City led at Vicarage Road before allowing the hosts back in it
A desperate second half display from Hull City saw them throw away a half-time lead to lose 2-1 at Watford in a game they’ll have plenty of regrets from.
Oli McBurnie’s terrific goal after 25 minutes had City comfortably in front and the home fans chanting for the sacking of their manager, only to turn it around in the second half through Imran Louza and Vivaldo Semedo.
City did have openings in the second half, but the way they allowed the home side to dominate and create chances will be of concern to Sergej Jakirovic, who cut a frustrated figure on the touchline at points in the second period.
City made one change from the win over Southampton with Cody Drameh replacing the injured Mo Belloumi, while there was a return for Liam Millar to the bench after 11 months out with an ACL injury. For Watford, ex-Tigers goalkeeper Nathan Baxter made his full debut.
Hadziahmetovic had the game’s first effort after inside the opening 10 minutes but his volley was deflected wide, before Vivaldo Semedo saw a shot blocked by Charlie Hughes after a flowing counter from the home side. Then Pandur was forced into a smart close range save moments after John Lundstram had gone into the book for a heavy challenge on Jeremy Petris.
Semedo then joined the growing number of players in the book, and was joined by City boss Jakirovic for something he said but he was cheering moments later when Drameh’s cut-back found McBurnie at the near post to rifle into the net. While City’s away following were in raptures, the hosts were chanting ‘You’re getting sacked in the morning’ to their boss Paulo Pezzolano.
City came agonisingly close to making it 2-0 when Kyle Joseph surged towards the box, before laying it into the path of McBurnie to turn and crash a curling effort off the post, and then Joseph was flagged offside as he went through on goal, seeing his shot blocked by Baxter.
Drameh missed a gilt-edged chance to make it 2-0 before the break when Giles’ pinpoint cross picked him out, but Baxter made a smart block from close range to deny him.
A poor start to the second half from the visitors allowed the hosts back into the game and Imran Louza’s neat finish wrongfooted Pandur and the game was level on the hour. Pandur fumbled a shot which almost gifted the hosts a second, moments after Giles cleared off his line as City continued to make errors.
The Tigers were punished again with just over 10 minutes to go when Semedo headed in from a corner to turn the game around for the hosts, and though they had moments, rarely did they look like coming back and in fact, the hosts crashed off the bar in the second period.
WATFORD (3-5-2): Baxter; Ngakia (Wiley 61), Alleyne, Keben, Pollock, Petris; Mendy (Kyprianou 82), Louza, Kayembe (Sissoko 74); Semedo (Kjerrumgaard 82), Irankunda (Baah 82). Subs: Marriott, Abankwah, Bola, Wiley, Kyprianou, Sissoko, Baah, Vata, Kjerrumgaard
HULL CITY (4-3-3): Pandur, Giles, Hughes, Egan, Coyle, Amir (Gyabi 72), Lundstram (Palmer 84), Drameh (Akintola 84), Joseph (Destan 87), Gelhardt (Slater 72), McBurnie. Subs: Phillips, Famewo, Williams, Akintola, Ndala, Slater, Destan, Gyabi, Palmer.
REFEREE: Oliver Langford
MAN OF THE MATCH: Vivaldo Semedo
ATTENDANCE: 17,976 (1,252 from Hull City)
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