Ipswich Town 0 Hull City 1: Tigers chief Pearson relieved as Fryatt strike proves difference

The Tigers lost their opening Championship encounter at home to Blackpool but bounced back thanks to a much-improved second-half performance at Portman Road.

Matty Fryatt scored the winning goal, latching on to a through-ball and then sending a low effort into the net after twisting past Tommy Smith.

When asked if it was a relief, Pearson said: “Absolutely. We’re only two games in but there’s always going to be pressure.

“I was really pleased – not just with the result but also with the way we played, which was really positive.

“It’s been a difficult week, having so many players away on international duty and three injuries, so we’ve been a bit disjointed.

“But the players came out with it with a lot of credit because it was a very good team performance. Ipswich put our goal under a bit of stress at time but, all in all, we did what we had to do in terms of making it difficult for them.

“I’m sure they will feel they should have converted one or two but I always felt we looked quite dangerous on the break, too.”

Ipswich had dominated the first half and went close through long-range efforts from Aaron Cresswell and Lee Martin. New signing Lee Bowyer also saw a shot from the right pushed round the post.

Tommy Smith and Damien Delaney were just off target with headers and then, just before the break, the latter saw another headed effort clatter the bar.

There were scares at the other end, too. Fryatt nearly scored from an acute angle and Robbie Brady drove a powerful shot straight at David Stockdale.

Fryatt scooped a close-range effort over the bar, after a corner deflected into his path.

Hull came out for the second half with a very different attitude and immediately tested Stockdale – first with a 25-yard thunderbolt from Robert Koren and then through James Chester. It was a warning and the winning goal came as no real surprise.

“Hull came away from home and did a job on us,” said Ipswich chief Paul Jewell. “They changed their formation and stifled us. It was disappointing but we weren’t getting carried away last week and, equally, we’re not too despondent this week.”

Ipswich Town: Stockdale, Edwards, Delaney, Smith, Cresswell, Martin, Leadbitter, Kennedy (Andrews 64), Bowyer (Ellington 78), Emmanuel-Thomas (Carson 70), Chopra. Unused substitutes: Lee-Barrett, Ainsley.

Hull City: Gulacsi, Rosenior, Chester, Hobbs, Dudgeon, Koren (Adebola 90), McKenna, Cairney, Brady (Mclean 87), Fryatt (Barmby 81),Evans. Unused substitutes: Basso, Bradley.

Referee: D McDermid (Hampshire).

Man of the match: Matty Fryatt.