Hull City 0 Sunderland 1: match report

24 April 2010 17:06
They played the theme tune to The Great Escape before kick-off at the KC Stadium in a desperate attempt to rouse the Hull City players in their fight to stay up but the music clearly fell on deaf ears as their efforts to break out of the Premier League relegation zone are now destined to end in tears. [LNB]They might not be mathematical certainties to drop out of the Premier League but Hull's fate has now been sealed with the club effectively relegated to the Championship but they proved to be their own worst enemies as they fell six points behind fourth-bottom West Ham with just two games left and a vastly inferior goal difference. [LNB] Related ArticlesPremier League tablePremier League fixturesTurner: no room for sentiment against HullIain Dowie blasts Hull's lack of punchO'Neill encouraged by Villa fighting spiritSport on televisionJimmy Bullard failed to grab his club a Premier League life-line when he missed a chance to cancel out Darren Bent's early goal from the penalty spot before the contest descended into chaos as Jozy Altidore and Alan Hutton were sent off for violent conduct. [LNB]Hull manager Iain Dowie made six changes to the side that started the 2-0 defeat by Aston Villa but the Tigers started off as badly - if not worse - than ever. The tone was set in the opening few minutes set for a depressing afternoon for Hull supporters as excellent chances came and went for Jordan Henderson and Steed Malbranque. [LNB]Hull had been let off the hook by the midfielders but striker Sunderland Bent was unforgiving when another chance arose in the seventh minute and he squeezed the ball in from an acute angle after Kenwyne Jones headed Alan Hutton's cross back across the goalmouth in the seventh minute. [LNB]Sunderland looked as though they would score every time they crossed the half-way line and it was to left local hero Nick Barmby to lead Hull's fight-back as he had a volley saved by Craig Gordon before he advanced into the penalty area and had a low cross deflected into the side-netting. [LNB]It started to become apparent this just wasn't going to be Hull's day was emphasised in the 26th minute following Jimmy Bullard's when Anthony Gardner climbed above Jones only to see his powerful header thud into Gordon's chest. [LNB]Back came Hull and Gordon was required to save smartly to push away Caleb Folan's 20-yard shot after the striker was sent racing clear by Jozy Altidore following Geovanni's quick free-kick. [LNB]Hull's tails were up and they should have been level before half-time but Bullard, the club's £5 million record signing, passed up an opportunity to repay a slice of that transfer fee. [LNB]He erred when referee Lee Probert awarded his team a spot-kick after former Hull defender Michael Turner stuck out a leg and tripped Geovanni as the Brazilian darted forward but sent his 41st minute penalty crashing against the outside of Gordon's right-hand post. [LNB]The match boiled over in first-half stoppage time when Hutton and Altidore tangled on the touchline as the ball rolled out of play. The Scot leapt to his feet and threw the ball at Altidore who butted the right-back and was rightly sent off before Lee Probert dismissed his adversary for violent conduct despite on-field protests of Sunderland manager Steve Bruce. [LNB]Dowie sent on Tom Cairney in place of Bullard at half-time but a growing sense of desperation in the Hull ranks was underlined just after the hour when Geovanni was booked for diving on the edge of the penalty area as he tried to evade Phil Bardsley. [LNB]Hull goalkeeper Matt Duke was then required to foil Sunderland skipper Lorik Cana with a full-length diving save when the Albanian international tried his luck from distance before Dawson tested Gordon from 25 yards. [LNB]Dowie sent on 18 year-old Geordie striker Mark Cullen for his debut late on in place of midfielder George Boateng in a proverbial last throw of the dice and the added impetus might have paid dividends but Craig Fagan miskicked after being invited to shot by Folan. [LNB]Hull fans something to celebrate late on, though, when Bruce was sent to the stands by Probert in what could be his last visit to this part of the world in a very long time. [LNB]

Source: Telegraph