RELEGATED BLACK CATS STUN HULL:
Tiger flops pulled into peril
THE Black Cats danced across Marco Silva’s path to end his 50-game unbeaten home record – and Hull’s Premier League status could soon follow.
Silva’s incredible stretch in home domestic league and cup matches, going back to April 2014, had Hull fans expecting one more victory here to see them within a whisker of safety.
But, starting the day two points ahead of third-bottom Swansea, the luckless Tigers ended up back in the bottom three – thanks chiefly to an outstanding performance from relegated Sunderland’s England Under-21 goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.
Hull, who had taken 19 points from a possible 21 under Silva at the KCOM Stadium, also had penalty appeals dismissed by referee Neil Swarbrick in either half as late goals from Billy Jones and Jermain Defoe sealed Sunderland’s first victory in 11 league games. “My home record is not important. The result was important and it was not good to us,” said Silva.
“What was clear was that this game was not easy, as Sunderland were already down and they came here to prove themselves.
“We didn’t deserve the result but I believed if we scored first we would win.
“But even when we don’t play well it’s impossible at this level if we lose our focus like we did.
“You have to keep that focus always, and we went back to the past to concede two goals from set-pieces. After they scored our team played with big tension and this was a big surprise to me.
“But nothing is finished, and even if we achieved a good result here those would have been my words.
“Of course this is not a good moment – but it is a moment to be calm.
“It is clear to me the players were not calm, they tried to do everything too fast and if you are not calm it’s impossible to play well.”
Hull worked hard, as you would expect, but lacked confidence and ingenuity in the final third.
And when they did manage to find the target, they were denied by the excellent Pickford.
The first of two brilliant second-half stops came when Pickford contorted to help Lazar Markovic’s header over the bar from a pinpoint Ahmed Elmohamady cross. Then, after Jones had dived into Hull’s six-yard box to head David Moyes’s team into a surprise lead, Pickford diverted an Abel Hernandez shot destined for the top corner around the angle.
Moyes said: “I had a joke with him afterwards. I said, ‘I don’t think any of those saves were difficult, Jordan. I think they’re normal for you, so don’t start thinking you’ve done well because you’ve made those saves’.
“But it gave us an idea of the level of where we think Jordan is. I think he is a big, big talent – I really do.”
Pickford denied Sam Clucas in a Hull-dominated opening period which ended with strong shouts for a spot-kick as Oumar Niasse’s overhead kick was blocked at point-blank range by John O’shea’s hand.
Hernandez also went close with a carbon copy of his goal in January’s home win over Bournemouth, but this time he fizzed his effort wide after cutting inside two defenders. Several other chances went wide either side of the break and then Victor Anichebe had his heart in his mouth after bumping Markovic to the turf three minutes after the restart. But Sunderland answered their manager’s call to follow relegation by building momentum for their Championship campaign when O’shea flicked on a corner 20 minutes from time and Jones (left) stole in unmarked. Defoe sealed their victory in injury time, ghosting into the six-yard box seemingly offside to bury his fifth goal in six matches against the Tigers. “The players showed a great deal of pride both as a team and as individuals as well,” said a delighted Moyes. “When we had to defend, we defended, we blocked things. So overall it was a good, strong, meaty performance.”
We played with big tension... a surprise to me MARCO SILVA