A flat Boxing Day display saw the Tigers fail to beat the Owls
Hull City twice fought back from a losing position to claim an underwhelming 2-2 draw at bottom side Sheffield Wednesday on Boxing Day, in what was a below-par performance.
The bottom side was deservedly in front just over 20 minutes in when goalkeeper Pierce Charles launched the ball forward, with Svante Ingelsson running on and finishing past Ivor Pandur.
Eventually, after what had been a desperately poor start, City levelled eight minutes before the break when Mo Belloumi cut inside and fired in the equaliser. On the stroke of half-time, Liam Millar had the ball in the net, but referee Stephen Martin ruled it out for something he deemed a foul.
Wednesday were back in front just after the hour when more awful defending from City was punished, with Bailey Cadamarteri firing past Pandur. Matt Crooks brought City back on terms five minutes later.
In truth, City failed to reach the standards we’ve seen in the past three wins and will probably count themselves lucky to get out of Sheffield without the embrassment of being the first team to lose at Hillsborough this season, but this performance will have left Sergej Jakirovic angry.
Jakirovic made one change from the side that beat West Brom a week ago, with Amir Hadziahmetovic replacing Kyle Joseph, who dropped to the bench. The Bosnian’s return to the starting XI also saw a change in shape from the 4-4-2 the City boss went with against Albion, to his favoured 4-3-3. After a lengthy absence, Kaseyt Palmer was back in the squad and on the bench for the first time since late September, but there was no John Lundstram or Cody Drameh through injury.
The hosts started brightly in front of a bumper home crowd, forcing three early corners in the first couple of what were a bright few minutes with City second best all over the park. The error-strewn display was causing all sorts of problems and giving the beleaguered Owls hope.
That hope turned into gold after 21 minutes when goalkeeper Pierce Charles launched forward and Svante Ingelsson raced onto to it, beating the offside trap and Hughes to volley past Pandur. In truth, the lead was nothing more than what Wednesday deserved, and City, who were abject in the opening period.
They half responded to that setback when McBurnie could only angle a header wide of the post. City should have been level just after the half-hour when Millar’s cross was prodded into the path of the on-rushing Mo Belloumi at the back post, and his effort somehow hit Liam Cooper and diverted wide.
It took 37 minutes for the Tigers to fashion a bit of quality, and when they did, the goal arrived. Crooks fizzed into Belloumi’s path and his step away from his man to open up the chance was sublime, and he fired into the near post to level it up.
Lowe then found himself in space straight from the restart, but Hughes made a timely block. City did have the ball in the net in added time at the end of the first half from a corner, but for some reason, referee Stephen Martin decided there was a foul. If anybody knows why, please send answers on a postcard to HDM towers.
With John Egan nervously perched on a yellow card, he was withdrawn at the break with ex-Owl Akin Famewo on in his place. City felt they should have had a penalty early in the second half when McBurnie was wrestled to the floor shortly after he was cautioned for a foul. Nothing given by referee Martin, to the surprise and annoyance of the striker and the Tigers’ bench.
Somewhat against the run of play just after the hour, City’s poor defending was their undoing again when Cadamarteri was given acres of space to turn past Pandur and regain the lead.
Crooks levelled it up 25 minutes from time when the ball fell kindly to him inside the box and he side-footed past Charles in front of nearly 4,000 away supporters. Two changes followed, with Millar and Amir replaced by Kyle Joseph and Darko Gyabi.
Concerns were then abound when Belloumi looked to have pulled a hamstring, and needed to be replaced by David Akintola, before Rio Shipston and Favour Onukwuli came on for the Owls in place of Thornton and Pirlo, I mean, Ingelsson, with just over 10 minutes to go.
Enis Destan was introduced with seven minutes left in place of goalscorer Crooks before Akintola was booked in the closing stages, and headed over in injury time as City were forced to settle for a point on the road.
Sheffield Wednesday: Charles, Palmer, Iorfa, Cooper, Otegbayo, Amass, Ingelsson, Thornton, Bannan (c), Lowe, Cadamarteri. Subs: Horvath, Emery, McGhee, Johnson, Alao, Shipston, Onukwuli, Grainger, Moses.
Hull City (4-3-3): Pandur, Giles, Hughes, Egan, Coyle, Slater, Amir, Belloumi, Millar, Crooks, McBurnie. Subs: Phillips, Famewo, Joseph, Palmer, Ndala, Akintola, Destan, Gyabi, McCarthy.
Man of the Match: Mo Belloumi
Referee Stephen Martin
Attendance: 27,929 (3,900 from City)
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