Birmingham 0 Hull 0: Rare clean sheet for Tigers as bid for survival goes on

17 April 2010 22:03
Hope springs for Hull City. After the debacle of a home hammering by Burnley, they responded with a battling point at St Andrew's. [LNB]So, after a week of being challenged by manager Iain Dowie to show what he once called 'bouncebackability', we saw that Hull doth have fury after all.[LNB]Having stopped the rot after two defeats, they now stand just three points behind West Ham.[LNB] Bull-ish: Jimmy Bullard (centre) tried in vain to break down Birmingham[LNB]Should the London club lose at Liverpool tomorrow night, Hull can then catch them with their game in hand at home to Aston Villa on Wednesday, although their goal difference is significantly inferior.[LNB]MATCH FACTS BIRMINGHAM (4-4-2): Hart; Carr, Johnson, Dann, Ridgewell; Gardner, Ferguson, Bowyer, Fahey (Larsson 63min); McFadden (Phillips 60), Jerome. Subs (not used): Taylor, Benitez, Michel, Parnaby, Vignal.[LNB]HULL (4-2-3-1): Duke; McShane, Sonko, Mouyokolo, Dawson; Boateng, Cairney; Fagan, Bullard, Kilbane; Vennegoor of Hesselink (Altidore 75). Subs (not used): Myhill, Barmby, Geovanni, Marney, Cooper, Olofinjana.[LNB]Referee: M Clattenburg (Tyne & Wear). [LNB]Still, Hull should feel they can survive even if a BirminghamCity side with little to play for gave a good impression of a team already on the beach as they extended a winless run to seven with thistheir fourth consecutive home draw.[LNB]Wigan could also yet get drawn into the relegation mire and West Ham and Hull have them to play.[LNB]But while the Tigers may have rediscovered their growl, they will need to show some teeth against Villa et al as they wasted good positions late on yesterday in a belated search for a winner.[LNB]'No one was more furious than me at the end of that game but you haveto be careful not to over-react,' said Dowie of the 4-1 thrashing by Burnley in their previous game.[LNB]'I watched the video and got the senior players in my office and had aconversation with the boys to ram home what survival means to the area,the club and the fans. It wasn't a week to tread on eggshells but one for me to tell it how it is.[LNB]'I could then look at things from a more thoughtful point of view andwe made training bright and bubbly. After that, I asked for a performance and I got it. We will see how good a point it was at the endof the season.'[LNB] [LNB] Optimistic: Barry Ferguson attempts an overhead kick against Hull[LNB]Although hindsight may dictate otherwise, there was logic to Hull dispensing with Phil Brown.[LNB]New managers frequently bring impetus and, with a clutch of games to come against teams in the lower half of the Premier League table, there was optimism. Whether Dowie was the right manager to bring in is the debating point. [LNB][LNB]Out of his hands: Hull manager Ian Dowie looks on his team's draw with Birmingham[LNB]He made three changes after last week's debacle, most notably in goalwhere keeper Boaz Myhill was dropped for Matt Duke. Promising teenager Tom Cairney also came in and Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink was handed a start.[LNB]In the absence of leading scorer Stephen Hunt whose tally of only six illustrates their problem the lanky Dutchman looked like Hull's best chance of a goal with his ability in the air. When he met Andy Dawson's cross from the left with a diving header, Joe Hart had to be athis best in the home goal to save one-handed.[LNB]Otherwise, Birmingham who were also keen to make amends for a thrashing last weekend, having lost 5-1 at Manchester City carved out the better first-half chances, with Lee Bowyer twice going close when heheaded just over the bar and saw Duke palm away his shot from 25 yards.[LNB]Birmingham might also have had a penalty when Cameron Jerome challenged Duke for a high ball, only to be shoved out of the way by Paul McShane. Referee Mark Clattenburg shook his head, however, much to the Hull full-back's relief.[LNB]Late on, Jimmy Bullard stabbed a shot goalwards, comfortably saved byHart, while 19-year-old Cairney fired over the bar and Craig Fagan volleyed just wide but it was ultimately a game in which both teams weregrateful not to concede.[LNB]'We didn't have the imagination and creativity in the last third today but the players showed their character,' said Birmingham boss AlexMcLeish, although clearly less pleased than his Hull counterpart Dowie.[LNB] One Hull of an injury problem: Hunt ruled out for Tigers' relegation scrapBirmingham seek right of appeal over High Court ruling on Carson Yeung's unpaid £2.2mBIRMINGHAM CITY FC

Source: Daily_Mail