ADAMS HAT-TRICK AVOIDS SLIP UP
Dramatic fightback thwarted BIRMINGHAM 3 HULL CITY 3
GARRY MONK admitted his Birmingham side failed to cope with Hull changing their formation at half-time as they let a twogoal lead slip and had to battle for a draw at St Andrew’s.
Che Adams scored twice in the first half and netted the last goal, but two goals from Frazier Campbell and a Kamil Grosicki free-kick had looked set to earn struggling Hull a valuable victory.
A disappointed Monk said: “The first half was where you want to be. I felt we were comfortable.”
Jota almost gave Birmingham the lead five minutes in when he surged from his own half to the edge of the Hull area, but pushed his shot just wide of the post.
Birmingham were largely in control, but the visitors did threaten after 19 minutes when they recycled a cleared corner and Jarrod Bowen curled his left-foot shot from the right side of the area wide of the far post.
The home side were ahead just a minute later and it was on-loan Aston Villa defender Tommy Elphick who gifted them the goal, his short back -pass giving David Marshall no chance and Adams rounded the keeper before tapping in.
Lee Camp did well to preserve Birmingham’s lead, getting down to his left to save a Bowen shot as Hull responded in determined fashion.
Late into first-half injurytime Adams made the most of another poor pass, this time from Jordy de Wijs, to score Birmingham’s second goal.
The defender’s ball across back four found Adams and he advanced to the edge of the area before shooting into the corner of the goal.
Hull pulled a goal back four minutes into the second half when Frazier Campbell made it three goals in as many games as he fired into the roof of the net from a low ball on the left by Kamil Grosicki.
Hull were level on the hour as Camp could only parry Grosicki’s shot and Campbell was in the right place to shoot in from close range.
Marshall pushed a Jutkiew- icz header on to the post from a corner as Birmingham battled to regain the lead.
Hull continued to look dangerous on the break and Grosicki fired over and then with 17 minutes to go the winger put his side in front with a curling a free-kick.
But Adams completed his hat-trick with seven minutes remaining as he shot through a crowded area when the visitors failed to clear Birmingham’s free-kick.
Monk said: “They changed their shape and went very dithe rect. We got out-competed in that second half.”
Hull head coach Nigel Adkins praised his players for bouncing back.
He said: “We gifted them two goals. We changed the formation in the second half and I thought our lads were superb. We really had a go, we showed desire and commitment to get back in the game.”
Adkins also praised his goal-scorers: “Campbell is grafting hard to get in good positions. And Kamil scored a good free-kick.”