Hull City 0 Blackpool 1: Tigers left stunned as opening night ends in defeat

IT was far from all right on the opening night for Hull City as the curtain raiser to the Football League season ended in defeat to Blackpool.

A crucial lapse in concentration by the Tigers with just nine minutes remaining proved to be their undoing as Gary Taylor-Fletcher broke the deadlock with a stunning finish.

Defeat was harsh on Nigel Pearson’s cast of youngsters – all but three of the starting line-up were aged 26 or under – who contributed fully to an absorbing contest that saw both teams enjoy a couple of long periods apiece in the ascendancy.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Hull’s best periods came right at the start of the game and then, ironically, in the 20-minute spell that preceded former Huddersfield Town striker Taylor-Fletcher notching the winner.

During that second-half blitz on the Blackpool goal, City created four excellent chances but were unable to take any of them.

In the end, such profligacy proved fatal as Ian Holloway’s side ended an often difficult summer – many of the Seasiders’ players are still in dispute with the Lancashire club over a wage cut that followed relegation from the Premier League – on a high.

For City, there were grounds for optimism despite the defeat – not least the performance of loanee Robbie Brady on the wing.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The Manchester United youngster was a constant threat, regardless of whether he was playing down the right or left, and seems an inspired capture by Pearson.

Certainly, Championship defences look to be in for a torrid time against Brady this season.

Losing the opening game is, of course, far from ideal. But, as Norwich City proved last season after crashing to a 3-2 reverse at home to Watford in the curtain raiser, it need not be a barrier to any promotion challenge.

The first half had been an even affair with both sides hitting the woodwork once and managing a shot on target apiece.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Hull were the first to be denied by the upright when, after Keith Southern had clattered Robert Koren to the ground 30 yards from goal, Tom Cairney curled the resulting free-kick over the wall and on to Matthew Gilks’s post.

For Blackpool, it was Kevin Phillips who was left ruing his luck shortly before the interval after seeing his stinging right-foot shot bounce to safety off the post after being found by Taylor-Fletcher.

Those two chances apart, however, the opening 45 minutes were a largely cagey affair with goalscoring opportunities at a premium.

Blackpool probably had the better of the few openings that were created with Hull’s debutant goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi’s blushes only being spared when his flapping at a Phillips cross was followed by Elliott Grandin heading wide.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The visitors continued to be in the ascendancy after the break, it taking just 15 seconds for Grandin to weave his way through the defence before being brilliantly blocked by Joe Dudgeon.

Five minutes later, Gulacsi was again caught out by a Grandin free-kick that floated over his head towards Craig Cathcart, who could only head wide of an open goal.

More sloppy play by Hull – this time Paul McKenna, who was guilty of a woeful attempted pass – then presented the visitors with another promising opening only for Taylor-Fletcher to overhit his through ball to Phillips.

Hull, finally, reasserted some authority as the game reached the hour mark to put the visitors’ goal under sustained pressure during a period of play that, with a semblance of decent finishing, would have surely led to a couple of goals.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Matty Fryatt was perhaps the guiltiest party to this wastefulness, the striker failing to convert either of two excellent chances after being played through.

The first, on 59 minutes, saw Fryatt played in behind the defence only for hesitation on his part to allow full-back Alex Baptiste to get back and pull off a fine tackle.

Eleven minutes later, Fryatt again found himself through on goal only to this time see his shot blocked by goalkeeper Gilks.

That saw the ball then rebound to Nicky Barmby but the former England international could only curl a shot narrowly over.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Barmby had come close to breaking the deadlock just a couple of minutes earlier when a superb incisive curled pass just evaded the Tigers veteran as he stretched to apply the finishing touch.

Brady, who despite swapping to the right flank during the interval continued to be a thorn in Blackpool’s side, also created an opening for Cairney but again desperate defending came to the visitors’ rescue.

At this stage, it seemed a matter of time before City scored only for Pearson’s men to be hit by the ultimate sucker-punch when Taylor-Fletcher finished with panache.

Even then, though, there was still time for the Tigers to waste a couple more chances with Jay Simpson’s effort in stoppage time being particularly woeful to ensure the season started on a low for the hosts.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Hull City: Gulacsi; Rosenior, Chester, Hobbs, Dudgeon; Koren, McKenna (Simpson 85), Cairney, Brady; Adebola (Barmby 47), Fryatt. Unused ubstitutes: Basso, Dawson, Evans, Simpson.

Blackpool: Gilks; Baptiste, Cathcart, Evatt, Crainey; Southern, Grandin (Basham 89), Ferguson, Ormerod (Clarke 67); Taylor-Fletcher, Phillips (Sutherland 87). Unused substitutes: Halstead, Clarke, Hill.

Referee: S Mathieson (Cheshire).