HULL WEST BROM So much More BAGGIES ON TOP AS JAKE RETURNS TO HAUNT HIS OLD CLUB
JAKE LIVERMORE claimed an emotional winner for table-toppping West Brom on his return to his old club.
West Brom remain at the summit thanks to a sixth game unbeaten sealed by Livermore’s stunning first-half strike.
The Baggies lead the way by two points from Preston heading i nto the l atest international break and boss Slaven Bilic (right) said: “It was a great goal from Jake, a real emotional one for him. He’s a great captain and it’s a privilege to coach a player like him.
“The only thing that was missing was the second goal to finish the game off but I was p proud of that p performance.”
Livermore lost h his newborn son during a fouryear spell at Hull and refused to celebrate after breaking the deadlock with a wonderful 25yard effort beyond keeper George Long from a well- worked Matt Phillips short corner.
The England international slipped into a cocaine-fuelled spiral of depression and failed a drugs test after the loss of Jake junior in 2014. But he escaped a long- term ban after the FA ruled the death was a major mitigating factor.
The 29-year-old – who was well received by Tigers fans after figuring in almost 150 games for the club – simply looked up to the sky following his 28th-minute strike.
Livermore, who joined Albion from the Tigers for £10m almost three years ago, pointed to the heavens after his second goal of the campaign following the contest’s decisive moment. Hull
HULL WEST BROM 3 ........ Shots on Target ......... 2 6 ........ Shots off Target ......... 7 2 ................Corners .................4 11 .................. Fouls .................. 10 3 ............... Offsides .................4 68.4 .. Passing Success % ... 79.6 383 ...... Total Passes ........ 549 40.7..... Possession % ..... 59.3 46.6 .Territorial Adv % .. 53.4 were unable to stretch their three- game winning run in front of owners Assem and Ehab Allam – who attended a game at the KCOM Stadium for the first time in four-and-a-half years as the Egyptian millionaires’ frosty relationship with City fans finally shows signs of thawing.
Grant Mccann’s side should have taken the l ead when a neat fourman move cut through the Albion defence, only for Kamil Grosicki to shoot badly wide from 15 yards after the Poland winger was put clean through on goal.
Jarrod Bowen had the ball in the net, but the effort was correctly ruled out for offside as the in-form striker followed up when Sam Johnstone saved from Jackson Irvine.
Only a woeful miscontrol from Kevin Stewart prevented the midfielder from levelling early in the second half after a tenacious run and cross from skipper Eric Lichaj as Hull made the running in a bid to find a way back. Grosicki had
. late penalty claims waved away when he went down too easily under a challenge from the excellent Kyle Bartley as Albion held out for victory thanks to a third consecutive away clean sheet.
They should have won with more to spare, but Grady Diangana pulled his shot inches wide after running on to a perfect Matheus Pereira pass.
Hull skipper Jordy de Wijs volleyed over in the last minute.
And boss Mccann said: “We gave West Brom too much respect. On another day we would take our chances to come away with something.”