Hull City 1-2 Stoke City: FLW report as Mark Robins records first league win in charge of Potters

Football League World

·1 février 2025

Hull City 1-2 Stoke City: FLW report as Mark Robins records first league win in charge of Potters

FLW report live from the MKM Stadium

Mark Robins picked up his first Championship success in charge of Stoke City with a 2-1 success at the MKM Stadium against Hull City.

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Despite falling behind in this crucial encounter between two relegation-threatened sides through Eliot Matazo's first goal for the Tigers on six minutes, goals from Ali Al-Hamadi and Andrew Moran turned the tide and secured a vital three points for the Staffordshire outfit.

Hull's home struggles have been well-documented for quite some time, and today's latest defeat exemplified their frailties in HU3, failing to back up last Friday's emphatic 3-0 success over Sheffield United at Bramall Lane.

Stoke City come from behind to defeat Hull City 2-1

This six-pointer began with two half-chances for Bae Junho after Stoke found pockets of space down the flanks, but it would be the Tigers who struck first on six minutes thanks to a well-worked corner after Regan Slater's low drive was initially turned behind.

Matazo and Abu Kamara opted for the short corner and found Steven Alzate in acres of space, with the Colombian's lifted delivery flicked on by Sean McLoughlin in order for the Belgian midfielder to burst into the box unmarked to tap home past Viktor Johansson from a tight angle.

Straight from the restart, Abu Kamara then tried a curling effort which the Icelandic keeper was equal to, before the visitors saw Michael Rose nod wide after being gifted a cheap corner by the Hull rearguard.

After 20 minutes, Alfie Jones sent a sublime ball over the top in search of Joao Pedro, with the Brazilian then having the presence of mind to spot Matazo dashing through the middle, before the Stoke captain got down well to deny the former AS Monaco man further delight.

Seconds later, Kamara got the better of Enda Stevens and spotted the experienced Pedro in space, with Robins' side once again grateful for Johansson's services as he thwarted the 32-year-old from yards out.

After withstanding such pressure, Stoke looked for a response, although debutant Ali Al-Hamadi's weak header from a curling Lynden Gooch delivery wasn't enough to concern Ivor Pandur.

With 10 minutes to go before the break, Selles' men went in search of a second after a spell of heavy possession from the away side as Matazo fed Joe Gelhardt down the left, but the Leeds loanee found substitute Junior Tchamadeu in the way of his goal-bound strike.

After a swift break, neat footwork from Josh Wilson-Esbrand sold Cody Drameh on two occassions and paved the way for another golden chance which Junho spurned wide, despite being gifted the freedom of the 18-yard box to pick his spot.

However, the Potters would draw themselves level on the stroke of half-time, courtesy of Ipswich loanee Al-Hamadi.

Hull failed to clear their lines properly after dealing with an initial corner, and Seko's deep ball in evaded all inside the box and found the Iraqi international completely unmarked at the back post to slam a fizzing effort past Pandur from five yards out.

Just three minutes into the second period, Hull saw a penalty appeal on Gelhardt waved away by Will Finnie, before Selles' defence were indebted to full-back Drameh, whose goal-line clearance denied Wilson-Esbrand from completing a swift turnaround on the scoreboard after Al-Hamadi nipped past Matty Jacob.

In an all-action opening 10 minutes, Johansson was then at full stretch to deny Pedro his sixth of the season after being teed up by Kamara on the edge of the box, with Matazo then seeing a hopeful effort fly just over the bar.

Alzate was the next to try his luck from distance as his effort rose just over the top, before City supporters were given their first sighting of Aston Villa loanee Louie Barry, as Selles introduced the winger alongside Kyle Joseph and Lewie Coyle on 55 minutes.

His first action saw a teasing delivery intended for Matazo which was put behind for a corner by Stevens, which Hull were able to recycle smartly, although McLoughlin would see a powerful header pushed over by the Stoke keeper.

With half of the second 45 gone, a piece of quick thinking from Regan Slater almost presented Joseph with the chance to net his first goal in Black and Amber on his home debut, but Johansson's quick reactions to a teasing cross sniffed out any pending danger.

However, with just over 15 minutes to go, it would be the travelling contingent from Staffordshire who were sent into ecstasy through substitute Andrew Moran.

Pandur was able to tip a goal-bound header from Nathan Lowe around the post, but the Tigers' frailties from balls into the box were laid bare once again, as Stevens' ball in was met by Liverpool loanee Lewis Koumas, who found the Irishman in space with the simple task of firing past Pandur from the centre of the box.

With time running out, Koumas had the chance to add further gloss on proceedings for Robins' men after a sublime first-time pass from Seko sent him free down the left, but good feet from Pandur denied the 19-year-old, who looked to fire an effort across goal.

Hull's second half fortunes would be summed up as the clock ticked past 89 minutes as Slater had all the time in the world to pick out Matt Crooks who could only fire at bodies, before heroics from Johansson and his rearguard would also thwart Alzate and McLoughlin as five minutes were added.

The final action saw Barry fire a curling effort into the side netting on 94 minutes, despite many among the home quarters of the MKM thinking he'd scored a dramatic equaliser as the net rippled.

Will Finnie then called time on a result which sees Stoke pull five points clear of Derby County who occupy the final relegation place, whilst Hull have dropped back into 21st after an eighth defeat on home turf this campaign.