The Tigers claimed a crucial away win in North Wales
Hull City’s Joe Gelhardt scores (Image: PA)
Hull City produced one of their most important wins of the season to beat play-off rivals Wrexham in North Wales. The Tigers bounced back from successive Championship defeats, though they had to fight off a late fightback to hold on to a 2-1 success.
City dominated the first period in the swirling wind and rain, and took the lead in some style when Joe Gelhardt angled in a wonderful free-kick from the edge of the box.
He should have had his second shortly after when he was fouled inside the box and stepped up to take the penalty, but Arthur Okonkwo went the right way to push out of danger.
Lewis Koumas glanced in City’s second just after the hour from Liam Millar’s teasing cross to give them the cushion their dominance deserved.
Nathan Broadhead scored with just over 15 minutes to go when he converted Issa Kabore’s cross from the right to set up a grandstand finish.
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Jakirovic made four changes from the side beaten 3-1 at home to Millwall on Saturday, with Paddy McNair, John Egan, Amir Hadziahmetovic and Lewis Koumas coming into the starting eleven, at the expense of Semi Ajayi, John Lundstram, Lewie Coyle and Kyle Joseph, all of whom dropped to the bench where they were joined by the fit-again Mohamed Belloumi.
The opening exchanges were fairly low-key with little happening, aside from referee Stephen Martin’s decision to caution Oli McBurnie for a foul in the middle of the park after just six minutes, closely followed by Sam Smith, for taking out Slater in the middle of the park.
City were dominant, just as they were against Millwall but struggled to really create anything of note and that their superiority deserved, that was until Charlie Hughes was fouled 25 yards from goal, right of centre.
Up stepped Gelhardt to curl in a lovely strike, nestling inside the top corner and away he went to celebrate with the 1,300 or so away supporters gathered at that end of the ground.
Gelhardt was fouled inside the box moments later and after giving himself a second or two to think about it, referee Stephen Martin gave the kick. Gelhardt’s spot-kick was telegraphed by goalkeeper Okonkwo who dived away to his left and pushed it away and a golden chance to take an iron grip on the contest was passed up.
Phil Parkinson brought on Ollie Rathbone at the start of the second half in place of Zak Vyner and quickly collected a booking when he chopped down Amir.
City were comfortable in the second half, and could have made of a couple of breakaways, but the final ball consistently let them down. Just shy of the hour, John Lundstram was introduced in place of Amir.
A blistering break from Koumas should have yielded a second when he fed Millar, but Okonkwo made a fine save, but that just delayed what was to come. From the corner, Millar’s cross was headed in by Koumas to give City the breathing space they deserved.
Semi Ajayi and Kyle Joseph replaced McNair and McBurnie, while for the hosts, Longman and Windass were off and in their place came Issa Kabore and Davis Keillor-Dunn.
Kabore made a difference, and it was his terrific cross from the right that brought the hosts out of nothing, back into it when Broadhead tapped in from close range.
Into the final 10 minutes, on came Belloumi and Toby Collyer in place of Gelhardt and Millar, with Drameh moving to left-back to try and thwart Kabore.
Rodriguez and Cadamarteri were thrust on for the final five minutes with Collyer booked for a late tackle in the middle of the park, and City hanging on, with shades of the comeback that they were on the wrong end of in the Carabao Cup back in August. City, though, survived to claim their tenth away win of the season and inflict damage on their rivals in the race for a top six finish.
Wrexham: Okonkwo, Cleworth, Hyam (c), Doyle, Longman, Vyner, O’Brien, Thomason, Windass, Broadhead, Smith. Subs: Ward, Scarr, Brunt, Barnett, Kabore, Rathbone, Keillor-Dunn, Rodriguez, Cadamerteri.
Hull City: Pandur, Hughes, Egan, McNair, Drameh, Slater, Amir, Millar, Koumas, McBurnie, Gelhardt: Subs: Phillips, Lundstram, Belloumi, Ajayi, Coyle, Collyer, Joseph, Dowell, McCarthy.
Referee: Stephen Martin
Attendance: 10,502 (1,276 from Hull City)
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