Another fine first half effort and another three points claimed as City ease into the play-off zone at the expense of hapless table-proppers Scunthorpe United.

Report by Mike Scott.

Deep into the wee small hours last night a boxing match was made between two cruiserweights – the division one step down from the really big boys. The sleek and handsome championship was fighting an over-hyped swarthy challenger, who was backed by a rabble of passionate supporters from a distant steel town far from the beaten track. From the off it was clear that the champion, with his trademark attacking capabilities to the fore, was going to floor the challenger and after two hammer blows in the second round the challenger sank to his knees never to recover. Although not yet recognised on the world stage, it is clear that the champion is destined for greater things with a move up to the blue riband division and a seat at the highest table in his sport.

Thankfully in boxing the referee is able, nay encouraged, to stop the contest when one of the protagonists is so obviously taking a thrashing. Yesterday Mark Halsey, who refereed the match unfussily and accurately, was offered no such luxury and he had to observe Scunthorpe United being pounded for the full twelve rounds plus two minutes added for stoppages. I have a tendency to recall and make note of City’s attacking moments more than I do the opposition’s – but yesterday that was entirely down to the balance of play, not any form of self-selection. Because after City blew Scunthorpe away in the first half they were content in the second to jab and move, offering the occasional combinations of punches that would keep the away team on the back foot and deny them any scoring opportunities at all. I can’t recall one save made by Boaz Myhill yesterday, because there wasn’t one. City dominated Scunthorpe from first minute to last and claimed a victory that elevated the Tigers into the play-off berths for the first time this season. Ten games left, loads of games remaining against mid-table dross rebuilding for 2008-09, a game in hand on our nearest rival. For the first time this season the post-final-whistle chants were of promotion. The Tiger faithful is starting to believe. The London-centric sporting press and media need to catch up.

The game saw the return up front of Craig Fagan, a player for whom a million nicker were eagerly trousered a year or so ago as Derby County took a punt on his pace, agility, chippy demeanour and inability to score regularly. It would appear that punt was seen as bad business by dour Scouser Paul Jewell, now at the Pride Park helm, and Adam Pearson was afforded the opportunity to offload Fagan for the second time in just over a year as City took him back to the fold on loan to act as cover for the suspended Folan and the injured Windass. It was as though nothing had changed at all. Those with an eye for Fagan’s pace, trickiness and ability to nark defenders would have been delighted with his performance. Those who remember his inability to cross a ball, shoot accurately and make the right decisions in the last third of the pitch would have been shaking their head in frustration once more. Welcome back Craig. You are now Hull City’s fourth choice striker and second choice right midfielder. How’s that for a football club’s progress in one short year?

With Folan and Okocha suspended until the Colchester game in nine days time, City lined up in routine 4-4-2 formation thus:

Myhill
Ricketts Turner Brown Dawson
Garcia Ashbee Marney Pedersen
Campbell Fagan

And it was the Tigers that immediately feasted on their opposition with relish as Scunthorpe, soaking up the atmosphere of their Cup Final, were becalmed by the enormity of it all. Two minutes in and Fagan hurled himself over Crosby’s outstretched leg and won a free kick right of centre 25 yards out. Dawson stepped up and hit a powerful low shot that was pushed wide by keeper Murphy, the first of several fine saves by the Scunny custodian in a frenetic first half. Then Campbell broke from City’s half and span a sumptuous ball into the path of Fagan wide left, and the returning hero won a corner. Within the first ten minutes it was clear that Scunthorpe’s defence was ill-equipped to deal with City’s pace and movement. Ricketts advanced down the right wing and induced left back Williams to fill his kecks before the ball was rolled to Marney whose fizzing low cross was hooked away for a corner amid great panic. The corner was cleared beyond the far post to Campbell, whose low cross again traversed the face of goal without eliciting a conversion.

