For the second time during Hull City’s trip to Turkey, Pharell Brown inspired the Tigers to a victory as he played his part in teeing up Tyrell Sellars-Fleming to score the winner against Kasimpasa.
Sellars-Fleming’s neat finish shortly after coming off the bench made it two wins from two in Istanbul for Sergej Jakirovic’s Tigers, and three in a row.
City’s trip comes to a successful end in front of their watching supporters, who will be encouraged with much of what they saw from their side, especially in the second period against Super Lig opposition.
Kasimpasa settled the better of the two and had an early sight on goal when Ouannes volley down into the ground and over the bar after Hughes left Giles high and dry, but the defender made amends 12 minutes in when he hastily blocked a shot from Fall after Ajayi had slopilly given the ball away on the edge of the box.
City huffed and puffed in a fairly drab first half without ever really looking like breaking the deadlock. Giles tried to get on the front foot down the left but twice, Hughes couldn’t find him and on the other side, Kamara showed a couple of moments of promise but lacked the final ball when it matted.
Giles’ last action of the game came when he surged down the left to fire a ball through the box looking for Joseph who couldn’t get on the end of it.
Just after the hour, Jakirovic, in front of the watching Acun Ilicali, made eight changes with Egan, Burstow, Sellars-Fleming, Vaughan, Brown, Shelvey, McCarthy and Ashbee all coming on, in place of Ajayi, Joseph, Tinsdale, Crooks, Kamara, Giles, Slater, and Palmer, and those changes proved decisive.
And within moments, the visitors should have been in front when Burstow was played in and when his shot was saved by the legs of the goalkeeper, it bounced up to Brown to slice wide with a right-footed volley.
City’s goal came with just over 20 minutes to go when Shelvey lifted the ball over to Sellars-Fleming, he rolled it back to Brown who fed his academy teammate again to prod in with a quick low shot underneath the goalkeeper.
It should have been 2-0 moments later when a brilliant piece of play from Brown on the left side of the box to go past his man and tee up Vaughan, but his body shape was all wrong and he angled it well wide.
Fresh from losing Sean McLoughlin to Blackburn Rovers, there was no Steven Alzate, Alfie Jones or Gustavo Puerta in the matchday squad, while Reda Laalaoui was at the game, but not involved as he hadn”t been all week with him carrying an injury. Skipper Lewie Coyle didn’t travel and remained back at Riva.
Jakirovic will be pleased with the manner of the second half display, another victory and a fine way to cap what has been a good trip. Now, attention turns to City’s return to the UK and their first domestic friendly against Stockport County on Saturday afternoon,
Kasimpasa: Gianniotis, Jario, Opoku, Neto, Szalai, Ustundag, Fall, Kol, Mujde, Ouannes, Kanatsizkus. Subs: Yanar, Aydin, Barasi, Yigit, Yildizli, Aktas, Yilmaz, Muratoglu, Suakar, Eratilla, Erdogan, Alkac, Ozden
City: Pandur, Giles, Ajayi, Hughes (c), Drameh, Slater, Crooks, Tinsdale, Palmer, Kamara, Joseph. Subs: Cartwright, Vaughan, Egan, Shelvey, Brown, Sellars-Fleming, Ashbee, Myers, Devine.
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