Grant McCann blames fatigue for Hull City setback

The Tigers failed to secure victory after Keane Lewis-Potter’s fine solo effort had put them ahead in the 16th minute.

Paul Caddis and Joel Grant were on target, though, as Swindon came from behind to end their four-match losing streak in League One .

Lewis-Potter started a jinking run from inside his own half before caressing the ball into the far right corner past Matej Kovar.

Caddis lashed the hosts level with a shot in off the bar in the 31st minute after Jonny Smith’s quick corner caught out the sleeping defence.

Grant turned the game on its head nine minutes into the second half when a fine passing move by the Robins ended with Hallam Hope flicking the ball into the path of the winger, who took his time and knocked it in for 2-1.

Hull pushed hard for 2-2, but looked more likely to get caught on the counter-attack and McCann blamed fatigue for the defeat.

“We just lacked spark. We changed two of our front three, but it didn’t happen. It didn’t click.

“I felt for the first 20 minutes we were good and we should have been out of sight with some of the chances we had.

“After that it was not good enough from us really. We were below par and didn’t really threaten them.

“We looked a bit low on energy today. It is not an excuse but we looked a bit leggy. And Swindon punished us.

“The first goal was a poor one to concede. We switched off from a corner.”

Swindon assistant manager Noel Hunt, deputising for manager Richie Wellens, who was isolating, said: “I thought the boys were fantastic. To go a goal down and show the character we showed and the goals that we scored were clever thinking.

“The gaffer’s biggest thing for me was to make sure we passed the ball.

“We had a little Covid holiday so to speak and we worked on our defensive shape.”

Swindon Town: Kovar, Caddis, Odimayo, Grounds, Donohue, Anthony Grant; Matthew Smith, Jonny Smith (Pitman 90), Payne; Joel Grant (Iandolo 83), Hope. Unused substitutes: Curran, Fryer, Haines.

Hull City: Ingram, Emmanuel, Burke, De Wijs, Elder, Docherty (Mayer 66); Honeyman, Smallwood, Wilks (Scott 59), Eaves (Magennis 58); Lewis-Potter. Unused substitutes: Long, Batty, Alfie Jones, Slater.

Referee: A Coggins (Oxfordshire).

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