Hull City 0 Derby County 1: Returning Tom Huddlestone unable to rescue Tigers

The Tigers were trailing 1-0 to Derby County when Grant McCann told his latest signing to strip off and get ready to come on, to the delight of the home fans. Referee Jeremy Simpson just would not blow his whistle so Huddlestone could get on.

When it finally did, it was to award Ravel Morrison a dangerously-placed free-kick, so Huddlestone was told to wait a little longer. By the time the play was stopped again, he finally entered the field after eight minutes kicking his heels on the sidelines.

It has been a bit like that for the former England midfielder, who Hull have wanted to sign for some time but have had to do some squad juggling first.

Once on, with 21 minutes to play including stoppage time, he passed the ball with assurance but mainly from deep. There was no decisive moment from him, no killer pass, no corner he was picked out from. The equaliser never came.

The biggest winners of the Championship’s opening weekend have lost both their games since.

In truth, an equaliser would have been undeserved for a Hull side which lacked imagination and oomph in the final third. Although the goal Derby scored was soft, Matt Ingram spilling a weak Lee Buchanan shot so Sam Baldock could tap in a debut goal, 1-0 was probably a fair reflection of a low-quality contest between a side relegated in their last Championship season and another only kept up by a Sheffield Wednesday points deduction in May.

The best Hull could really manage until the latter stages was to get into crossing positions which looked dangerous right up to the moment the centre came over. The final delivery of the first half summed it up. Full debutant Randell Williams produced some nice skill to beat Buchanan and his side were able to play Lewie Coyle into a good crossing position, not for the first time, but the centre was overhit.

Right-back Coyle had earlier picked out Josh Magennis but under pressure he was unable to make much of his header. Kelle Roos was juggling another Coyle cross in the 33rd minute.

Derby took control of the game after about a quarter of an hour. Louie Sibley was playing just off and to the right of their centre-forwards, pulling Greg Docherty deep to deal with him, and Hull never looked completely comfortable handling the trio.

Kamil Jozwiak had the first chance of note, cutting inside but producing a shot that lacked power and accuracy. Referee Simpson was not buying his excuse of a deflection. Sibley forced his way through but did not make life difficult enough for Ingram. Former Sheffield United and Middlesbrough player Morrison, playing in central midfield, shot over after linking with Sibley.

Hull’s biggest let-off came in the 20th minute, Jozwiak turning Jacob Greaves spectacularly but hitting his shot against the post.

Ingram then made a save which was slightly “one for the cameras” but nevertheless did well to keep hold of Morrison’s curling shot as he fell to earth.

When Matt Smith played Richie Smallwood into trouble he must have been pleased Greaves defended so well out near the touchline. Baldock, one of two Derby debutants alongside Phil Jagielka, got in behind Alfie Jones far too easily but again Ingram came to the rescue.

It was a lengthy storm Hull weathered and they finished the half strongly, Greaves playing in Callum Elder but the offside flag was up when Curtis Davies dealt somewhat unconvincingly with it. A minute later Williams robbed his man but again the delivery was overhit. It was a frustrating theme. Early in the second half Smith played a measured ball to Keane Lewis-Potter but the cross was cut out at the expense of a corner Hull made nothing of. Docherty’s longer pass to him was almost a good but Roos beat the forward to it.

An excellent piece of work by Smallwood to deny Sibley apart, Derby had offered very little in the second half either and Buchanan’s 58th-minute shot was not really an exception, so for Ingram to serve it up for Baldock was very frustrating.

If it looked set up for Huddlestone to come to the rescue on his second debut against the club that released him in the summer, it was asking too much.

In the last few minutes Docherty shot over under pressure and Will Jarvis had an effort deflected but a goal at that stage would only have camouflaged an anaemic performance.

Hull City: Ingram; Coyle, A Jones, Greaves, Elder; Smallwood (Huddlestone 73), Docherty; Williams (Jarvis 73), Smith (Eaves 78), Lewis-Potter; Magennis. Unused substitutes: Emmanuel, Baxter, Cannon, Bernard.

Derby County: Roos; Byrne, Jagielka, Davies, Buchanan (Forsyth 61); Morrison (Stearman 84), Bird, Shinnie; Sibley, Baldock (Watson 73), Jozwiak. Unused substitutes: Allsop, Stretton, Hutchinson, Williams.

Referee: J Simpson (Lancashire).