Tigers take a step closer to Wembley with easy victory
SAMUELSEN DOUBLE STEERS CITY PAST GRIMSBY INTO LAST 32 OF PAPA JOHN’S TROPHY
Martin Samuelsen lit up Hull City’s 3-0 win over Grimsby Town at the KCOM Stadium, with a fine brace to seal a comfortable passage in the last 32 of the Papa John’s Trophy, before James Scott came off the bench to thump in a fine effort to add the deserved gloss to proceedings.
The young Norwegian hadn’t scored for the Tigers but netted twice in five first half minutes, with his first one to remember curling in from the edge of the box.
His second was a little less sparkling but no less important, nodding in Hakeeb
Adelakun’s cross with the Tigers’ qualification as group winners secured when Scott came off the bench to lash in a third – it could have been four had Samuelsen not fluffed a chance from the penalty spot a minute from time and spurn the chance of a hat-trick.
Despite boss Grant Mccann making 11 changes to the side that overcame Burton on Saturday, his much-changed line-up were good value for the victory from the start of an evening they largely dominated.
Barely a minute had been played when Max Wright surged through, but a lapse touch allowed Alfie Jones to surge back and make a fine sliding tackle, just as the Grimsby man looked to loft over the advancing Long.
In what proved to be a lively start, Wright was then booked inside three minutes for a high-flying tackle on Dan Batty, and in truth, you’ve seen red cards for less.
City started to probe forward, and it was Tom Eaves who came deep to collect, picking the ball up and turning nicely but his pass into the box for Regan Slater had a tad too much power on it.
The League Two side were well organised and looked solid enough, until Slater laid the ball back to Samuelsen inside the D, and he whipped a terrific shot into the top corner of James Mckeown’s top corner.
It was a fabulous strike, and a wonderful way to get off the mark for City.
Samuelsen may have waited an age for his first, but his second came just five minutes later, though he owed a huge debt of gratitude to Adelakun.
The winger, who, by this point, had seen his influence on proceedings grow, twisted and turned inside the box before lofting over a teasing cross from the left side of the box, and though it looked like finding the far corner, Samuelsen was on hand to nod in at the back stick.
Grimsby were outraged, wanting an offside flag on the far side and despite Ian Holloway’s protestations which saw referee Darren Drysdale come and sit in the away dugout to have a discussion, though it wasn’t and Samuelsen had timed his run perfectly.
Adelakun was purring, and saw a shot flash wide of the post.
Eaves then raced clear down the left in behind Pollock, and as he cleverly looked to pick out Samuelsen at the back post who was a little flat-footed at the back post.
City started the second half slowly and almost found themselves punished, with Matt Green getting something on a corner to the near post which threatened to catch out George Long at his near post.
A virtual spectator in the first 55 minutes, Long was alert to touch around his post for a corner.
Mccann, as he often likes to do just before the hour mark made a couple of changes, and clearly desperate to get Scott and Thomas
Mayer into some form, sent the pair on in place of Adelakun and Eaves.
Mayer was straight into the action, cutting in from the right and shooting towards the top corner, only to see an athletic Mckeown divert it away from goal, before Scott beat his man to the byline on the left, he cut it back for Samuelsen, but he could only poke wide at the near post.
Grimsby’s bright 15 minute start to the second period looked to have passed without too much concern for the Tigers, who started to reassert themselves
Mayer then did superbly well, feeding Samuelsen dropping a shoulder, looking to place the ball into the corner which was blocked, before Mayer fired over.
Max Sheaf was then handed a chance to impress in the final 17 minutes, coming on for Callum Jones.
Scott, like Mayer, was keen to impress after the criticism of the weekend and did just that 10 minutes from time, cutting in off the left flank to stick a fine effort in the top corner of the net, and give the scoreline the gloss it deserved.
A minute from time, Samuelsen went down inside the box to win a first penalty of the season for the Tigers, and with a golden opportunity to bag a hat-trick, his spot-kick was tame and easily parried by Mckeown.