MEYLER MAKES OLD PALS SUFFER
HULL CITY and Sunderland shared the points as a late David Meyler equaliser against his old club denied either team the win they both craved.
James Vaughan headed the visitors in front early on with his first goal for the club, but Meyler, ushered off the bench at half-time, scored with a low finish to snatch a point for Leonid Slutsky’s side.
“We played two different halves,” said Slutsky. “The first half was terrible but the second we were much better and just needed to find stability.
“David missed four months, went away on international duty and wasn’t really ready to start today. It’s difficult for him to play in each match and there he played 45 minutes and changed the game.”
Both teams came into the game with just one win from their previous five games, so it was no surprise neither was able to create any meaningful chances despite Hull’s record of ten goals in three home matches.
The early pressure came from the hosts, Markus Henriksen almost opening the scoring after being recalled to the side, but the midfielder was denied by Robin Ruitter.
Ruitter was in fine form throughout, denying Kamil Grosicki later in the second half, and his performance was key to Sunderland taking home a point.
The opener came after 17 minutes, Callum McManaman getting the better of Stephen Kingsley on the right, and his cross was headed home by Vaughan inside the area.
The dark clouds and pouring rain were symptomatic of the home fans’ mood as boos met the half-time whistle, but the introduction of Meyler changed the game in Hull’s favour.
Sunderland manager Simon Grayson went on the defensive in the second half, introducing Jack Rodwell and Billy Jones as his players found themselves penned back by their hosts.
The pressure told with eight minutes to go, Fraizer Campbell’s neat back heel giving Meyler the space to poke home a deserved equaliser, leaving Grayson frustrated.
“We’re disappointed but we’re pleased as well. We created good chances, got the goal and didn’t really have too many opportunities against us,” he said.
“Ultimately, for all their pressure, the goal has come from a deflection. The disappointment from our point of view is we didn’t get the vital second goal, because we would have won the game.
“James Vaughan was in bed all day on Thursday with a sickness bug so I was really pleased for him today. We know we haven’t got that much strength in depth at the moment to have other options off the bench.”
McManaman had been denied a second for Sunderland after Hull goalkeeper Allan McGregor met his shot with a firm right hand, but in reality, the visitors paid for sitting back and allowing their opponents to put the pressure on.
The hosts piled on the pressure in the hope of a late winner, but the big chance never came and a point apiece was probably a fair reflection of the game as a whole – although Meyler almost scored a winner for the Tigers, but his shot was palmed wide by Ruiter.
Slutsky added: “We want to have a settled starting XI after the second international break. We will be more stable and my feeling is we can play better and better, just like we did today in the second half of the game.”