Jarrod on cloud 9 as boss rates him best outside Prem
JARROD BOWEN was hailed as the best goalscorer outside the Premier League after underlining his top flight potential once again against Derby County.
Hull’s in-form top scorer made it nine for the campaign and four in the last three games with a clinical late double to seal backto-back wins for Grant McCann’s men.
Bowen has attracted Premier League scouts to the KCOM Stadium for the last 12 months, and boss McCann said: “You saw again that Jarrod is top class. For me, he’s the best goalscorer in this league and that’s not me over-hyping him. He scored 25 goals last season and his record speaks for itself.
“He’s top drawer and no matter where he plays he’ll have an influence on a game.
“He’s a grounded boy who wants to get better and he works hard at his game.
“He’ll admit himself that he has got a long way to go to make the step up to the Premier League.
“We’d like him to stay here for another five years and we’re in discussions with him over a new deal but we’d never stand in his way.
“He wants to play at the top level and hopefully that can be with us.”
Bowen settled a tight contest with two unflustered finishes in the final 16 minutes in front of Hull’s biggest home crowd for 18 months, as a cut-price ticket offer swelled the gate to more than 16,000.
The striker, 22, broke the deadlock with a deft far post header after he out-jumped Max Lowe to Kamil
Grosicki’s lofted cross.
Unselfish Grosicki was again the supply line when, with 10 minutes left, Bowen buried the second from the Poland winger’s inviting cut-back to seal a deserved win.
Derby were neat in possession but lacked a cutting edge in the final third to remain in the bottom half after a sixth away game without a win.
Ex-Hull loan striker Chris Martin saw an effort cleared off the line by Callum Elder in first-half stoppage time and Tom Lawrence had a secondhalf header ruled out for a push on Hull skipper Eric Lichaj. The lively midfielder – Derby’s main attacking threat – also saw a snap shot well blocked by keeper George Long.
Phillip Cocu that felt Lawrence’s disallowed effort was the turning point.
The Derby head coach said: “I’ve seen many goals like Tom’s given so it was a decisive moment in the match.
“If it counts I think we would have gone on to win so overall I was happy with our performance.
“We made some mistakes but we have to continue the football, combined with attitude and then we will get a win.”