The terrific Tigers are one game away from the Premier League after a night to remember in the capital
Matt Crooks and Sergej Jakirovic embrace at The Den(Image: Warren Little/Getty Images)
Hull City produced a stunning away performance to beat Millwall 2-0 in the second leg of the Championship play-off semi-final at The Den.
Level from the first leg at the MKM Stadium on Friday night, City delivered a dominant second-half display and took control through goals from Mo Belloumi and Joe Gelhardt.
Sergej Jakirovic’s heroes can now look forward to a few days off, before returning to training and preparing for a play-off final at Wembley on Saturday week.
Here, City reporter Barry Cooper looks back on a night for the ages in Bermondsey…
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The gaffer’s masterplan
There was one or two eyebrows raised when the team news dropped ahead of kick-off, and Jakirovic had gone to a back three, taking out Mo Belloumi and Joe Gelhardt, but it worked a treat.
Aside from a 20-minute spell in the middle chunk of the first half, City managed Millwall’s threat superbly well, and they got the ball out wide and hurt the Lions where we knew they could be damaged.
To a man, Jakirovic’s men were sensational. They defended brilliantly and attacked in that second half with such quality that, in the end, 2-0 flattered the hosts. Jakirovic spent the hours after Friday’s first leg studying that game and the two league meetings to find the right blueprint to dominate and beat them on their own patch. His master plan was on point, and his players, to a man, delivered it perfectly.
Why the first 15 minutes mattered
City were prepared for an onslaught in that first quarter of an hour, but it just did not happen. That was because City controlled the game early on, and they met fire with fire and sucked the life out of the atmosphere. Yes, Millwall had a spell from about 17 minutes onwards for a while, and had one or two moments without ever really testing Ivor Pandur too deeply, but the Tigers always felt the more likely to create the big moment.
That first half, coming in at 0-0, gave them the platform to do what they did in the second half. The goal was a touch of class; however, before that, City were creating real danger through Belloumi, and it was no surprise when the goal came, and when it did, it was enough to light up any night.
From then on, the away side were in complete control. Once the second went, Millwall were punch-drunk. Their race was won, and in truth, City could have added a couple more.
Magic Mo
We’ve said it so many times that one of the big reasons this City side is so dangerous is because they have players capable of moments, and in Mo Belloumi, they have a player who can conjure something up out of nothing.
It may have taken him an age to put his boots on after Kyle Joseph’s injury, but perhaps those few extra moments making sure they were perfect were crucial.
Big players turn up in big moments, and we’ve seen in the final knockings of the season, just how crucial those players can be when they do their thing. Between them, they just need to find one more game’s worth to send them to the Premier League.
Those scenes
At the risk of repeating myself, football is about moments and memories. This season, the Tigers’ players have given their fans some very enjoyable ones, capped wonderfully by that final day success against Norwich City. What happened at The Den trumps that and then some.
City are bringing so much joy to their supporters, and now, thirty-odd thousand will get a day out with their families and close friends that they’ll never forget.
In the dressing room afterwards, it was a sea of joy as the players huddled together singing Someone Like You by Adele, which was audible during the post-match television interviews. They’ll never forget this night.
Spare a thought for KJ
Kyle Joseph has enjoyed a terrific season, and in the first half, his pressing was absolutely key to how disciplined the Tigers were. His night was crudely cut short by a poor challenge, and now it remains to be seen if he’ll be fit for the final.
Missing out would be a cruel blow for a player who has been so crucial on and off the pitch for City this season, so fingers crossed for him that his ankle injury is not serious.
Wembley here we come
So, there we go. After the season of all seasons, Hull City will now return to Wembley for the first time in a decade to play for a place in the Premier League. Jakirovic is just the third manager in the club’s history to lead a team out at Wembley. What a job he has done.
There will be a huge clamour for tickets, and rightly so. This team deserve as much support as is possible, to give them that extra edge in the final on May 23, whoever they play, be that Boro or Southampton.
City are one game away. Dare to dream? Absolutely.
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