Ipswich Town vs Hull City. Sky Bet Championship.
Portman RoadAttendance13,031.
Tuesday 13 March 2018 23:47, UK
Hull eased their relegation fears with a convincing 3-0 win at Ipswich with the result virtually condemning the home side to another season in the Championship.
It was the second win on the trot for the Tigers, who are now nine points clear of the drop zone, having beaten the Tractor Boys' arch rivals Norwich at the weekend. It also signalled the fifth home game on the trot for Ipswich where they have failed to score.
Goals came from Markus Henriksen, Harry Wilson and Jarrod Bowen.
Ipswich full back Jonas Knudsen cut out a dangerous crossfield pass from Wilson to striker Fraizer Campbell in the sixth minute and moments later Ipswich won the first corner of the match which Jordan Spence headed onto the right hand post of Allan McGregor's goal.
Wilson then fired in a shot in the 15th minute from just inside the penalty area which was too hot for Ipswich keeper Bartosz Bialkowski to handle and he gathered the ball at the second attempt.
Hull took the lead in the 18th minute when Jackson Irvine headed the ball down from inside the penalty area for Henriksen to fire home smartly into Bialkowski's left hand corner of the goal from outside the penalty area.
A mis-placed pass by Tristan Nydam in the 28th minute resulted in the ball breaking to Jarrod Bowen, whose shot from outside the penalty area stuck Bialkowski's left-hand post.
Then a good move from the home side found Freddie Sears free wide on the right, whose pinpoint cross was headed goalwards by Grant Ward for McGregor to tip over the bar.
But Hull extended their lead following a great cross to the far post by Campbell in the 40th minute for Wilson to steer home. And as the half drew to a close, Ipswich manager Mick McCarthy led his team off the pitch to a chorus of boos.
Two minutes into the second half the visitors scored their third goal when Bowen danced through the Ipswich defence to slide the ball under Bialkowski.
In the 52nd minute, loud cheers resounded round Portman Road as Sears' shot on goal was parried by McGregor.
Hull appeared to ease off and sit back as Ipswich came back into the game gaining more ball possession and in the 75th minute a cross from Knudsen fell to Sears just inside the penalty area, whose half volley went narrowly wide of McGregor's' left hand post. But Hull's defence held strong for them to end worthy winners.
Mick McCarthy: "It was a tough old evening and it's a matter of sticking together and not fragmenting because if we do it will really go pear-shaped. I don't think the atmosphere represented the way we've been playing to be honest. It was a bad night tonight but we played a really good team with some good players.
"Fundamentally it's a disgrace that (Hull) have been down there all season long with those players; fair play to Nigel, he has really got them going ... he's got a good team. We got out of shape and they picked us off and they were better than us today."
Nigel Adkins: "It was an excellent away performance from the players to back up a good win at the weekend against Norwich. That's back-to-back victories and to come away from home and get a clean sheet and three good goals. Our performance has been consistently good and I'm really pleased with the players to win a game of football away from home.
"It was competitive at the start of the game and we have gone and scored a good goal from Markus Henriksen from distance and hit the post (through Bowen), and then a great left-footed cross for Harry Wilson at the far post with a really good composed finish."
