HULL-LIVE.CO.UK Alfie the Great and Lady Luck are back to boost promotion hopes
NOW CITY HAVE TO BACK UP WIGAN WIN WITH REPEAT AT DONCASTER
There was a very obvious edge to Hull City on Wednesday evening, as Grant Mccann’s men systematically tore Wigan Athletic to pieces at the DW Stadium. A 5-0 win went some way to healing the gaping wounds of July’s embarrassing 8-0 defeat, albeit one which came against a different set of players in the league above.
Mccann’s momentary pause in his postmatch press conference when asked whether or not there was an appetite to try and get eight said it all, this mattered and that still hurts - it will do for a while yet, days like that are not easily forgotten.
So it should, that was a dark day for the Tigers, one which effectively sealed their relegation to the level they met the Latics at this juncture, and Mccann needs this - after a poor run of form - to be the catalyst for ensuring their move to League One is nothing more than a season-long loan.
Alfie the Great
There are some players in squads up and down the country who undoubtedly become better players in the eyes of supporters and the media when they’re not in the side, and that feeling is only exacerbated if the team is not performing
In the case of Alfie Jones, his role in City’s team has taken on added importance given what looks to be a season-ending injury to Richie Smallwood, so his recovery from a hamstring problem was a timely one.
The opening 20 minutes or so were a largely scrappy affair, but Jones showed his importance with a couple of vital tackles inside the Tigers half, and while those were important moments in the half, it was his work without the ball which was key.
His position at the base of the midfield gave George Honeyman and Greg Docherty the confidence to go and imfluence the game further forward, knowing Jones would be there behind as the insurance policy.
There was a better balance to the side, there was added bite in midfield and Jones’ return was vitally important.
Keeping Jones fit between now and the end of the campaign will be key to City’s hopes of hauling themselves over the finishing line and getting promoted.
Has Lady Luck turned?
Regular readers will know I’ve mentioned the comments made by Accrington boss John Coleman before their 2-0 win over City last month, and I make no apology for doing so again here.
Coleman referenced the luck, as he described it, that Mccann’s men benefited from in the 4-0 win at Portsmouth and it would be fair to say since that victory, little has gone City’s way since, whether it be a shot hitting the post and going over, a header going just wide or a penalty given against you. Here, that was not the case.
Take Mallik Wilks’ second - a scuffed effort off his right foot which trickled in via a post maybe on Saturday, or last midweek, that hits the post and falls into the hands of the goalkeeper, or flicks the other side of the post.
Every team requires an element of luck within games, and City certainly enjoyed the sway of it at the DW Stadium, but as the old adage goes, you make your own and there can be no doubt the Tigers did here.
If promotion is to be the outcome then City will take every bit of luck they can get.
Confidence is king
They say confidence is key in football, and it’s absolutely true. For 26 minutes, City were battling and while they looked ‘at it’ so to speak, the game completely changed a minute later.
From the moment Wilks turned beautifully inside the box to crash home the opener, the Tigers never looked back, it was almost as if somebody had flicked a switch allowing the confidence to run ragged.
It did, at every turn it looked like they would score, Wigan were hapless, cannon fodder.
The press was that much sharper, there was more intent going forward which left Wigan with absolutely no answers.
For whatever reason - and only the manager and his players will have any clue as to why - the confidence has drained since the win over Pompey, but it looked back in full flow at the DW Stadium, and you can only hope that it remains.
A pivotal Yorkshire derby
A couple of weeks ago, there would have been one or two City fans glancing at this fixture with a little trepidation, with their side in poor form and Doncaster Rovers seemingly flying towards the top two.
As we know, things change quickly in this game.
Darren Moore’s Rovers have lost their last three, while the 5-0 win at Wigan will see Mccann go back to his former club with a team reenergised and confident - that’s the power and impact good wins have.
It’s a game Mccann will be desperate to succeed in, maybe even more so than the DW
Stadium, and he’ll know that the only way to back up Wednesday night’s win is with a positive result at the Keepmoat Stadium.
The surroundings will suit the way in which City play, a good, expansive playing surface and a team who like to get the ball down themselves, but it’s vitally important Mccann’s side don’t throw away the good work of Wednesday by falling back down the rabbit hole tomorrow.
Three points would see City go seven points clear (effectively eight with the goal difference) and while Rovers would have three games in hand, at this stage of the season with matches starting to cause a big backlog for the chasing pack, points on the board is a better place to be.
Every game City play between now and the end of the campaign has to be treated as a cup final, there can be no more shambolic displays like Fleetwood, like Burton, Accrington away.
This is real, promotion is within their grasp and now is the time to put their run together and motor towards the conclusion.
There is no better side in this division than Hull City when they turn up with their ‘A’ game. The challenge for Mccann remains eking out performances, and results, similar to this with more regularity. Once again, the game just doesn’t feel like it has the edge it would normally if there were fans inside the ground - though there does seem to be light at the end of this very dark tunnel.
HULL City’s hat-trick hero Mallik Wilks says the side have their confidence back but won’t get carried away after their biggest win of the season.
City ended a four match streak without a win on Wednesday night when sweeping aside Wigan Athletic 5-0 at the DW Stadium, a result that lifted the Tigers back into an automatic promotion place in the League One table.
Wilks ended his run of six matches without a goal by scoring a first career hat-trick against Wigan, joined on the scoresheet by Keane Lewis-potter and Josh Magennis.
It was revealed post-match the trio were called into manager Grant Mccann’s office on Monday for talks, the City boss reminding them of their quality and insisting the goals would start to come again if they stayed patient and retained their belief.
That was the case at the DW on a night when City could have had more than five goals.
With renewed belief and confidence rising, City will hope to build on their impressive display when travelling to promotion rivals Doncaster tomorrow.
Darren Moore’s team have lost three successive games in League One to see their bid for automatic promotion stutter.
But still lying fifth and only four points behind City with three games in hand, Wilks and his team-mates know they’ll be in for a tough test at the Keepmoat.
“In this league bottom can beat top and top can beat bottom so you can’t go off one performance.
“We need to be focused for every game, so we look forward to every game,” said Wilks.
“It was good to get a victory and for all three of us to score. We could have had more to be fair. Our confidence was boosted and it is easier when the team’s more confident.
“It just fell for me and it was one of those nights where everything you touch goes in.
“The gaffer brought me, Josh and Keano into the office the other day and he reminded us that we’re still getting the chances but it is not falling for us.
“He basically put an arm around us and told us to keep doing it. It was delightful for all three of us to get on the scoresheet but I’m buzzing to get my first hat-trick.”