MATCH REPORT: City 2, Hull 1

So here it is, a new season. New hope and new expectations after a dismal 24 months of football.

There were only four starters on the pitch who also started the dismal final game against Blackpool, yet the City team still had a very familiar ring to it. Shane Duffy, Jack Stacey, and Ashley Barnes were the new boys while Jonathon Rowe started for the first time. 

The frequent complaint from the Smith and Shakespeare era and during the injury-hit denouement of the season gone was that City had no discernible pattern of play. No method to the madness. This is no more the case as the benefits of a David Wagner pre-season are now clear to see.

At the back, the central defenders are playing a higher line, looking to engage with the opposition higher up the pitch, even into their own half. The full-backs play in a slightly more conventional manner – overlapping when necessary but not used as a permanent addition to the attack force. Instead, City play with two proper wingers.

When the fullbacks do go, the ‘defensive midfielder’, for want of a better description, drops deep to cover, but not quite as prominently as last season. Up front, the two attackers aren’t playing as a classic strike pairing. Not yet at least. It’s more of a one up, one drops style with both Barnes and Josh Sargent popping up in the middle of the pitch to help out.

And then there’s the press. It isn’t just the press on the opposition back four as they play the ball out. It’s a full-pitch effort. The City players hunt in packs to suffocate opposition possession and win the ball back as quickly as possible, something I can’t recall a Norwich team doing effectively in my supporting days.

Trotting out the book of football cliches, it’s early days, but there are signs of encouragement. And certainly an improvement on the turgid dross dished up in recent times.

City started very strongly. Within the opening minute, the new pattern of play was evident. Barnes fed Rowe, he played it back to Gabriel Sara, who shot wide. A Hull counter snuffed out, and City walk the ball out from the back. 

Those of a weaker disposition may need some strong heart medication this season as Wagner is committed to playing the ball out from the back, no matter how high the press. Yesterday City did it effectively, but there are heart-stopping moments to come against more cohesive opposition I’m sure.

City had the ball in the net on 8 minutes. Sara played a great ball to Barnes who took a touch and then deftly lobbed the onrushing Ingram, only to see the effort ruled out for offside.

Sara was at the heart of it again moments later, finding Rowe. He cut inside from the right, across goal before hitting a left-footed shot back across goal, beating Ingram only to glance off the upright.

For 15 minutes, it was all City. But then it came. The all too familiar gift-wrapped goal.

Duffy controlled an initial long ball well, cushioning it down, but then under challenge from Delap, turned to play it to Ben Gibson. The pass was awkward and overhit as Gibson was in close attendance. The ball seemed to hit Gibson on the ankle, but the onrushing Delap was on it in an instant, lashing the ball past Gunn and into the roof of the net.

Last season, that would have been game over but a key part of the summer recruitment has been to recruit players made of sterner material. The crowd played its part too and for a change, City did not wilt. On the contrary, they pushed Hull back with successive attacks, searching for a quick response.

Sara, showing a hitherto unseen armoury of insightful passing, played Onel Hernandez through on goal. The Cuban’s run and first touch were angled across goal though and the resulting shot was from an acute angle.

Hernandez was in the thick of it a few moments later, with the ball back to goal after a corner, but was unable to turn and shoot.

It took until the 25th minute for Hull to mount another attack, Tufan bringing out a sprawling stop from Gunn, which looked more dramatic than it was. As City then moved forward, Sargent was fouled, earning Seri a yellow. From the Sara free kick, a Duffy head flicked off the post and away. 

Then Dimi Giannoulis played a superb through ball to Sargent.  Ingram was quick off his line and just beat the American to the ball outside the penalty area and headed the ball clear.

Sara then played the Greek full-back into space. Giannoulis’s early cross was met with a diving header across goal where Barnes attempted to shoot home from on the floor. As Hull countered, Gibson took a yellow for the team, grabbing Delap as he tried to break through. Then Vinagre was in the book for a heavy challenge on Rowe, followed five minutes later by Seri for a clip on Giannoulis.

City were still piling on the pressure and came close on 41 minutes. A Stacey cross from the right was met by Sargent, only for Ingram to make a superb save from the American’s goal-bound header.

Into the added minutes at the end of the half, Giannoulis played a ball cross-field to Rowe. The youngster burst in from the right and curled a superb left-footed shot into the corner of the net in what was the last action of the half.

City restarted the second half in a similar fashion. A sweeping move started with a tight interplay at right back to work the ball through the Hull press.  Sargent burst forward, playing the ball into space for Stacey to cross from which Sara’s header was beaten away.

On 51 minutes, a gritty midfield battle was eventually resolved by City winning a free kick. From the ball forward, Hernandez won a corner. Shortly afterwards, Rowe juggled the ball near the by-line. The ball clearly struck the outstretched hand of Coyle, but nothing was given.

While City continued to push forward, the intensity had dropped a little. On 60 minutes, Christian Fassnacht came on to replace Hernandez, with Rowe switching to the left flank. This prompted a Hull reorganization at the back with a couple of substitutions and the game lost its shape for a while. In between these changes, Delap – the only real threat that Hull had going forward, hit a shot from range that Gunn somehow fingertipped over the bar.

With the game drifting, Wagner made a triple change. Andrew Omobamidele on for the carded Gibson, Marcelino Nunez for Sara and Tony Springett replacing the effervescent Rowe.

Nunez took over from Sara as the heartbeat of the team, but his early ball pinged wide was too much even for the energetic Stacey to keep in. City then had a good spell of possession but were unable to fashion any further clear chances until the ball came to Nunez. He hit a shot from fully 35 yards that Ingram had to tip over the bar.

Barnes then gave way for Idah as the clock wound down – Hull attempting to slow the game down repeatedly. Five minutes of added time were indicated and as they drew to a close, Ingram was booked by Keith Stroud for time wasting.

City went direct. Duffy hit a raking ball forward to Stacey, who won a corner. The first ball in was cleared, only as far as Nunez. His curling cross came off a Hull defender and Idah was quickest to react, toe-poking the ball past Ingram to secure the win.

Referee Stroud had a long conversation with his assistant, Rosenior was incandescent and received a red card. But a goal it was. There was barely time for Hull to kick off before the final whistle went.

It was like everything that was missing from the last two seasons had been distilled into a single match.  Commitment and effort from the players. Resilience. Fighting to the last. Terrific support from the crowd. And even the player line up and olés to the crowd. 

To be fair, Hull were pretty poor and there will be far sterner tests ahead, but as tonics to cure the hangover of seasons gone go, this was as good as it gets.