TIGERS GROWL

Hull down 10-man Burton with double blast

HULL went second in League One thanks to goals from Mallik Wilks and Hakeeb Adelakun against 10-man Burton.

Wilks fired high into the roof of the net for his fifth of the season after the ball fell for him from George Honeyman’s free-kick.

Adelakun then wrapped up victory late on when he fired a precise shot across goalkeeper Ben Garratt – who had previously been inspired between the posts.

It ended a rotten week for Burton with six first-team players testing positive for Covid-19 and six self-isolating.

Their task was tough enough but they played with 10 men for 75 minutes after

A HULL OF A HUDDLE City’s Mallik Wilks scores the first through a crowd of players

Sam Hughes got two yellow cards in 11 minutes, both for fouls on Wilks.

Jacob Greaves, Wilks, Adelakun and Tom Eaves were all denied by Garratt but victory saw Hull move to within a point of leaders Peterborough with a game in hand

Boss Grant McCann pointed to his team’s improvement after the break, s ay i n g : “I thought the difference in the second half was that we moved the ball quicker as a team.

“The message at half- time was: ‘ Don’t get frustrated, stay calm, the goal will come. But don’t get frustrated if it does not come in the first ten or 15 minutes. Keep plugging away and moving it quickly and trying to overload them on the outside.’”

Hull went close early on when Greaves glanced a header wide and Wilks’s low shot whistled past the post.

Ryan Edwards poked narrowly wide for Burton after a pass from Niall Ennis.

What was already a tough task became even harder with Hughes’ dismissal with Indiana Vassilev making way after being a late replacement for Kane Hemmings.

Greaves almost headed the Tigers into the lead from the resulting free-kick with keeper Garratt pushing the ball out before he denied Wilks.

James Scott blazed over for the hosts and Honeyman’s header was tipped over by Garratt.

Neal Eardley curled a freekick narrowly wide for Burton before Wilks put the Tigers ahead.

Adelakun shot wide at full stretch and his low drive was blocked by the keeper before Eaves squandered a great chance after going clean through.

Burton manager Jake Buxton praised his side’s effort with the Brewers up against it when Hemmings was injured in the warm-up.

“It was always going to be a big ask before the game with bodies we were asking to go again after Tuesday night and playing Sunday.

“To go down to 10 men it was going to be tough.

“In terms of effort and the week we’ve had, I can’t ask any more of the players.”

Ingram 7; Emmanuel 7, Burke 7, Greaves 7, Elder 7; Docherty 7 (Samuelsen 66, 6), Honeyman 7, Smallwood 7, Mayer 6 (Eaves 45, 6); Wilks 8, Scott 6 (Adelakun 45, 7).

Long, Jones, Slater, Jones.

Garratt 8; Eardley 7 (Hutchinson 86), Brayford 6, Hughes 4 (s/o 18), Gallacher 7; Edwards 6, Quinn 6 (Bostwick 54, 6), Lawless 6, Ennis 6; Vassilev 6 (O’Toole 20, 6), Gilligan 6. Subs not

Hawkins, Hart, Hewlett.

Mallik Wilks…Scored the opener and caused problems throughout, always happy to take a chance.

REFEREE: John Busby 7.

ALL HANDS ON DECK Hakeeb Adelakun celebrates after scoring Hull’s second, but Burton’s Sam Hughes gets an early red card