Brighton & HA 1 Hull City 0: Tigers are left to rue failure to capitalise on upsets

English football’s second tier truly is a division where fans have become resigned to expecting the unexpected.

None more so than over a weekend that began with Watford and Crystal Palace claiming a point apiece from Friday night’s draw.

Runaway leaders held by a team with just one win in 14 league outings? Check.

In-form side with five straight wins to their name losing to the bottom club? Check.

And, a team who have been in the top six all season succumbing at home to a club who have spent most of the past six months in the bottom three? Again, check.

All three of these setbacks for Cardiff City, Leicester City and Middlesbrough, respectively, will have been frustrating in their own way.

Perhaps, though, it is the Tigers who have the most reason this particular Monday morning to feel aggrieved at the hand fate dealt them in suffering a first loss on the road for three months.

Not only did Steve Bruce’s men kick-off knowing just what a big opportunity they had to capitalise on the failings of others.

But City were also firmly on top in their game at the Amex Stadium when Vicente Rodriguez scored what proved to be the winning goal with just seven minutes remaining.

Hull defender Jack Hobbs said: “Along with all the lads, I did hear before the game that the other results had gone for us. I didn’t know the individual scores but we were aware that teams around us had lost.

“What we all said was that it was going to be about our result and not how anyone else got on. That was our mindset.

“But, of course, looking at it now, we have missed an opportunity.

“This is such a random league. Form can go out of the window, as we have seen this weekend. The teams doing well have lost random games all season long.

“That is why any side who can put any sort of consistency together are propelled up the league. We think we can do that.

“Cardiff are the only team who have shown that form of consistency but, hopefully, we can put a run of wins together to put some pressure on them.

“It was a great opportunity to move away from the other teams in the chasing pack but we couldn’t take it. Now we have to look forward.”

City’s immediate focus is three home games in the space of eight days as they look to make up for the disappointment of returning empty-handed from Brighton.

If they are to do just that then what Steve Bruce has continually bemoaned as his side’s “Achilles’ heel” will have to be overcome. Namely, an inability to capitalise when on top.

This failing was again evident in Saturday’s tea-time kick-off as a combination of wasteful finishing and two world-class saves from Tomasz Kuszczak in the home goal ensured Hull failed to score for the second season running at the Amex.

However, unlike October 2011, City’s lack of a killer instinct was not soothed by the claiming of a point from a goalless draw.

Vicente, brought on just before the hour by Gus Poyet, was the reason with a drilled free-kick that flew through a gap in the Tigers defensive wall.

That a foul had taken place to create that hole was not enough to appease Bruce, who lamented afterwards that his side had to be “tougher” in such a situation.

The City manager’s frustration was understandable and, no doubt, borne as much from the circumstances of Brighton’s goal as how the Yorkshire club had let the home side off the hook with wasteful finishing.

Even in a first half that Albion dominated in terms of possession, Hull fashioned enough openings to net at least once.

Jay Simpson, for instance, had a great chance on 11 minutes after being threaded through by Stephen Quinn only to then hesitate for a fraction of a second and allow Adam El-Abd to make the block.

Quinn also fired wide in a bright opening for the visitors, and quicker reactions from Simpson could have seen him meet a cross from Ahmed Elmohamady instead of missing it by a yard.

After those early let-offs, Brighton assumed control for the rest of the first half and David Stockdale had to get down smartly to keep out a shot from David Lopez before Leonardo Ulloa wastefully headed wide from an excellent cross from Bruno Saltor.

The interval came at a good time for City, who were by far the better team in the second 45 minutes and should really have been ahead long before Vicente struck the winner.

First, David Meyler volleyed wide after Robbie Brady’s deep cross had found his fellow January arrival unmarked. Robert Koren did the same when the ball fell to him after another searching cross from Brady had led to Kuszczak having to claw the ball from underneath his crossbar.

It was a far from conventional save by the one-time Manchester United goalkeeper but the same could not be said about his next two efforts as, first, Brady saw his 25-yard pile-driver tipped over and then Elmohamady’s drilled shot was turned round the post at full stretch.

The reward for goalkeeper Kuszczak’s heroics came seven minutes from the end when, after Andrea Orlandi had been fouled by Corry Evans on the edge of the area, Vicente drilled the resulting free-kick through the wall and into Stockdale’s net to seal Hull’s first defeat on the road since the 2-1 reverse at Cardiff on November 10.

Brighton manager Gus Poyet hopes this win will prove the turning point of the season after moving up to seventh, two points off the play-offs.

Poyet said: “This was a proper game in this division and, with none of the top 12 winning, we hope it’s a turning point in terms of victories.

“I want us to be there at the beginning of April and it’s totally up to us. It was important today and the players fought for it.

“It’s there for us to take and we’re going to try. Make no mistake, this was a big win.”

Poyet had no doubt that Kuszczak played a vital role in only his team’s third win in the last 11 league outings.

The Uruguayan added: “Tomasz had the chance to show what he is all about and you need that kind of reaction. He produced two very good saves and the clean sheet was all-important.”

Poyet also praised his Spanish playmaker Vicente, adding: “He’s a game-changer.

“I thought about starting him. 
It was a late decision to have him on the bench and I’m delighted with the way he responded – the joy on his face was there for all to see.

“Hull were very organised and they said to us ‘come and beat us’. The second half was very open. Is that the way I like my team to play all the time? No. But it was a great win for us.”