Hull City are ‘fighting for our lives’ says Grant McCann

A 2-1 defeat for the Tigers dumped them back into the Championship relegation zone with just four fixtures remaining in 2019/20.

And, although they ultimately ended up on the wrong end of the result, Hull played well for long periods, leaving their head coach with cause to curse his luck.

“We’re unlucky not to come away with a point, truth be told,” McCann said. “The boys are working ever so hard, they’re doing everything they can to try and get the wins in these games.

“I thought performance-wise and chances created, we were good. We were getting into dangerous areas and the first goal is a tad fortunate for them. It’s bounced, it’s ricocheted, it’s gone into their centre-forward and he scores.

“The second one, there’s not much we can do about a free-kick that’s put into the top corner from 25 yards, it’s a great free-kick, but the response from the boys was excellent.

“The boys showed fighting spirit.  We’re fighting for our lives. We didn’t come to lose.”

Following a slow start, Hull seized the ascendancy and appeared to be in control.

James Scott had come close to breaking the deadlock and the visitors continued to look the more likely, but fell behind on 41 minutes.

Hull skipper Jordy De Wijs failed to cut out Jamie Paterson’s first-time pass into  Famara Diedhiou, and the big Robins centre-forward was left with a routine finish inside the box.

Seven minutes after the re-start, Paterson curled an exquisite set-piece strike past George Long and into the net for 2-0.

The Tigers pulled one back on the hour-mark when De Wijs glanced home a header from George Honeyman’s inswinging free-kick, though a second goal was not forthcoming.

Bristol City: Bentley; Hunt, Benkovic, Kalas, Baker (Vyner 5) Da Silva; Weimann (Nagy 74), Smith, Paterson; Wells (Afobe 74), Diedhiou (Watkins 90). Unused substitutes: Wollacott, O’Dowda, Eliasson, Rowe, Massengo.

Hull: Long; MacDonald, Burke, De Wijs, Elder; Honeyman, Toral (Stewart 46), Da Silva Lopes, Wilks, Magennis (Eaves 46), Scott (Bowler 59). Unused substitutes: Ingram, Tafazolli, Batty, McLoughlin, Pennington, Lewis-Potter.

Referee: G Ward (Surrey).

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