City’s three-game winning run was ended, though the Tigers did extend their unbeaten run to four matches
Sergej Jakirovic joked about his Hull City players performing on Boxing Day like it was Christmas Day, and while those comments may be tongue-in-cheek, there’s an element of truth about what he said.
That came after watching his side produce a really poor display against Sheffield Wednesday, but escape Hillsborough with a 2-2 draw after twice coming from behind.
Mo Belloumi and Matt Crooks were on target for City, as they escaped from South Yorkshire against the bottom side with a point in a game they will feel slipped from their grasp.
Here, Tigers reporter Barry Cooper reflects on a point on the road which extended their unbeaten run to four games…
A flat display
There have been games where City have played very well this season, and there have been those occasions where they’ve fallen well below the standard, and this was the latter.
From the start you could sense they were not at the level needed and in truth, a point was probably about right. They were much better in the second half, admittedly, but had the Tigers started with any kind of intensity and drive, they would have won the game.
As it was, City allowed the Owls to get control from the first minute and from then on, they were always chasing the game. As poor as Wednesday are, this was another example that if you’re not at it in the Championship, you’ll come unstuck.
More Belloumi worries
Just when you thought the injury picture was beginning to ease a tad, along comes another major worry. Mo Belloumi was a shining light on the day, and his goal was a rare moment of quality in a poor game.
Losing him for any great length of time will be another massive blow in a season where the Tigers have taken blow after blow with key players consistently picking up injuries.
Everybody hopes Jakirovic’s worst fears aren’t realised and that the hamstring issue the Algerian seemingly picked up is not anywhere near as bad.
Refereeing shambles
Yet again, the big talking point was the performance of the man in the middle. Make no mistake, Stephen Martin was rubbish for both sides, but the big decisions in the game were miles off it. His decision not to allow Liam Millar’s goal remains confusing, as does his decision to wave play on when Gabriel Otegbayo hauled down Oli McBurnie when he was through on goal. The Owls will also point to his call not to give John Egan a second yellow card.
What’s the comeback? Managers and players can’t criticise referees for fear of being fined or banned, so in essence, they get away with such poor decisions week after week.
Yes, City have been on the right end of one or two, and they’ve also come unstuck. The standard is getting worse. Yes, it’s a tough job, we know that; however, something has to be done to raise the standard.
Revenge on the cards
Attention for City now turns to Middlesbrough on Monday night, with City heading to Teesside on a mission of revenge after what happened in the first half at the MKM Stadium three weeks ago.
Boro are five points ahead of the Tigers, sitting pretty in second. Should the Tigers win at the Riverside Stadium, then this point at Wednesday will feel a bit better. Lose, and this will feel even worse.
Marking the halfway point
That’s now 23 games played, and we’ll officially be into the second half of the campaign on Monday night against Boro. While there might be genuine frustration about the Boxing Day draw, City are fourth at the halfway point.
Few would have expected City to be in the thick of the promotion race at this stage of the season, and it’s a testament to the work the manager, his staff and players have done to be in this position.
The challenge now is to keep their foot to the floor and ensure there’s no fading away. There’s no reason why that should happen, given what we’ve seen.
Here at Hull Live , we are dedicated to bringing you the best Hull City coverage and analysis. Make sure you don’t miss out on the latest City news by joining our free WhatsApp group.
You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe. You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service.
Click here to be sent all the day’s biggest stories.