Hull City 2-1 Stoke City
Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink celebrates his winning goal against Stoke
Sunday, 08, Nov 2009 03:36
By Darren Plant.
Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink scored an injury time goal, as Hull City came from behind to beat Stoke City 2-1.
Matthew Etherington had given Stoke an halftime lead, but goals from Seyi Olofinjana and Vennegoor of Hesselink gave Hull the points.
Hull manager rung the changes after his side's defeat to Burnley last week, bringing in Jimmy Bullard for his home debut, 11 months after joining the club, and recalling on-loan striker Jozy Altidore.
The two combined in the fifth minute with Altidore laying the ball off to Bullard, but his 30 yard shot was wayward.
Three minutes later, Bullard came much closer but his 25 yard shot drifted inches wide of Thomas Sorensen's right hand post.
Hull had dominated the opening ten minutes, but Stoke registered the first shot on target when Ricardo Fuller tested Matt Duke from 20 yards, but the Hull 'keeper parried the ball to safety.
Bernard Mendy was beginning to get some joy down the right hand side and twice played provider in the space of three minutes.
First of all, he played in Altidore on the edge of the box, but despite a neat turn to set up the shot, he dragged his effort wide.
Mendy then played a precise through ball for Richard Garcia to run onto, but the Australian's attempted cutback to Stephen Hunt was well blocked and the ball trickled out for a Hull corner.
Hull's build up play was impressive, but they were lacking the cutting edge up front, and that was evident again when Hunt crossed to the back post for Garcia, but his header was weak and straight at Sorensen.
The home side were dealt a sucker punch a minute later when Stoke took the lead. A hopeful long ball found Etherington on the left hand side, and after being gifted a free run on goal, he fired an angled shot from close range that left Duke with no chance.
Hull continued to have the better of the play, but clear-cut chances were few and far between. Their only other chance of note came when Garcia volleyed back across the box for Altidore, but he sent his free header a yard wide.
Stoke came agonisingly close to doubling their lead on 53 minutes through an unlikely source. Etherington played a neat one-two with Fuller before crossing low across Hull's six yard box. Anthony Gardner's attempted interception went towards goal, but Duke somehow deflected the ball centimetres past the post.
The home side equalised just after the hour mark through a stunning goal from Olofinjana. The Nigerian turned sharply 25 yards out, and curled a precise curling shot out of the reach of Sorensen and into the top corner.
Hull could, and perhaps should, have took the lead soon after, after a mistake from Sorensen. A long ball when all the way through to the Danish 'keeper, but he fumbled the ball under pressure from Craig Fagan. The ball went loose, and ended up with Fagan, but he hit his shot over from three yards after being closed down by two Stoke defenders.
Altidore had another chance after holding the ball up well on the edge of the box, but his shot on the turn went wide of the post.
Stoke had looked creative from set-pieces throughout the match, and that nearly paid off, when Glenn Whelan shaped to shoot, but decided to loft a ball to the back post for Ryan Shawcross, who headed over Duke and onto the top of the bar.
Stoke were reduced to ten-men with four minutes to go when Abdoulaye Faye was deservedly sent off for two yellow cards for coming togethers with Nick Barmby.
Hull capitalised and nicked the winning goal in the first minute of injury time. Bullard firing a powerful shot from 30 yards that swerved and forced Sorensen to punch into the path of Vennegoor of Hesselink who drove the ball into an empty net for three points and to probably save Phil Brown's job.