BOWEN NOT READY FOR LONG GAME

HULL winger Jarrod Bowen defended his side’s style of play after the toothless Tigers suffered a worrying defeat.

Boss Nigel Adkins is trying to play pretty football to bring the crowds back – but there are already questions over whether his squad is good enough.

Saturday’s dismal attendance of 12,233 was the second-smallest ever for a league game here, even though Hull have played in the lower divisions.

The Tigers remain winless this term and lost the game after Elliott Bennett crossed for Bradley Dack to turn in the winning goal.

And defeat left some Hull fans calling for the owners to leave.

There is a school of thought that the Tigers need a big targetman to hit balls up to – but Bowen (above) said: “We want to get Evandro on the ball, and when we don’t it’s frustrating for us. I don’t think we need a targetman as we don’t want to play long ball.

“I don’t think the size of the squad matters too much because we are all good football players.”

Blackburn’s Dack believes he is proving doubters wrong by firing goals in at the start of his debut Championship season.

This was his second in three games, and he said: “There were maybe a few question marks against me, but I believe in my ability. It’s nice to show people that I can do it in this league, long may it continue.”

The 24-year-old hobbled out of the visiting changing room after the game due to an injured knee.

But the Rovers star reckons he could be back soon. Dack added: “I took a whack at the top of my knee. It’s nothing major though.”

HULL: Marshall 8, Lichaj 6, De Wijs 5, MacDonald 5, Kingsley 6 (Toral 29, 6), Henriksen 6, Irvine 8, Bowen 6 (Milinkovic, 72 6), Evandro 7, Kane 6, Campbell 5 (Dicko 72, 6).

BLACKBURN: Raya 8, Nyambe 6, Lenihan 7, Mulgrew 7, Bell 6, Smallwood 7, Evans 7, Bennett 7, Dack 8 (Graham, 59 7), Palmer 7 (Travis 66, 6), Armstrong 7 (Rothwell, 78 6).