Hull City 0-0 Bournemouth

It was a game of few real chances, although it was the Tigers that came closest to finding a winner, but Greg Docherty’s second-half header came back off the crossbar.

There were three changes to the home side’s starting eleven for this one. Tom Huddlestone made his first start since rejoining the Club as he came in for Richie Smallwood in the middle of the park. New signing Tyler Smith came straight into the attack as Josh Magennis missed out while Ryan Longman returned from injury to take the place of Randell Williams on the right side of the front line. Lewie Coyle captained the side, while there was a place on the bench for young striker Josh Hinds.

Huddlestone was involved almost straight away as his clever side-step and pass sent Keane Lewis-Potter into the Bournemouth box but his low cross was snuffed out, although the offside flag had gone up anyway against Tyler Smith in the middle.

Lewis-Potter curled a 14th-minute free-kick, which he had won himself, wide from a promising position 20 yards out before Bournemouth threatened for the first time as they forced Matt Ingram to make a good save from Dominic Solanke’s close-range header.

Ingram had to save again from Solanke just after the half-hour after the striker had cut inside before shooting from eight yards, with Huddlestone sweeping the loose ball away to clear the danger, and a third save from Solanke was made at the near post after the frontman had turned a near-post cross goalwards.

Tyler Smith looked to be in for a debut goal as Docherty’s low cross was set to give him a tap in but a well-timed challenge from Lloyd Kelly denied him six yards out, before Jack Stacey picked up a booking for a foul on Lewis-Potter which gave the Tigers a chance to put the ball into the box in added time. Callum Elder’s deflected delivery caused problems but Bournemouth survived and it remained goalless at the break.

Full report is available by clicking here.

Hull City: Matt Ingram; Lewie Coyle (c), Di’Shon Bernard, Jacob Greaves, Callum Elder; Tom Huddlestone, Greg Docherty, Matt Smith (Andy Cannon 90); Ryan Longman (Randell Williams 58), Tyler Smith (Josh Hinds 81), Keane Lewis-Potter.
Subs Not Used: Nathan Baxter, Richie Smallwood, Josh Emmanuel, Sean McLoughlin.

AFC Bournemouth: Orjan Nyland, Lloyd Kelly, Chris Mepham, David Brooks (Morgan Rogers 66), Jefferson Lerma, Dominic Solanke, Emiliano Marcondes (Leif Davis 81), Jack Stacey, Ben Pearson, Jaidon Anthony, Jordan Zemura.
Subs Not Used: Will Dennis, Gary Cahill, Gavin Kilkenny, Kyle Taylor, Zeno Rossi.

Referee: Mr G. Eltringham.

Attendance: 10,199