Hull City 0-1 Blackburn Rovers: FLW report as Tigers slide to bottom of the Championship

In partnership with

Football League World

·7 December 2024

Hull City 0-1 Blackburn Rovers: FLW report as Tigers slide to bottom of the Championship

FLW report live from the MKM Stadium

Less than 24 hours after the appointment of Ruben Selles as their latest head coach, Hull City fell to the bottom of the Championship after a 1-0 defeat to Blackburn Rovers at the MKM Stadium.

OneFootball Videos

Selles was introduced to the home supporters minutes ahead of the encounter, with the Spaniard watching on ahead of his first game in charge against Watford in midweek.

Interim head coach Andy Dawson oversaw a dominant yet frustrating display, which was summed up by Sean McLoughlin's own goal after 20 minutes, with City creating a plethora of chances to gain some form of the result across the 90 minutes.

But, in a week when John Eustace saw his name linked with the prior vacancy in East Yorkshire, his side travelled back across the Pennines with a fourth successive win which keeps them firmly in the play-off mix.

Hull City's recent woes continue against Blackburn Rovers

After an extremely cagey opening to the encounter, Rovers looked to forge the first opportunity through some neat link-up play between Callum Brittain and Tyrhys Dolan. However, after the ball found itself at the feet of Sondre Tronstad, the Rovers' captain's threaded ball to Todd Cantwell was well dealt with by the Hull defence.

The hosts' first chance of the game followed just minutes later, with Abu Kamara breaking quickly and feeding fellow wideman Ryan Longman down the left flank, but the 24-year-old's shot was easily gathered by Aynsley Pears after a slight deflection off Dominic Hyam.

Kasey Palmer then went in search of his first goal in Black and Amber with a speculative free-kick on 15 minutes, nearly stunning Pears at full force before the Blackburn keeper was able to turn it wide with a strong hand.

However, the Tigers' efforts would come to no avail as just four minutes later, Brittain found space on the right-hand side of the box to fire in a cross which deflected off Sean McLoughlin, leaving Ivor Pandur with no chance to give Rovers an early advantage.

Pears was called upon straight away to deny Longman once more before Abu Kamara was thwarted by the visiting shot-stopper on the rebound from close range.

After 33 minutes, Hull looked to force a way back into the contest as Regan Slater slid Ryan Giles down the left, before the full-back returned the favour to the midfielder, and his blocked effort fell into Kamara's path. But, it was the same old story for the Tigers as Owen Beck stood firm in the Rovers' rearguard.

Palmer then looked to catch Pears off-guard with a drive into his near post, but it was comfortably gathered in the end.

In the final minute of the half, Hull's dominance continued as the Jamaican ran onto a deflected Giles cross before his scuffed effort was diverted over the bar, with the first-half summing up City's season as a whole.

Dawson's men looked to continue in such a fashion straight after the interval. But, once again, Palmer was frustrated by Pears after an attempt from the edge of the box before Gustavo Puerta saw a low drive fizz wide of the left-hand post.

The first chance of the half for the Blues fell at the feet of Yuki Ohashi, who looked to bend his opportunity past Pandur, but the Japanese saw his effort blocked by McLoughlin.

Chris Bedia then saw a glorious chance go begging, with the Ivorian sending his effort high and wide from close range despite neatly fashioning the opening for himself.

Ohashi then looked to wrap the game up for Blackburn with ten minutes to go after a solo breakaway, but his curling effort was always rising over Pandur's net after pressure from the onrushing Charlie Hughes.

Beck was the next to try his luck, but the Liverpool loanee's mazy run and fizzing drive was well gathered by the Croat in the Hull net.

City continued to push for a late equaliser, and centre-back Hughes was the next to try his luck with a fizzing effort through a crowd of bodies that drifted just wide of Pears' right-hand post.

Rovers substitute Makhtar Gueye then spurned a chance to double his side's lead, firing wide of the target after finding himself on the right flank.

Referee Thomas Kirk then called time on the clash, which sees Hull's winless run stretch to 12 games, losing the last six games on the bounce.