Accrington Stanley 2 Hull City 0 - Leaders Tigers tamed as rivals gain quick revenge

Dion Charles’s eighth goal of the season and Matt Butcher’s first goal since October stunned the title-seeking Tigers as they suffered a first league loss in over a month. It was the second meeting between the two sides in a week after Hull won the home fixture 3-0 last Tuesday night – play-off chasing Stanley’s last game.

The Tigers thrashed promotion-chasing Pompey in between trading wins with John Coleman’s charges.

Grant McCann made a solitary change from Saturday’s starting line-up as Northern Ireland international Josh Magennis started up front after two goals in as many games off the bench. Stanley started the brighter of the two sides and looked fresh after having the weekend off.

Shot-stopper George Long was tested early on as he parried Tariq Uwakwe’s strike for a corner.

Frustrated Hull struggled to create chances with Richie Smallwood lashing over the bar. Long had to have his wits about him to keep out Butcher’s speculative strike.

Magennis had a goal chalked off for offside after flicking Callum Elder’s cross home before he fluffed his lines when he headed wide after the hosts were caught on the counter.

There was nothing Long could do as he was beaten at his near post by Charles’s powerful effort after he was played in by Uwakwe five minutes into the second half.

It took the Tigers until almost the hour mark to have a shot on target.

But going behind seemingly sprung them into life as talented teenage winger Keane Lewis-Potter forced Nathan Baxter into a decent stop.

And Mallik Wilks squandered a huge chance as he missed the target from the edge of the box.

The Tigers were left with a mountain to climb as Stanley doubled their lead whilst the visitors were briefly down to 10 men.

George Honeyman was down receiving treatment as Butcher took full advantage of being gifted too much space to lash home the second.

It could have been worse had Sean McConville’s deflected effort not hit the bar late on.

Accrington Stanley: Baxter, Nottingham, Hughes, Barclay, Pritchard, Butcher, Conneely, McConville, Uwakwe, Charles, Bishop. Unused substitutes: Savin, Fenlon, Roberts, Maguire, Rodgers, Ogle, Russell.

Hull City: Long, Coyle, Jones, Greaves, Elder, Docherty, Smallwood (Whyte, 63), Honeyman (Burke, 69), Wilks, Magennis (Crowley, 63), Lewis-Potter. Unused substitutes: Chadwick, Emmanuel, Slater, Ingram.

Referee: W Finnie (Luton).

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