Bruce tipped for the top
Hull are real deal for title challenge, says Cotterill
STEVE COTTERILL and Steve Bruce indulged in some mutual admiration after a closely-fought encounter in testing conditions.
A swirling wind and lively pitch ensured the game would be no classic for the Sky cameras, but both managers emerged satisfied and full of praise for the opposition,
Bristol City boss Cotterill said: ‘Before the game I was tipping Hull for promotion and nothing I saw changed my mind.
‘They have a great spirit about them at the moment which, combined with the quality of their players, probably makes them an even better team than they were in the Premier League last season.
‘We knew it would be a huge test for us and I felt we came through it well. We scored against Hull, which no one had done for a while, and stopped their winning run.
‘While we didn’t deserve to win the game, we didn’t deserve to lose it either. Both teams deserve credit because those conditions are the worst you can face as a player. Our goalkeeper didn’t have many saves to make, which was pleasing and we can take a lot from the game going forward.’
Kieran Agard fired Bristol in front in the 39th minute after Andrew Robertson brought down Elliott Bennett on the right side of the penalty area.
Luke Freeman’s inswinging freekick caused havoc and Bristol appealed for handball before Agard pounced on the loose ball to net with a left-footed shot on the turn. Hull had to wait until the 73rd minute to equalise when substitute Shaun Maloney broke clear onto a Mohamed Diame flick with the home side wrongly appealing for offside and scored with an emphatic right-footed finish with only Frank Fielding to beat.
The visitors dominated possession, but came up against some committed defending.
That left Bruce to reflect: ‘An away point is never bad, but I wasn’t happy with our first-half performance because we gave the ball away too cheaply and conceded too many free-kicks, which invited pressure. That is what led to their goal. I warned the players beforehand that Bristol City are in a false position and I believe they will be comfortable in the Championship by the end of the season.
‘Like myself, Steve Cotterill has been around the block as a manager. I knew his team would be positive and they defended tremendously, but in the second half we were more like ourselves and played with a bit of purpose.’