On 13 Scunthorpe won a free kick in City’s half and Goodwin’s elevated delivery caused a brief stramash in the City box before Pedersen hoiked the ball back to Goodwin and the strangely unwell looking Scunthorpe midfielder struck a 20 yard shot well over the bar. Then on 21 another Scunny set piece saw Dawson miss a clearing header beyond the far post that allowed May to whip a cross onto the forehead of midfielder Cork, whose free header drifted wide. In all honesty, that’s as good as it got for Scunthorpe over the 90 minutes.

At the other end Pedersen and Campbell combined on the left and the big Dane toddy-ended a powerful drive at Murphy as Fagan lurked to deal with any spillage. Then Dawson intercepted a lame throw in and played Fagan into space centrally 30 yards from goal. Craig wafted a shot well wide when a pass to Campbell would almost certainly have advanced the attack better, a matter barely commented upon by Mr Mark Gretton of North Hull, located in the East Stand.

Finally a reward for this utter domination. City win a throw on the right and Ricketts, having mysteriously developed a killer long throw in the last 3 weeks, bunged a low flat one into the six yard box that Fagan latched onto and drew a marvellous sprawling point blank save from Murphy. Joyfully, the ball ricocheted into the air and Pedersen applied his ample pate to it, nodding it home from 4 yards. City then continued to press and within ten minutes it was 2-0. Dawson took a left foot inswinging corner that found Turner rising unimpeded 8 yards from goal and his crash header exploded into the net amid a tumultuous roar. The defining blows landed, that was the end of the bout as a competitive entity.

There was more action. Ashbee attempted to re-enact his Yeovil glory just before half time but his curled shot from 25 yards drifted wide of the far post. Into the second half and Campbell shinned a shot wide after dispossessing right back Hobbs (who looked more like a young kid from Lincoln (which he was) rather than a young kid on loan from Liverpool (which he now is)) and Ashbee headed wide after another low Marney cross induced pandemonium in the Scunthorpe defence. Grant McCann was withdrawn for Leeds loanee and debut maker Curtis Weston, and for all the impact the new boy made they may as well have called up frying-pan-faced Falklands vet Simon Weston. Ben May, a decent looking attacker at Millwall in recent seasons, emerged briefly from his torpor to dribble 30 yards and leave Ashbee in his wake, but his resulting left foot shot was well wide. May’s strike partner Paterson scurried around constantly in the manner of a Jack Russell dog with an erection, but his end product was zero.

Pedersen had a shot spin just wide after Turner headed on another Ricketts throw, Fagan shinned over from six yards after Campbell teed him up from a Pedersen cross. Pedersen hit another shot just wide after Campbell’s shot was blocked. Marney tried one of his all-too-rare-in-recent-weeks trademark dribbles at the heart of the Scunny defence and saw his left foot shot pushed wide for a corner. Walton came on for Pedersen and his first contribution was a supposed killer through ball that was so immensely overstruck that Campbell may have struggled to reach it with the assistance of a passing jet fighter. France came on for Garcia and, as is usual, looked OK.

A rampant first half and a clinical second half. Ten more of them and City will be inspecting the play-off schedules with yet firmer intent.

HULL CITY (4-4-2): Myhill; Ricketts, Turner, Brown, Dawson; Garcia, Ashbee, Marney, Pedersen; Campbell, Fagan.  Subs: Walton (for Pedersen, 84), France (for Garcia, 89), Bridges, Clement, Tyler.

Goals: Pedersen 27; Turner 37

Booked: None

Sent Off: None

SCUNTHORPE UNITED: Murphy, Hobbs, Crosby, Iriekpen, Williams, Cork, Goodwin, McCann, Morris, May, Paterson.  Subs: Weston (for McCann, 56), Forte (for Morris, 70), Horsfield (for Goodwin, 82), Lillis, Butler.

Goals: None

Booked: None

Sent Off: None

REFEREE:   M Halsey

ATTENDANCE: 20,906