Tigers cruise but frustration for Samuelsen
MISSED PENALTY DEPRIVES NORWEGIAN OF CITY HAT-TRICK
DESPITE Martin Samuelsen’s matchwinning brace for Hull City, boss Grant Mccann admitted he felt disappointed for the Norwegian youngster.
Samuelsen’s first goals for the club helped the Tigers romp to a comfortable 3-0 win over Grimsby Town to finish top of Group H and qualify for the last 32 of the Papa John’s Trophy.
The talented number 10 should have had a first senior hat-trick, only to see his rather tame 90th minute penalty easily stopped by Mariners goalkeeper James Mckeown.
Substitute James Scott came off the bench to score a fine third for City, but it was Samuelsen’s opener which lit the night up for the in-form Tigers and what turned into a bitter-sweet evening for the youngster.
“I don’t think he’s let himself down, he’s had a very good performance,” Mccann said, when asked by BBC Humberside if the 23-year-old had blotted his copybook by seeing his spot-kick diverted away.
“The best players in world miss penalties, and he’s just got it wrong. He’s tried to follow it up and the keeper has made a good save, I thought his performance was good and his first goal was excellent, a great finish off his left foot.
“It’s a tremendous finish, he didn’t smash it, the and it’s just calm into the top corner. The second one is something we want our forwards to do more often, arriving at the back post.
“I thought he had a really good performance, I’m just disappointed for him that he never got his first senior hat-trick.
“Hopefully, he’s got many years left in the game and it’ll come for him at some stage.”
City’s straightforward victory never looked in doubt once Samuelsen had picked out the top corner, with Mccann’s men delivering a performance which showcased the strength in his squad, having made 11 changes from Saturday’s win over Burton.
“I thought we were excellent,” Mccann said. “From the first minute we started the game, we had to make sure we were right tactically because we knew that they play a certain way, similar to the way Sunderland played against us in the first game of the Carabao Cup, with the two tens.
“They’ve got two good players there in (Kyle) Bennett and (Sean) Scannell, (Matt) Green, they’re experienced players. We had to make sure of that first and foremost.
“I thought we were good when we got into the final third, we looked clinical. We had numerous opportunities again, it was nice to get three goals and three excellent finishes to win.”