No time to bask, down to earth for Tigers
There has been little time for Hull City to bask in the glory of Saturday’s sensational 4-0 win at fellow promotion rivals Portsmouth. No sooner had the final whistle gone at Fratton Park on Saturday teatime than Grant Mccann was turning his attention to a rematch with Accrington Stanley.
The Tigers make just their second ever visit to the Wham Stadium, their first for a league match, and John Coleman’s men will be smarting after their 3-0 defeat at the KCOM last week.
Here, City writer Barry Cooper looks ahead to the Tigers’ latest road trip.
Setting the scene...
A week ago, even the most optimistic of City fans would have struggled to predict six points from games against Accrington and Portsmouth.
The Tigers had just drawn 1-1 with Blackpool, their second successive draw following a visit to Sunderland.
Fast forward seven days and Mccann’s men have found form in some style, going back to the top of the league with two of their best, most complete displays of the campaign.
Stanley were thumped 3-0 at the KCOM last Tuesday before going one better in Saturday’s scintillating 4-0 win at Portsmouth, a performance which certainly set the standard for the remainder of the season that will end in promotion, if that level of performance is maintained.
This tests keep on coming for Mccann’s men, though, with tonight’s visit to the Wham Stadium likely to be a very different affair compared to the one we witnessed in East
Yorkshire. Accrington, despite a shock defeat to Gillingham prior to their KCOM visit, arrived as one of the form teams in the division but were never allowed to settle by Mccann’s men, instead Accy looked confused as they headed into the changing rooms at the interval already a goal down.
Two became three quickly in the second half and in truth, City should have swelled their goal difference by at least another one.
What we saw from Coleman’s side last week is nothing like the Stanley we’ve seen so far this season, and the potential to settle a score on their own patch will almost certainly ensure the Tigers are in for a far more challenging evening.
Mccann has proved this season that he has the wherewithal to get his tactical ducks in a row, just as he exhibited at Fratton Park in his most accomplished performance of the campaign, and similar will be required to keep the form rolling in Lancashire.
Prediction: Accrington 0 Hull City 1 Hull City team news...
The Tigers reported no fresh injury problems in the aftermath of Saturday’s win at Pompey, with Mccann afforded the luxury of being able to make a host of changes and give minutes to players off the bench.
Mccann opted to keep faith with the same eleven which saw off Stanley, though for a third game in the space of a week, he may opt to freshen things up.
Accrington team news
Stanley didn’t have a game at the weekend so have enjoyed a clear week in between the two clashes with the Tigers.
Coleman had hoped to make a new signing or two before City’s arrival, but admits that’s unlikely to happen.
Cameron Burgess will sit the game out after picking up a second yellow card for a foul on Jacob Greaves which led to the penalty Josh Magennis converted.
From the opposition...
“The lads know we can improve. We watched the video back of the Hull game and we were nowhere near as bad as I thought we were in the first half,” said boss Coleman.
“We probably had the lion’s share of possession in the first half, we just didn’t do anything with it and they did. They made three or four good chances and took one.
“It was a disappointing goal for us to concede at the time that we did and the game goes away from you with a couple of contentious decisions, an offside goal and a penalty which if it’s given, it’s given but it’s never a sending off and we don’t get them same penalties to get a chance to make it 2-1 minutes before.
“You can probably write the second half off but we have a lot of learning to do from the first half which is where I think the game was lost.”
Stanley overview
Last week’s 3-0 defeat at the KCOM was an unfair reflection of how good Accy have been this season, though despite that defeat, the games in hand Coleman’s men have on those above them in the league could still see them threaten the automatic promotion race.
While nothing in won or lost in January, Accy know that if they are to have any genuine hope of catching City then three points here is a must.
The key battle Seamus Conneely vs George Honeyman
Honeyman was good in the game between the two sides a week ago, but stepped up another level entirely at Fratton Park, producing a Man of the Match display as he dominated the midfield. City commanded the engine room last week and if Accy are to have any hope of getting something from this, the experienced Conneely will need to be at this best.
Fancy a flutter?
Given their last two results, it won’t come too much of a surprise to see the Tigers installed as favourites.
A City victory is evens according to The Pools, while a home win is 13/5 and the draw is priced at 5/2.
If you’re feeling confident and fancy a repeat of last Tuesday’s win, you can get 16/1 on 3-0.