Hull City handed brutal Championship reality check as Norwich City run riot
Hull City’s winning run was abruptly ended at Carrow Road
Hull City’s three-game winning run came to a crushing end at Norwich City on Saturday afternoon, with the Tigers beaten 4-0 by the clinical Canaries.
Despite three wins in a row, questions had still been asked about how open City had been and so it proved against Norwich, who netted twice in the space of four minutes inside the opening 20, exploiting the swathes of space the Tigers were affording them.
Walter’s side were 2-0 down inside 20 minutes with Borja Sainz creating both for Marcelino Nunez and Josh Sargent, exploiting the huge gaps through midfield. But for Ivor Pandur, it could have been worse had he not made two brilliant early saves before the opener.
Walter’s side were 2-0 down inside 20 minutes with Borja Sainz creating both for Marcelino Nunez and Josh Sargent, exploiting the huge gaps through midfield. But for Ivor Pandur, it could have been worse had he not made two brilliant early saves before the opener.
City recovered in the second period and created some decent openings, the impressive Mohamed Belloumi crashing a free-kick off the bar, but couldn’t take them. And at the other end, they were royally punished by substitute Kaide Gordon and the brilliant Sainz, who made it four in the closing stages with a finish of quality, as the Tigers’ frailties were exposed.
Boss Walter made a double change from the win at QPR on Tuesday night with Oscar Zambrano and Marvin Mehlem both coming into the starting XI at the expense of Xavier Simons and Kasey Palmer, both of whom dropped to the subs bench where they were joined by the returning Charlie Hughes and a first appearance for new signing Joao Pedro. Owing to a slight injury, Abdus Omur was not involved in the matchday squad.
The visitors fashioned the first opening of a fairly low-key start when a cleverly worked corner to the edge of the box for Drameh in space to thump over the bar, but it was the hosts who assumed control thereafter.
Pandur, as he did on Tuesday night, was having a blinder, City were being cut to pieces and first, Zambrano gave it away in midfield, Sargent sent Sainz through one-on-one, but the goalkeeper flicked that away.
Moments later, Nunez was played through and Pandur made a terrific block, but he could do nothing about the opening goal which saw Sainz allowed to run infield from left, feed Nunez, who thumped it past Pandur from 25 yards.
It was 2-0 moments later when a flowing move saw the superb Sainz in space down the left, pulling over a cross for Sargent at the back post to tap home. Twenty minutes in, and City were two down against a side with an 18-game unbeaten home record, it was already looking like a long way back.
Zambrano then fed Belloumi off the right, but his shot was blocked into the arms of Angus Gunn with City simply needing to get the next goal in the contest. Bedia had City’s best chance of the game but could only glance a header wide from Belloumi’s pinpoint cross.
Walter made a change at the break, bringing on Charlie Hughes for his Tigers debut at the expense of McLoughlin, who endured a difficult half, though he wasn’t the only one.
Norwich also made a half-time change, with former City stopper George Long, who agreed a new three-year deal on the eve of the game, replaced Gunn in between the posts.
Hughes made an important early block to deny Ante Srnac and at the other end, City craved out two good openings with Slater slamming just wide, and then Belloumi, after he teased in a delightful delivery which had no takers, forced a save from Long. He fumbled it into the path of Slater, who found himself flagged for offside.
Norwich had a glorious chance to put it to bed 10 minutes into the second half when Coyle was penalised for handball for the second game in a row, after the referee initially waved it away. Sargent, however, slammed his spot-kick against the post.
City’s biggest threat, Belloumi, angled a terrific free-kick off the angle of post and bar with Long beaten before Hughes slammed into the side-netting at the back post as the visitors pressed for a way back into it.
Walter made a double change 61 minutes in, bringing on Ryan Giles and Steven Alzate on for Drameh and Zambrano, and with City pushing for a way back into, the hosts killed it off courtesy of a Tigers error.
Giles did brilliantly to deny Sargent, but Hughes couldn’t clear and rolled into the path of Kaide Gordon, who had come off the bench moments earlier, to roll in the net. Game over.
Abu Kamara, on a day when mental health was a key topic, suffered some abuse as he came on with Joao Pedro with 20 minutes to go, and the pair combined to have the ball in the net. Kamara’s cross was turned into the net by Pedro, but the referee ruled it out for handball.
Just over 10 minutes were left when the excellent Sainz got the goal his performance deserved, making it 4-0 with a lovely lob over Pandur. Demolition complete.
Walter’s side were not without their chances, but in truth, Norwich were a level above in the key moments and it showed. They remain a work in progress and this was an occasion where that was evident, and exploited.
Norwich City: Gunn, Fisher, Duffy, Cordoba, Doyle, Nunez, McLean, Slimane, Crnac, Sainz, Sargent. Subs: Long, Stacey, Hanley, Hills, Forsyth, Forson, Schwartau, Marcondes, Gordon.
Hull City: Pandur, Drameh, McLoughlin, Jones, Coyle (c), Zambrano, Mehlem, Slater, Belloumi, Bedia, Millar. Subs: Rushworth, Giles, Kamara, Burstow, Simons, Palmer, Pedro, Alzate, Hughes.
Referee:- Tom Nield
Attendance: 26,326 (702 from City)