Hull City boss Adkins rues crucial injuries as unbeaten run is ended at Blackburn Rovers

NIGEL ADKINS refused to be too despondent after Hull City’s 10-match unbeaten run came to an abrupt halt.
Injured: Jarrod Bowen.Injured: Jarrod Bowen.
Injured: Jarrod Bowen.

Adkins’s hand was weakened in the build-up with the loss to injury of defender Reece Burke.

Fellow centre-back Ondrej Mazuch also hobbled off before the interval and Adkins said: “It doesn’t help that we lost a couple of centre-halves. That wasn’t ideal.

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“The first-half performance was uncharacteristic of where we’ve been, but Blackburn are a good side and credit to them.

“The players have been on a great run of form, but this wasn’t at the level we’ve been at. I’m annoyed we haven’t won but I was disappointed with our first-half performance.

“We probably passed the ball too much which invited Blackburn on the front foot.”

Adkins confirmed that star player Jarrod Bowen suffered a knee injury late in the game. “We don’t know how severe that is yet. Hopefully, it’s just a kick, but we’ll have to wait and see.”

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Tony Mowbray’s Blackburn side are just three points off the top six after a fourth league victory on the spin which was as professional as it was dominant.

Adam Armstrong put the hosts on their way after 10 minutes when he capitalised upon Bradley Dack’s defence-splitting pass.

Jack Rodwell increased Blackburn’s advantage eight minutes later with a controlled header. Hull improved after the restart, but a home win was confirmed after 78 minutes when the excellent Harrison Reed dinked the ball over David Marshall.

Blackburn Rovers: Raya, Bennett, Lenihan, Rodwell, Bell, Evans, Travis, Armstrong (Rothwell 82), Dack, Reed (Conway 81), Graham (Nuttall 75). Unused substitutes: Williams, Smallwood, Leutwiler, Brereton.

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Hull City: Marshall, Kane, Mazuch (Lichaj 43), McKenzie, Kingsley, Bowen, Henriksen, Stewart, Grosicki (Pugh 66), Evandro (Campbell 46), Martin. Unused substitutes: Milinkovic, Long, Batty, Ritson.

Referee: J Simpson (Lancashire).