Hull City 1 West Ham United 0: Friend an ally as Tigers benefit from their spots of good fortune

SOMETIMES you can get by with a little help from a friend, as Hull City demonstrated on Saturday.
Hull City's Sone Aluko and West Ham United's James TomkinsHull City's Sone Aluko and West Ham United's James Tomkins
Hull City's Sone Aluko and West Ham United's James Tomkins

Leicestershire referee Kevin Friend donated a choice present to ensure the Tigers start October with a double-figure points haul safely in the bank.

Two spot-kick decisions squarely rested on his shoulders at the KC and on both occasions the wheel of fortune spun in Hull’s favour as they secured back-to-back wins in the Premier League for the first time since October 2008.

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The first arrived in the 13th minute when Robbie Brady went down under not too much pressure from Hammers defender Joey O’Brien in almost a carbon copy of the incident which saw the Tigers awarded a penalty at the same end against Norwich City on August 24.

It was enough to sway Friend into pointing to the spot, with Brady – later accused of being a ‘diver’ by furious West Ham chief Sam Allardyce – obliging with a successful penalty.

Fifteen minutes from time, however, the blow of Friend’s whistle which the Hammers were anticipating was not so forthcoming.

Ricardo Vaz Te’s cross struck the arm of Jake Livermore, who made a clear forward movement in the area towards the ball, which diverted for a corner. The sheepish look on the face of the Tigers’ midfielder immediately afterwards said it all.

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Hull manager Steve Bruce’s old pal Allardyce was apoplectic, although he was a tad quieter eight minutes in when visiting captain Kevin Nolan received a caution for a two-footed lunge on Liam Rosenior which could – and should – have yielded red.

So regardless of Allardyce’s gripes, the reservoir of sympathy towards him was not a plentiful one, especially given that the make-up of his side – with the largely ineffective Modibo Maiga ploughing a lone furrow up front – was not exactly offensive.

For Hull, the beat goes on and it was hard not to hark back to the previous occasion they beat West Ham in a top-flight fixture in East Yorkshire.

That was on October 19, 2008 when Phil Brown’s side were in the middle of a four-match winning streak which accounted for Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and West Brom, along with the Hammers, as the Tigers fuelled up ahead of what turned out to be a bleak winter.

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Tigers fans who strode out of the KC amid glorious autumnal sunshine at the final whistle on Saturday might be a bit wary of history, but for the time being, optimism is burning bright.

For commitment, spirit and organisation, the Tigers deserved their win for an intelligent performance which, for all West Ham’s possession, particularly in the second half, saw the substantive chances fall to the hosts.

Not for the first time this season, Hull’s defence was resolute, winning challenges and making clearances galore. But all across the pitch, contributions arrived.

Among those to take a bow was match-winner Brady, who at times you could see was grimacing with pain with hernia surgery, you suspect, just a few weeks down the line when the international break arrives.

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Classy midfield operator Tom Huddlestone again provided plenty of evidence to suggest that his purchase from Spurs could prove the shrewdest deal of the summer by a top-flight manager, with the captures of the redoubtable Curtis Davies and Allan McGregor not far behind.

It was a day for unsung heroes, too, such as Liam Rosenior, whose bravery in winning a late clearing header, which saw him collect a hefty whack, was emblematic of the hosts’ lion-hearted efforts.

Another to put his body on the line time and time again was former Hammers defender Abdoulaye Faye, in his first top-flight appearance since May, 2011, with the 35-year-old a warrior at the back.

Faye, who could be set for an extended run in the side in the absence of hamstring injury victim James Chester, said: “I have a lot of friends at West Ham, who I was happy to see.

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“But we won and kept a clean sheet. I’m very happy and proud.

“I did my best for West Ham, but when they went up, they said ‘we don’t want you’.

“I was very disappointed. I played very well and played in a lot of games then but in the last few games they took me out. I don’t know why.

“But Steve Bruce asked Sam what he thought of me and he told him I was good. He said I would help them get promoted.

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“In my head, I don’t feel 35. I don’t drink or go out a lot, and I watch what I eat.

“I’m not young, so you have to pay attention to everything you do to have a great career.

“I’m here to help the young players.

“I’ve played so many times in the Premier League. I know how to do it.

“We have a good squad. I’m very confident that this year we are going to surprise a few people.”

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After the Tigers went ahead they had a scare when Ahmed Elmohamady cleared James Tomkins’s header off the goalline with replays showing the ball had not crossed the line.

At the other end, the hosts went desperately close to adding to their lead with Davies’s header diverted onto the bar by Maiga and goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen beating away Elmohamady’s header.

On the restart, while West Ham pressed, the Tigers had the clearer chances.

Livermore smashed their best effort against a post, although it was his contribution at the other end that hogged the headlines as the Hammers’ drought without an away goal extended to six hours.