The Tigers produced one of their best displays of the season to make it three straight away wins
Liam Millar of Hull City scores at Preston(Image: Paul Currie/Shutterstock)
Hull City’s incredible season hit a new height as they demolished play-off rivals Preston North End 3-0 at Deepdale to cement their place in the Championship’s top six.
Liam Millar’s goal lit up a tremendously dull first half played on a ploughed field, coming just after the half-hour from a marauding David Akintola run. City doubled their lead on the stroke of the break when Oli McBurnie fed Akin Famewo to fire in his first goal in almost three years.
McBurnie then got his first goal in five games when he acrobatically finished a perfect cross from Yu Hirakawa with his first touch after coming on.
In truth, City could have scored double what they ended up with so clinical and dominant were they at the home of the team directly below them in the table. There were ugly scenes at the end as Milutin Osmajic was dismissed for headbutting John Lundstram, the closest any Lillywhites player got to one of the visitors all night.
Jakirovic was forced into one change with Kyle Joseph out with the ankle injury he picked up at Southampton. His place went to David Akintola, while there was a return to the squad for Joe Gelhardt after a nine-game absence. New signing from Bristol City, Yu Hirakawa, was named on the bench.
On an absolute pudding of a pitch, City started well and forced the opening chance through McBurnie’s scuffed effort, which deflected up and into the hands of Jack Walton.
The game was a scrappy affair, low on entertainment and quality, until City found the one bit in the first half from a North End corner. Crooks swept it away for Akintola inside his own half and he galloped forward before sliding a perfect ball across the box for Millar to power home at the back post.
City had to weather some danger in the immediate aftermath of that goal, but they assumed control on the stroke of half-time when North End failed to clear Regan Slater’s corner, and after McBurnie held it up, his lay-off to Famewo was perfect for the defender to curl in his first Tigers goal.
Akintola, boosted by a flurry of songs from the away fans, was enjoying himself and causing all sorts of problems, so much so that he was hacked down by Odel Offiah, who was the game’s first caution.
Daniel Jebbison, Lewis Dobbin and Jamal Lewis all came on for PNE at the start of the second period as Paul Heckingbottom made a triple change, with Valentin, Small and Smith all replaced.
Akintola, who was kicked before the break, couldn’t carry on and was replaced by Hirakawa, and his impact was immediate. One touch and cross for McBurnie to overhead kick into the corner, though goalkeeper Jack Walton should have done better.
Egan was booked coming after Coyle, while Thompson was cautioned for dragging back Slater in the middle of the park as referee Stephen Martin started dishing out his cards.
Just after the hour, superb work from Crooks fashioned a good chance for Millar, who stepped inside but dragged his shot wide of the post.
‘Joffy again’ was the cry with 20 minutes left as Gelhardt returned in place of the excellent Millar, who received warm applause from his old fans, while Crooks’ very good evening ended when he was replaced by John Lundstram.
City continued to fashion openings, with Amir and McBurnie going close. Heckingottom made a double change just over 15 minutes from time when Whiteman and Thompson were replaced by Ali McCann and Brad Potts.
Gelhardt came close to scoring twice, before Egan and McBurnie were rested in the final 10 minutes with Joel Ndala and Cathal McCarthy given run-outs.
In added time, Osmajic was sent off for headbutting Lundstram, before it flared up inside the technical area with North End’s frustration boiling over.
As performances go, this was up there with their best of the season and against the team directly below them in the table. This season just keeps getting better and better.
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Preston North End: Walton, Valentin, Whiteman (c), Storey, Thompson, Gibson, Devine, Smith, Small, Osmajic, Offiah. Subs: Cornell, Lindsay, Lewis, Potts, Nelson, McCann, Frokjaer, Dobbin, Jebbison.
Hull City: Pandur, Famewo, Hughes, Egan, Coyle, Amir, Slater, Millar, Akintola, Crooks, McBurnie. Subs: Phillips, Jacob, Gelhardt, Lundstram, Hirakawa, McCarthy, Ndala, Parker, Debayo.
Referee: Stephen Martin
Man of the Match: Oli McBurnie
Attendance: 14,174 (around 850 from City)
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