REPORT: DALLAS CLINCHES POINT AT HULL

REPORT: DALLAS CLINCHES POINT AT HULL

United claim late 2-2 draw at the KC Stadium...

HULL 2 (Hernandez 45+1, Huddlestone 45+3), UNITED 2 (Wood 15, Dallas 88)

Hull team: McGregor, Odubajo, Maguire, Davies, Robertson, Huddlestone, Livermore, Snodgrass, Maloney (Clucas 81), Akpom (Diomande 90+3), Hernandez (Diame 67). Subs: Jakupovic, Bruce, Hayden, Elmohamady.

United team: Silvestri, Berardi, Bamba (Coyle 75), Cooper, Taylor, Bridcutt, Diagouraga (Murphy 57), Cook, Dallas, Erwin (Botaka 45), Wood. Subs: Peacock-Farrell, Wootton, Phillips, Antenucci.

Referee: Iain Williamson

Booked: Odubajo, Maguire, Livermore (Hull), Bamba, Cooper (United)

Att: 20,732 (2,356 United)

United’s penultimate away day of the campaign came in the shape of the relatively short trip to Hull City’s KC Stadium, and head coach Steve Evans made two changes to his side from the midweek victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers. On-loan midfielder Liam Bridcutt returned to the starting line-up in place of Luke Murphy after a spell out with injury, while Stuart Dallas replaced Lewie Coyle on the right wing.

It was the hosts who started the brighter of the two sides, forcing the first corner of the afternoon within the opening minute before Chuba Akpom threatened twice with efforts in quick succession. Liam Cooper got in the way of his first from 10 yards out, deflecting the ball behind for a corner, before Marco Silvestri held his second after cutting inside.

Tom Huddlestone then drilled wide with a 30-yard strike after a corner was cleared into his path, but United started to get into the game after a decent spell of possession inside the Hull half and Charlie Taylor’s back-post free-kick was hacked clear after Sol Bamba was just unable to pick out a white shirt with his return ball.

Hull had undoubtedly enjoyed the better of the early chances, but it was United who managed to break the deadlock after 15 minutes, Chris Wood converting Taylor’s inch-perfect cross from six yards out with a half-volley into the top corner to take his tally to 12 for the season.

The hosts looked to mount a quick response and Silvestri was called into a fine, one-handed save to tip Akpom’s curling effort over the bar from the edge of the area.

The United defence then held firm to keep out a series of crosses from the club’s former winger Robert Snodgrass after some tricky runs down the right, before Curtis Davies glanced a near-post corner over the crossbar as Hull chased an equaliser.

That pattern continued as the first half progressed, with Harry Maguire hitting a low strike wide from distance before Taylor blocked brilliantly to deny Moses Odubajo a sight of goal as his effort looped onto the roof of the net.

Hull’s pressure eventually told in first-half stoppage time, though, and the hosts turned the game on its head with two quick-fire goals as Hernandez tapped home a Snodgrass cross from close-range before Huddlestone drilled into the bottom corner from 20 yards out.  

Evans introduced Jordan Botaka in place of Lee Erwin as the second half resumed, and United were awarded a golden opportunity to get back on level terms within eight minutes of the restart as Odubjajo tripped Taylor inside the area.

Up stepped Wood, looking to double his tally for the afternoon, but McGregor guessed right to keep out his spot-kick with a fine save before smothering the loose ball.

Evans was soon prompted into his second change, replacing Toumani Diagouraga with Murphy in midfield, but Hull were starting to push for a third as Gaetano Berardi blocked superbly to deny Hernandez before Snodgrass drilled a first-time strike over the bar after being teed up on the edge of the area.

United withstood the pressure well but were made to be patient for openings at the opposite end as set-pieces appeared the most likely source of an equaliser.

There were worrying scenes for the visitors on 75 minutes as Berardi was forced to leave the field on a stretcher following a challenge from former United loanee Jake Livermore, with Lewie Coyle stepping off the bench to replace him at full-back.

Akpom dragged wide for Hull in the closing stages, but it was to be United who had the final say as Dallas clinched a point with two minutes remaining, firing into the bottom corner from the edge of the area after being teed up by Botaka.

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