

The early sparring saw Jacob Greaves threaten in the air and nod a good early chance wide before Burton, who produced a hearty start, went close when Ryan Edwards prodded wide after excellent work by ex-Doncaster Rovers' loanee Niall Ennis.

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Wilks dug out a shot with his impressive left-foot to fire a warning and a needless tackle by Hughes on him which saw him booked was a sign of things to come as the defender went to ground when he didn't really need to.

Another silly challenge saw his afternoon curtailed for a second yellow and the stage was seemingly set for Hull, who immediately went close when Greaves's downward header was beaten away by Garratt following Elder's resultant free-kick following Hughes's dismissal.

Wilks cut inside, but Garratt was equal to his pinpoint low shot as he was to a fine header ahead of the break from George Honeyman, which he tipped over expertly from Josh Emmanuel's inswinging centre.

After finishing the half well, Hull, despite two interval changes, were not on message at the start of the second half and Neal Eardley also punished them with his excellent curling free-kick flying just wide.

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Wilks would apply some welcome balm and soon teed up Adelakun for a chance to seal victory, but he steered an effort wide of a gaping goal before stinging the palms of Garratt with a low shot after good work by Eaves, who was earlier incensed that he was not awarded a penalty after going down under pressure from Michael Bostwick.

Eaves spurned a glorious chance to settle it when sent clear, but his telegraphed effort was blocked by the excellent Garratt.

It was left to Adelakun to settle any nerves when his crisp low shot flew past Garratt.

Hull City: Ingram, Emmanuel, Burke, Greaves, Elder, Honeyman, Smallwood, Doherty (Samuelsen 66), Mayer (Eaves 45), Wilks, Scott (Adelakun 45). Substitutes unused: Long, A Jones, Slater, C Jones.

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Burton Albion: Garratt; Eardley (Hutchinson 86), Hughes, Brayford, Gallagher; Edwards, Gilligan, Quinn (Bostwick 52), Lawless, Vassilev (O'Toole 20); Ennis. Substitutes unused: Hawkins, Hart, Hewlett.

Referee: J Busby (Oxon).

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