Hull City have bowed out of the Premier League with a credible goalless draw with Liverpool at the KC Stadium.
Plucky Hull City hold high-flying Liverpool at home
Hull City have bowed out of the Premier League with a credible goalless draw with Liverpool at the KC Stadium.
Despite Aston Villa's shock home defeat by Blackburn, Liverpool have missed out on sixth place after being held in East Yorkshire.
City have dropped a place to 19th in the final standings after Burnley came from two down to claim a surprise 4-2 win over Spurs.
Liverpool started the game in the ascendancy and Tom Cairney was fortunate not to see his poor defensive clearance from Ryan Babel's through ball fly into his own net.
The game had an end of season feel to it, although how it remained goalless at the break remains a mystery.
Promising youngster Mark Cullen headed a near-post effort wide of the target while Alberto Aquilani's shot cannoned off the crossbar just before half-time.
The Tigers continued to press after the interval and both Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink and Cullen were close to latching onto Bernard Mendy's teasing cross.
Liverpool tried in vain to snatch a last-gasp winner with Steven Gerrard's shot off the post the closest Rafa Benitez's side came to securing the win.
Lacked urgency
With both sides having little to play for - at best Liverpool could finish sixth, their worst league performance since 1999 - the opening exchanges lacked any real urgency.
However, young Tigers midfielder Cairney was relieved when his interception of Babel's pass to Nabil El Zhar, starting for the first time this season, flew wide of Matt Duke's left post.
That was a lot closer than Sotirios Kyrgiakos came with his header from Gerrard's corner, with the ball rolling out for a throw-in feet from where the Liverpool captain had delivered it.
El Zhar was at least trying to make the most of his opportunity and a right-foot 20-yard shot was tipped over by Duke in the 18th minute.
From Gerrard's corner the Moroccan's mis-hit shot bounced up to Dirk Kuyt whose back-header was nodded over the crossbar by George Boateng on the goalline.
Aquilani, who had been quiet all half, side-footed just wide from a weak Hull clearance in the 28th minute while Vennegoor of Hesselink headed straight into Jose Reina's hands as both teams continued to create nothing more than half-chances.
Cullen should have twice put Hull ahead in the space of a minute but wasted two glorious openings from close range.
First Cairney's deflected shot found the striker on the edge of the six-yard area but he allowed the ball to get trapped under his feet and Daniel Agger recovered to dispossess him.
Then Cullen rose unchallenged to head Will Atkinson's cross wide from an even shorter distance.
Blazed over
Aquilani should have done better than hit the crossbar in added time from 12 yards out while Agger blazed the rebound high into the crowd.
Six minutes after the interval Vennegoor of Hesselink diverted Bernard Mendy's right-wing cross past Reina but wide of the far post from a narrow angle.
All that needed to be said about the quality on show was evident when Hull fans began a conga early in the second half.
But in truth the home fans had more to cheer about and they were almost celebrating when Mendy tested Reina from 35 yards and the Spain goalkeeper had to tip the ball wide.
In the closing stages most of the pressure was exerted by Hull, with Andy Dawson going close with a low shot from a quickly-taken free-kick.
16-year-old Jack Robinson made his record-making appearance with three minutes to go, replacing Babel, but it was probably the only bright spot on yet another desperately disappointing day for Liverpool.
Gerrard, whose body language told its own tale, fired just wide and also hit the post before the end but Benitez's side never really threatened throughout.
Whether Gerrard and Benitez are around to repair the damage next season remains to be seen but even if they are they will need plenty of reinforcements and, given the state of the club's finances, that seems a remote possibility.
| Hull City |
Team Statistics |
Liverpool |
| 0 |
Goals |
0 |
| 0 |
1st Half Goals |
0 |
| 3 |
Shots on Target |
3 |
| 4 |
Shots off Target |
13 |
| 4 |
Blocked Shots |
5 |
| 2 |
Corners |
6 |
| 16 |
Fouls |
11 |
| 3 |
Offsides |
0 |
| 1 |
Yellow Cards |
0 |
| 0 |
Red Cards |
0 |
| 76.8 |
Passing Success |
83.5 |
| 23 |
Tackles |
27 |
| 87 |
Tackles Success |
81.5 |
| 38.7 |
Possession |
61.3 |
| 57.3 |
Territorial Advantage |
42.7 |
|
