Hull City 1 Blackburn 1: Tigers have only themselves to blame after draw feels like defeat

Jordan Rhodes had rescued a point for Blackburn Rovers with a typically predatory stoppage-time strike and the loanee from Arsenal was trying to remain upbeat about the Tigers’ promotion chances.

Along with defiant soundbites about how the squad “will click” as the season develops further and how the “best is yet to come”, the true feeling of the Tigers’ dressing room at precious points being dropped was inadvertently revealed by Akpom.

“Even after this defeat,” said the 19-year-old three-quarters of an hour or so after Blackburn had followed QPR’s lead from the previous weekend and claimed a draw in East Yorkshire, “everyone is still confident and still positive.”

Akpom’s slip of the tongue was understandable, the manner in which Rovers had been allowed to return back along the M62 with the point they had come for did feel like a reverse from a Hull perspective.

Perhaps the most frustrating aspect, however, was not Rhodes, the Football League’s most reliable goalscorer in recent years, being left alone to head in that ‘91st- minute’ leveller.

Instead, the worst part of those two dropped points was that manager Steve Bruce’s men had only themselves to blame.

Despite being well below par for most of the afternoon, the hosts had more than enough chances to put this game to bed long before Rhodes’s late strike.

Abel Hernandez may have taken his goal tally to four in six games with the 73rd-minute opener, but he also wasted a wonderful first-half chance after opting to shoot from a tight angle when a pass to either Ahmed Elmohamady or Akpom would surely have led to a tap-in.

Jason Steele duly completed the save to spare the blushes of team-mate Grant Hanley, who had been dispossessed out wide on the Rovers left flank by Hull’s £10m record signing moments earlier.

It was a big let-off for the Lancashire club but far from their only one, with Mohamed Diame also being wasteful in front of goal when presented with a volley just before the hour that the Senegal international miscued horribly.

Hull did make amends for that profligacy on 73 minutes courtesy of a sweeping break that followed what had looked like a strong appeal for a foul on Rhodes by Curtis Davies on the edge of the home side’s penalty area.

“50/50 my backside,” was Rovers’ manager Gary Bowyer’s succinct post-match response to anyone suggesting the incident was far from clear cut. ”It was a foul, end of story.”

Davies had already been booked for a tug on Tom Lawrence inside the opening minute so would surely have gone if a free-kick had been given, but referee Andy Haines waved play on and Hull took full advantage as the ball was worked to Akpom. He, in turn, released Ahmed Elmohamady and the Egyptian raced down the right flank before looking up and drilling a quite wonderful cross that evaded two Rovers defenders to leave Hernandez with a tap-in.

Three minutes later, Shaun Maloney – whose introduction from the bench had pepped up a flat Tigers midfield – had a great chance to kill off the visitors, but headed narrowly wide after being picked out by the left foot of Moses Odubajo.

The miss proved a pivotal one, as in the first of six added minutes Rhodes lost Odubajo momentarily at a corner to power an unstoppable header past Allan McGregor.

This set up a frantic finale and both sides were denied a winner as, first, McGregor pulled off a brilliant reflex save to deny Hope Akpan.

Then, at the other end, Davies somehow managed to head wide when unmarked six yards from goal after being picked out by David Meyler to leave Hull counting the cost of those dropped points.

“We are gutted,” admitted Akpom. “We should have got the three points. Conceding like that was frustrating.

“We practise so much in training on how not to concede – that makes it a worse feeling.

“We wanted the win but we are fourth. We should be higher, in my opinion. There have been a few frustrating games already but we are still learning.

“This team is fourth in the Championship and yet we haven’t played our best football yet. Promotion remains our main aim. We haven’t clicked but the best is yet to come. We are not far away. ”

Hull City: McGregor; Odubajo, Dawson, Davies, Robertson (Livermore 64); Elmohamady. Huddlestone, Diame (Maloney 59), Clucas; Akpom, Hernandez (Meyler 87). Unused substitutes: Jakupovic, Meyler, Maguire, Hayden, Aluko.

Blackburn Rovers: Steele: Steele; Henley, Hanley, Duffy, Olsson; Conway, Evans, Guthrie (Akpan 7), Marshall (Spurr 82), Lawrence (Delfouneso 78); Rhodes. Unused substitutes: Raya, Williamson, O’Sullivan, Lenihan.

Referee: A Haines (Tyne & Wear).