Bruce’s boys fail to find finish
STEVE Bruce was left lamenting his side’s inability to take their chances after they had to settle for a point against Sheffield Wednesday.
The best of Hull’s chances fell to Sam Clucas, who was denied by the post, while Curtis Davies nodded wide with the goal at his mercy.
There was little threat at the other end from the Owls, who saw Fernando Forestieri harshly sent off at the death, adjudged to have dived by referee Tim Robinson.
Bruce appears to be taking the pressure of a promotion battle worth tens of millions of pounds in his stride and tried, though not always successfully, to take the positives from the draw.
“We’ve taken a point from this and it could be the point that takes us to where we want to be,” said the Hull manager.
“In the second half I thought we played very well.
“I felt we needed to take one of the chances, we’ve created enough, but did not get that vital goal.
“If there was any team that was going to win it, I thought it was going to be us.
“That’s what was frustrating.We played well enough, created some good chances, but it just wasn’t our night in front of goal.”
Hull seemed intent on beating themselves in the first 20 minutes. First former Tottenham defender Michael Dawson’s attempt at clearing a cross went back towards his own goal, but keeper Allan McGregor was well-placed and saved his blushes.
Then Davies was next to test his Scottish stopper. A Barry Bannan strike looked to be heading off target but Davies’ block steered it back goalwards, forcing McGregor to save with an outstretched leg.
At the other end Robert Snodgrass saw an effort from a tight angle stopped by Keiren Westwood.
And on the stroke of half-time Forestieri, in the thick of the action, saw a speculative 30-yard effort cannon back off the crossbar.
It was all Hull in the second half, though. Mo Diame blazed just wide and Clucas latched onto Andy Robertson’s pass but his finish was off target
Abel Hernandez, ploughing a lone furrow up front, then stung the palms of Westwood with a 20-yard effort.
The Tigers were piling on the pressure and midway through the second half Clucas exchanged passes with Jake Livermore on the edge of the box and his chipped finish, when perhaps he should have gone for power, came back off the upright.
Davies, Livermore and Nick Powell also tried, and ultimately failed, to find a way past Westwood before, in added time, Forestieri was adjudged to have gone down too easily after a challenge from Dawson, earning his second red card in as many appearances.
And Owls boss Carlos Carvalhal was dismayed at the controversial decision.
“If you saw the image on TV you will see the reaction of the defender – he apologises to the referee and to Fernando,” said Carvalhal.
“It was an unbelievable situation, now we lose Fernando for two games.
“If Fernando did not jump in that situation, he would break his leg.”
Carvalhal acknowledged, though, a draw was the most his team deserved.
“Our defence was fantastic in the game,” he added.
“In the first half I think we were more dangerous than Hull. In the second half Hull City were better than us.”