Hull City 0-2 Birmingham
Goals in each half condemned Hull City to a 2-0 defeat against Birmingham City at the MKM Stadium. Goals in each half from Troy Deeney and Juninho Bacuna secured the Blues all three points in the EFL Championship.
Interim Head Coach Andy Dawson made four changes to his starting XI to the one that faced Huddersfield Town last time out. Greg Docherty, Doğukan Sinik, Jean Michaël Seri and Tobias Figueiredo were the changes while Xavier Simons and Will Jarvis were named in a matchday squad for the first time this season.
The Tigers had the first opportunity of the game as Dimitrios Pelkas’ clever flick created a shooting opportunity for Docherty, but the Scottish midfielder’s effort hit the side netting.
The visitors were then awarded a penalty after captain Jacob Greaves fouled Krystian Bielik in the box. Deeney stepped up and smashed his spot-kick into the roof of the net to give Birmingham the lead.
Cyrus Christie almost got the Tigers on level terms as he met Pelkas’ corner, but the right-back’s header was parried well by John Ruddy, with a sliding Óscar Estupiñán narrowly missing the rebound.
In the other goal, Nathan Baxter brilliantly denied Bacuna as he pushed the low shot around his right-hand post.
Bacuna tried his luck again minutes later as he spotted Baxter off his line, but his chipped attempt was wide of the Hull City goal.
Meanwhile, Christie burst through the Birmingham lines with good one-two passing play alongside Docherty, but the left-footed strike was off-target.
Ozan Tufan tried his luck from range, but his curling effort flew over the crossbar before Seri’s drive from the edge of the penalty area deflected narrowly wide through a crowd of bodies.
Click the link for the full report.
Hull City (4-2-3-1): Baxter; Christie, A. Jones, Figueiredo, Greaves (C) (Williams 56’); Tufan (Longman 82’), Seri (Woods 81’); Docherty, Pelkas (Simons 82’), Sinik (Jarvis 63’); Estupiñán.
Subs not used: Ingram, McLoughlin.
Birmingham City (3-5-2): Ruddy; Colin, Dean, Trusty; Bacuna (Graham 78’), Mejbri (Hall 86’), Bielik (James 90’), Chong (Bellingham 77’), Longelo; Deeney (C) (Jutkiewicz 78’), Hogan.
Subs not used: Etheridge, Leko.
Attendance: 16,587