Ace Madine is machine
GARY’S SPOT ON TO SINK TIGERS
THE man who inspires the chant “Gary Madine, goal machine” put Hull through the spin dryer as he kept his cool from the spot.
Madine’s penalty gave the Seasiders only a second win in their last 11 league outings and condemned Hull to a third game without victory.
It was hardly the result the Tigers wanted, with their 1,000-plus following keen to celebrate the bigbucks takeover of the club which is expected to be sealed in the coming week.
Hull boss Grant Mccann (below) wouldn’t get involved in takeover talk but said of the game: “We were not at our best, that’s for sure. It was a scrappy game and frustrating for us.
“The penalty was a 50-50 in my opinion, but we should never have given them the opportunity.
“We had the better chances, especially at the end. But you should take your chances and we didn’t.
“We have all the bumps and bruises left from the Covid situation, but hope to have a full squad up and running for next week’s FA Cup game against Everton. That’s now our priority.”
Referee Dean Whitestone had no hesitation in giving the crucial 31st-minute spot-kick after Jacob Greaves had brought down Josh Bowler, who was breaking through with the ball again.
Little wonder Nottingham Forest have put in an early first bid for the former Everton man.
Little wonder, too, that Blackpool have turned them down.
Madine made no mistake with the penalty as he hammered the ball over diving keeper Nathan Baxter to put Blackpool ahead with his fourth strike of the season. Seasiders boss Neil Critchley was delighted to get back to winning ways, and said of the Bowler speculation: “He has been fantastic and we want to keep him.
“But we now have to put up with the silly season starting, with all the transfer speculation that follows.“
But it was Blackpool’s stand-in keeper Dan Grimshaw who kept the home side ahead, as he pulled off a couple of excellent saves. Richard
Keogh gave away the ball, and Keane Lewis-potter grabbed his chance to send in a piledriver, which Grimshaw stopped onehanded.
Then, in an action replay, he did it again as Lewispotter tested him.
Grimshaw also kept out out an early effort from George Honeyman. And at the death, the keeper was on hand again to save from sub Tyler Smith, and then pull off a point-blank block from sub Randell Williams.