Source: Daily_Mail
Sunderland 4 Hull City 1: Bent double calms Bruce's nerves
For football's likely lads, the only two Geordie-born bosses in the Premier League, thishad pleasure and punishment in immeasurable quantities. [LNB]That Hull left without any Brownie points was due to them downing tools at thesecond sign of adversity in fairness they had battled back well from the first but when Sunderland applied the pressure again, they scurried away.[LNB]In the battle of technical area histrionics, Hull manager Phil Brown looked almost chilled out compared with the more agitated Steve Bruce, in spite of his side taking a 13th-minute lead when Craig Fagan handled an Andy Reid corner and Darren Bent scored the first of his two goals from the spot.[LNB] Reid in and weep: Sunderland's Andy Reid fires home[LNB]But the Sunderland boss's animation underlined his disquiet at the way his players looked unable to cope with Hull's response. 'We had a sloppy spell and I wasn't happy about it,' said Bruce.[LNB]Kamil Zayatte's equaliser a minute before the break, a low header from Geovanni's corner, showed Bruce had every right to be concerned. [LNB]Four minutes after the restart, Reid's superb left foot volley restored the lead and this time there was no coming back. The Hull defence went completely AWOL when Bentwas allowed to race forward before thumping the third through Bo Myhill's legs and, inevitably, it was left to former Hull defender Michael Turner to deliver the coup de grace with a 75th-minute header that went in off Zayatte.[LNB]Brown said: 'It was a game of two halves; we had a right foothold in the game in thefirst and obviously the equaliser was important.[LNB] Hitting back: Hull City's Kamil Zayatte (centre) gives his side a consolation[LNB]'But to concede again after only four minutes was disappointing. Our focus wasn't right in the second half. There's a lot of hard work to be done on the training ground.'[LNB]Bruce said: 'In our anxiety to do well we tried too hard in the first half. But we lookedcomfortable in the end.' [LNB]The Sunderland manager again praised Bent's performance and suggested he should be part of Fabio Capello's World Cup reckoning. 'He's enjoying his football. He's playing well and scoring goals and there's not much more he can do than that,' said Bruce. [LNB] Spot on: Darren Bent scores a penalty[LNB] Sunderland 4 Hull 1: the action as it happenedHull City boss Phil Brown closing in on Manchester City's former Invisible Man Glauber BertiSUNDERLAND AFC
