Tigers suffer late heartache against high-flying United
CITY LOSE GROUND IN BATTLE FOR THE PLAY-OFFS AFTER YORKSHIRE DERBY AGAINST TOP-FLIGHT CHASERS LEEDS
Byram 9, Summerville 88 pen, James 90+6
Hull City produced a fine performance at Leeds United on Monday night but were beaten by an 89th-minute penalty when Regan Slater sent Crysencio Summerville tumbling inside the penalty box. Summerville, after a disagreement with Joel Piroe, slotted in the spot-kick to seal a 3-1 victory with Dan James adding the gloss as the Tigers chased an equaliser.
Sam Byram turned in the opener after just 11 minutes after Ryan Giles got lost under a Ryan Allsop save, but Liam Rosenior’s men played their back into the contest and assumed control before deservedly pulling level through Fabio Carvalho’s goal 34 minutes in, after brilliant work from Tyler Morton.
City were very good, especially in the first half and were deservedly level when the on-loan Liverpool duo linked up well and in a more even second half, it looked like the points would be shared until another costly individual error allowed Leeds what was an undeserved winner.
Rosenior made three changes to his side from Good Friday’s disappointment against Stoke City in what was a bold selection move with Tyler Morton, Abdush Omur and Ozan Tufan coming in at the expense of Sean Mcloughlin, Anass Zaroury and Noah Ohio all of whom dropped to the bench while Jacob Greaves missed the game through suspension and Liam Delap through injury.
Those changes saw the Tigers boss start with skipper Lewie Coyle alongside Alfie Jones in the middle of the back four and Slater on the right, while Morton started in the double midfield pivot alongside Jean Michael Seri.
City started brightly enough with Morton threading a ball through for Ozan in the box but the ball just beat the City playmaker and behind it went. Leeds’ first moment of danger followed quickly when Jaden Philogene lost out which allowed Gray to surge forward and into the box, before blazing miles over the bar.
The Whites were in front after 10 minutes when Philogene lost possession too easily on halfway, Rutter powered towards goal and forced Allsop into a save which he could only divert into the air and at the back post, Byram headed in from close range with Giles getting lost underneath the flight of it and losing his bearings. Roof lifted off at Elland Road and the visitors with it all to do.
Play was halted in the 24th minute of the contest to remember Chris and Kev during the week of the anniversary, the two Leeds fans killed in Istanbul 24 years ago – prior to the game, Tan Kesler joined Angus Kinnear in laying a wreath outside Elland Road.
Rosenior’s men had dominated the ball in the opening 25 minutes, 67 per cent of it to be precise, without creating a single effort, but were cut open down their left when Summerville crossed for Bamford a yard out and somehow, he managed to loft his effort over the bar.
City continued to dominate, to win the ball high and pin the home side back without really creating anything until Morton’s driving run down the left side of the box and his cross was met by Carvalho at the near post to turn in the equaliser four minutes after the half-hour.
It was nothing more than City’s performance deserved, for the way in which they’d played, frustrating the home fans, but there was always an element of danger at the other end with a flurry of unforced errors which gave the home side openings, none more so than in the final minute of added time at the end of the first when Allsop had to make a smart stop and then the offside flag was welcome.
Early in the second half, Philogene was twice caught out defensively and needed first Coyle to block a James effort and then Allsop to divert a Byram cross away from danger, but back came the Tigers who surged forward with Ozan who fed Carvalho and he shifted it onto Philogene to angle an effort just wide.
Ten minutes into the second period, Tufan became City’s first player in the book for a clip on Rodon as he surged towards the box and then City were forced into their first change of the evening when Giles pulled up with what looked like a groin problem and had to be replaced by Matty Jacob just shy of the hour.
City, as they had done so often, won the ball high and from that created a good chance when Morton surged towards the box and fed Omur, but his bending effort didn’t quite curl enough and went just wide, one he’ll feel he should have done better with.
Leeds wanted a penalty when Seri appeared to catch Gray’s foot as he went into the box, referee Josh Smith, however, said no and up the other end, Philogene’s dipping drive went an inch over Meslier’s bar as the game flowed from end-to-end.
A City corner was quickly cleared by the hosts and as James threatened to break away, Seri made a challenge he needed to make but at the expense of a yellow card, the Tigers’ second after Tufan. Just under 20 minutes were left when both managers made changes, Mateo Joseph replaced Bamford and then Anass Zaroury came on for the excellent Tufan.
The hosts almost regained the lead just over 10 minutes from time when Firpo breezed in down the left, pulled over the cross and amid a tangle of bodies, Joseph guided towards goal and it rebounded off the post and away to safety. Coyle was fouled, not that the Leeds fans liked it, and after a spell of treatment, couldn’t carry on and had to be replaced by Cyrus Christie.
Jones then made a sensational block tackle on James after he got past Christie and into the box as Leeds tried to raise the tempo for the closing moments. Farke then sent on Joel Piroe for Kamara in a final bid to win the game.
Just two minutes were left when Slater made a daft challenge on Summerville inside the box and the Leeds number 10 slotted in the penalty, harsh on City, but silly from the Tigers man who had been brilliant all night. With Allsop attacking a Tigers corner, Leeds broke away and James from just inside the City half, slammed in their third.
Rosenior will be gutted his side have passed up a glorious chance to cut the gap to the playoffs after the earlier results, and given his side played so well.