Bowen festive treat for Tigers
JARROD Bowen scored twice and missed a penalty as Hull eased their relegation fears with a win over play-off contenders Swansea.
The fans who shunned the evening kick-off in favour of pre-Christmas celebrations missed a treat as Hull punished the visitors for missing a number of first-half chances.
Swansea took the lead after just two minutes when Wilfried Bony fired in via a post and things looked bad for Hull when Bowen’s penalty was saved by Erwin Mulder late in the half.
But, after the break, Bowen tapped in and then curled a shot past Mulder, with a towering header by Tommy Elphick sandwiched in between.
Swansea substitute Bersant Celina made it 3-2 in the closing stages but Hull had done enough to claim a vital victory.
Bony opened the scoring following a pass from Barrie McKay. The forward collected the ball on the edge of the Hull area and hit a low shot in via the right-hand post.
McKay’s cross deflected up to Bony but his overhead kick was over the bar as Swansea pushed for the second. Then Nathan Dyer shot just wide as Swansea carved out another opening against a Hull side who looked bereft of ideas at this stage.
Wayne Routledge’s pull-back presented Bony with another chance but his on-target shot was headed away by Todd Kane.
Hull then had their best chance of the half. Bowen crossed from the left, but Kamil Grosicki scooped over from six yards with 35 minutes on the clock. Hull had another chance to get back in it when Stephen Kingsley’s low ball forced Mulder off his line and, as Fraizer Campbell stretched for the ball, the Swansea keeper was adjudged to have brought him down by referee Oliver Langford. But when Bowen took the spot-kick Mulder made up for his error by diving to his left and turning the ball round a post.
The keeper then stopped Grosicki’s shot from a narrow angle as Hull finished the half strongly.
Elphick then stood up well to block McKay’s progress as the forward looked for a way past Hull’s last defender.
Campbell and Mike Van der Hoorn were both booked on the hour mark following an altercation. Swansea finally paid for their missed chances with 20 minutes left. Campbell crossed low from the left and when Matt Grimes only half stopped the ball’s progress, Bowen was free to tap in at the far post.
Five minutes later, Hull were ahead. Grosicki’s deep corner from the left was headed back across goal and over Mulder by Elphick.
The Swansea keeper then pulled off a fine save high to his right from Bowen as Hull threatened to run riot.
But he had no answer following a corner which was recycled and Bowen curled a shot high into the top right of the goal.
Substitute Celina rolled his shot in off the post with three minutes to go but Swansea could not fashion an equaliser.