Huddersfield 0 Hull 1: Town in trouble after failing to arrest Tigers’ promotion march

The police can, however, rest easy as it is not the ‘bovver boys’ of yesteryear who, judging by their actions, the West Yorkshire force believe still infest the Tigers’ supporter base.

No, the marching right now is being done by Steve Bruce’s players as they continue to take giant strides towards a possible Premier League return.

The victory over Huddersfield Town, achieved thanks to George Boyd’s early second-half strike, may not have been very pretty. It was not particularly pleasant to watch, either.

But by claiming such a hard-fought three points, Hull took full advantage of slip-ups by all their rivals over the Easter weekend to move four points clear of a chasing pack headed by Watford.

With Gianfranco Zola’s Hornets due at the KC Stadium tomorrow night, Hull’s destiny is very much in their own hands going into the final two months of the season.

For Bruce, the satisfaction of beating former club Huddersfield was added to by the sense of injustice he felt on behalf of the Hull fans for the draconian travel restrictions that had been placed on them by West Yorkshire Police.

“I thought it was an insult,” said Bruce of the police’s insistence that all Hull fans arrive at the John Smith’s Stadium on 
official coaches after collecting their tickets at nearby Hartshead Moor service station.

“We have been all over Yorkshire this season and I just can’t understand the (police’s) decision. I think we have had 14 arrests all season, none of them alcohol related.

“It is a slight on the supporters who follow us. I saw hundreds of police out there (before the game), I don’t know what the hell they were looking for.

“Total nonsense but, at the end of the day, we got the result so we are fine.”

The measures, which the police claimed were made necessary by intelligence suggesting that trouble was planned, sparked a boycott by Hull fans with only 428 making the trip along the M62.

Those that did may have witnessed a drab encounter between two teams who struggled to master a poor playing surface surface.

But what that hardy band of 
Tigers loyalists were able to savour was a potentially pivotal victory for their side, achieved courtesy of the game’s one outstanding moment of quality.

It came just 35 seconds into the second half, as a delightful pass from Jay Simpson found Boyd on the edge of the Town penalty area.

He then showed great awareness to shield the ball before unleashing an unstoppable left-foot shot that flew past home goalkeeper Alex Smithies and into the roof of the net.

That Boyd’s fourth goal proved to be the game’s first and last moment of genuine quality said it all about the poor fare on offer for not only the 11,997 crowd but also those watching at home on Sky.

Misplaced passes, basic errors and shocking decision-making all combined to make the first meeting between these two Yorkshire rivals in Huddersfield since 2005 an eminently forgettable affair.

That is not to say there were no other chances of note. There were, but, a stoppage time goalmouth scramble apart that ended with James Vaughan having a shot bravely blocked by Corry Evans, neither goalkeeper had any undue cause for concern as the two sides cancelled each other out on a pudding of a pitch.

All in all, therefore, a disappointing afternoon for Town, who thanks to results elsewhere now sit just two points clear of the relegation zone.

Considering the dearth of goal-scoring chances their side created against Hull and that the last 23 league games have yielded just four wins, Huddersfield fans have every right to be nervous going into a run-in that includes games against fellow strugglers Peterborough United, Bristol City and Barnsley.

Midfielder Neil Danns, however, is adamant the Terriers have what it takes to pull away from trouble.

He said: “We are disappointed, especially as there was nothing in the game. Hull are second in the league and possibly seven games from the Premier League, but we were all gutted in the dressing room and wondering, ‘How did we lose that game?’

“Hull had just one shot all game and were camped in their own box during the second half. They just sat behind the ball and it was really disappointing we couldn’t break them down.

“The other results didn’t go for us, either. At the moment, it seems when we lose that all the others win. And when we win, all the others win as well.

“But we have to be man enough to stand up to it. We are fighting for our lives and need to bounce back against Bolton.

“If you look at the other teams, we have one of the best run-ins in terms of fixtures. It is still in our own hands and as long as it stays that way then we will be happy.

“A couple of wins this week and we could be safe come Saturday night.”

As Huddersfield look to claim the two victories that Danns feels would be enough to preserve the club’s Championship status, Hull are also looking to further their own ambitions in a week that will bring, first, Watford and then Middlesbrough to the KC Stadium.

Captain Robert Koren, who twice won promotion to the Premier League with West Bromwich Albion, said: “We are coming 
towards the end of the season so beating Huddersfield was a massive three points.

“It was always going to be difficult because of the pitch. It is not an excuse, but it really isn’t very good. We did try to pass the ball, but it wasn’t always possible.

“The main thing is we came for the three points, not to play nice football. And we got them.

“We can play much better than that, of course we can. But we got the win and now it is simple; if we win every game then we will go up.”

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