'They boo him but what now?': Hull City boss sympathy for man who beat him
Hull City failed to capitalise on the appetite for revolt in the stands as they slipped to defeat at Watford.
Watford kicked off in the bottom three – their lowest league position since October 2011 – and, when McBurnie turned home Cody Drameh’s low centre to put the visitors in front, Watford fans responded with a concerto of boos and a chorus of “You’re getting sacked in the morning” aimed at Pezzolano.
But captain Imran Louza’s first goal since February cancelled out Oli McBurnie’s fifth of the season.
McBurnie went close to a second eight minutes before the break, curling a 20-yard shot against a post but 20-year-old Portuguese striker Semedo’s unmarked header from Louza’s corner 12 minutes from time completed an unlikely turnaround, smuggling a low finish inside goalkeeper Ivor Pandur’s left-hand post from Semedo’s lay-off.
Hull head coach Sergej Jakirovic accused his players of turning in a “below-average” second-half display.
The Bosnian said: “McBurnie was perfect today, but we have to sort out our defence. I’m disappointed that we lost and so are the players.
“There were moments where we could have punished them to make it two or 3-0. That would have ended it. But in the second half, we didn’t even get close to the way we played for 45 minutes.
“We gave away two cheap goals. We should have defended them. Their coach will be very pleased, but I ask the people who shouted and booed him, ‘What now?’
“They will fire the coach or he will stay? I don’t understand this. Every coach wants the best from his team and if the team are following ideas, it will be OK.”
Watford: Baxter, Alleyne, Keben, Pollock, Petris, N Mendy (Kyprianou 83), Kayembe (Sissoko 75), Ngakia (Wiley 62), Louza, Semedo (Kjerrumgaard 83), Irankunda (Baah 83). Unused substitutes: Marriott,Vata,Bola,Abankwah.
Hull: Pandur, Coyle, Egan, Hughes, Giles, Hadziahmetovic (Gyabi 73), Lundstram (Palmer 84), Drameh (Akintola 84), Gelhardt (Slater 73), Joseph (Destan 88), McBurnie. Unused substitutes: Phillips, Millar, Famewo, Williams.
Referee: O Langford (W Midlands).