The Tigers have a seven-point cushion to the chasing pack with 11 games left
Oli McBurnie shows his frustration to Hull City’s defeat at Ipswich Town(Image: Izzy Poles – AMA/Getty Images)
Hull City’s fantastic eight-game unbeaten run away from home, which dated back to November, was finally ended by promotion favourites Ipswich Town on Tuesday night.
Despite a battling display, City were undone by a stunning strike from Azor Matusiwa 19 minutes from time, which sealed a 1-0 win for the hosts, and left the Tigers to reflect on a defeat that looked unlikely for much of the contest.
Sergej Jakirovic’s men failed to muster a shot on target at Portman Road, and though they did have a host of opportunities in and around Christian Walton’s goal, their lack of quality when it mattered was their undoing.
Here, City reporter Barry Cooper looks back at a narrow defeat in Suffolk…
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No reason to be downhearted
To say Tuesday night was a free hit wouldn’t be quite right, but it was a game where City could go into it without the shackles, knowing that anything was a bonus, and even in defeat no ground was lost.
Just 11 games remain now, and the Tigers remain in a position that all but four teams in the league would swap for. With three defeats in their last five, it’s important that Jakirovic’s side brushes this one off and picks up the momentum gained after wins over Derby County and Portsmouth.
With better quality in the final third, City may well have been able to make something of the hefty number of opportunities they had, but it wasn’t to be, and they must learn from that, especially if there are to be play-off games on the horizon.
The setup
You have to admire the discipline from Jakirovic’s side, and aside from that one moment of quality that ultimately won the game, Ipswich struggled to fashion too much. Jack Clarke’s effort immediately after the opener, which was brilliantly saved by Ivor Pandur, was the one moment City were cut open.
The issue was, when they got into good positions at the other end, the lack of quality was really apparent. Neither Lewis Koumas nor Liam Millar had the quality to make the most of them.
In the past two games, they’ve managed just two shots on target, with both of those coming at Fratton Park, and while their organisation can be applauded, the need for that moment of quality was emphasised.
City have ridden their luck at times this season, they’ve won games like this previously this season, and you have to accept that sometimes it’ll go your way, and others it won’t.
Now you see him, now you don’t
No sooner has Matt Crooks returned from a lengthy spell out and shown why he’s so valuable, he will now miss those two meetings with Millwall and Wrexham in the next two after collecting 10 bookings.
Crooks was a tad unlucky, too. Oli McBurnie had sold Regan Slater short with a pass inside the Tigers half, and in trying to halt an attack, the experienced ex-Boro man was forced into something of a last-ditch challenge outside his own box.
And given how card-happy Lewis Smith was when it came to booking Tigers players, he was never going to miss that opportunity, and now, one of their key players joins the growing list of absentees.
Two massive games to come
Just four games remain before the upcoming international break, and they both come against teams sandwiched inside the top six with the Tigers.
First up come Millwall at the MKM Stadium on Saturday in what’s another early kick-off in front of the television cameras, before a second trip to the Racecourse of the season to tackle Phil Parkinson’s Wrexham.
The next two are massive for City, and with games at West Brom and home to Sheffield Wednesday to follow, they’ll be looking to take valuable points off those around them.
Matazo’s return
Not too far away from Portman Road, at Peterborough United’s training ground, Eliot Matazo was making his long-awaited return from an ACL injury. His first appearance in more than 12 months, the Belgian ace played a planned 30 minutes in the Under-21s’ 3-2 win courtesy of goals from Harry Revill, Nathan Tinsdale and Pharrell Brown.
The midfielder is some way off making a first-team return, and the Tigers will want to be careful with him over the next few weeks, but for his own confidence, getting back to playing a game will have been a big step forward.
He’ll continue his comeback next week when Sheffield United’s youngsters visit the MKM Stadium on Tuesday afternoon ahead of the first team’s trip to play-off rivals Wrexham.
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