City fail to find their cutting edge - again
RESOLUTE LINCOLN DIG DEEP TO TAKE A POINT AS CLASH BETWEEN TOP TWO ENDS IN STALEMATE LINCOLN CITY
For the second successive game, Hull City failed to find the target in the battle of League One’s top two, being held 0-0 by in-form Lincoln City. Having struggled to fashion any chances at Burton on Saturday, Grant Mccann’s men were vastly improved against the leaders, but could not fashion a single shot on Alex Palmer’s goal in Mccann’s first goalless draw as Tigers boss.
Keane Lewis-potter came closest to breaking the deadlock, when his deflected effort hit the bar after barely a minute at a snowy KCOM Stadium.
Mccann will have been impressed with the way in which his side responded to the shambles at the Pirelli. There was plenty of endeavour and effort, but his charges just lacked the killer touch against the league’s best travellers, who looked largely comfortable and happy with a point.
The Tigers boss made three changes to the side which were so poor at the weekend, with Matt Ingram coming in for George Long, Josh Emmanuel for the injured Richie Smallwood and Josh Magennis replacing the out of form Mallik Wilks, who dropped to the bench.
Much of the build-up to the game was focused on the state of the pitch, and its cause was not helped by a heavy snow storm in the hour or so before kick-off, but a terrific effort from the KCOM ground staff to clear the pitch had it playable come kick-off.
And despite the conditions, the Tigers started on the front foot, clearly with a flea in their ear from the manager, and it was almost the perfect opening.
From the kick-off the home side went forward with Lewis-potter. He wasted no time in trying his luck just inside the box and his shot deflected off Eyoma and onto the bar.
The home side were keen to strike early, but the visitors fired a warning shot 15 minutes in when Jorge Grant picked out Morgan Rogers left side, he got the run on Lewie Coyle before firing across Ingram and just inches wide of the far post.
Tayo Edun went down inside the box under a challenge from Burke, who looked a little nervously towards the referee, and there were one or two cursory glances from the men dressed in green, though referee Stockbridge remained unmoved.
After Mccann’s men enjoyed a fast-paced start, the visitors started to dominate but their momentum was halted when the influential Liam Bridcutt limped off injured replaced by James Jones.
That gave the hosts a lift; Callum Elder saw a shot blocked and then Dan Crowley – who’d been quiet in the opening 25 minutes – turned, linked with Emmanuel and turned over a cross which Magennis couldn’t quite get onto.
For all their good play, and much improved on Saturday, City were struggling to create anything and cause Lincoln problems.
Five minutes before the break, Reece Burke headed just over from a wide free-kick, though he was then required to surge back into his own box to deny Jones after a mix-up between himself and Jacob Greaves which allowed the Lincoln man to surge clear, Burke raced back to clear the danger.
A quiet second half came alive on the hour when George Honeyman’s cross was knocked out to Greg Docherty who fired at goal, only to see his goalbound effort take a deflection and flash wide.
Docherty then combined with Crowley in the middle of the Imps’ half before driving an effort inches wide.
Mccann waited until 67 minutes in before making a change, sending on Wilks in place of Coyle, with Emmanuel dropping back to the right side of defence.
Elder surged to the by-line, pulled it back to Lewis-potter who on the turn eight yards out could only fire over the bar.
Straight on the attack, Lincoln fashioned