Rampant Tigers maul Southampton from start to finish, consigning the away side to the lower reaches and possible relegation while the Tigers consolidate a play-off berth.

Report by James Lockwood.

At half time yesterday, City were playing rather well. 1-0 up against a rather limited Southampton opposition. A gentle mist had enveloped the west stand and I was starting to worry whether the match would be able to last its full 90 minutes. As the second half started, the mist did lift. Was it a natural opening of the curtain to open up for the events we were about to witness, or merely the fog evaporating due to the red hot tigers? I’m not sure

With Folan and JJ completing their suspension, Brown suffering from the injury from the Cardiff game and Fagan being taken injured late on Friday, the home side returned with our local hero and the West Brom loanee Clement.

Myhill
Ricketts Turner Clement Dawson
Garcia Ashbee Marney Pederson
Campbell Windass

The pre-kick off toss of the coin saw Southampton repeat the tactics of the early 90’s Brighton side and made us switch ends, to attack the south stand in the first half. Maybe not such a good idea in hindsight.

Ashbee starts play off winning a free kick wide on the left. Dawson hits this to the edge of the box for Campbell to hit wide. Southampton respond with Euell attacking down the left before playing in serial tiger tormentor Stern John. He returns the ball back to Euell who crosses for John to head where Boaz did well to get down and save.

Campbell then fires another warning shot at Southampton. Windass draws a foul off Safri about 40 yards out on the right. Garcia whips the ball into the near post to be met by the diving head of Campbell to put the ball wide.

Those two missed chances didn’t worry our forward though. Within a couple of minutes, Southampton had been playing the ball about midfield and as they approached our area, Marney took possession. Looking up he lofted a perfectly weighted ball beyond the half way line and the Southampton back line to be met by the perfectly times run of Campbell. Seeing the keeper come out, Fraizer coolly placed the ball besides the side of him and into the net.

Since I’ve seen Pederson, I’ve often felt I’ve been the one City fan to not be that impressed with him. I think part of my problem was his lack of pace at times. Well this wasn’t a hindrance against Southampton. Their pony-tailed right-back Ostlund was given a torrid time most of the afternoon by him. Just after the goal, Pederson beats him down the wing before winning a corner. Marney put enough curl on the ball to see the Saints keeper punch the ball out from under the crossbar.

Following our goal, City see a rather slow Southampton back line, which defend high up the pitch. This meant that our tactic for the remainder of the first half was to play the ball over the top of the defence for Campbell to run onto. The next of these had Windass play the ball, Campbell go running clear before a rather clumsy challenge in the area felled him. Despite the East Stand demanding a penalty, none was given.

Garcia was having a poor first half, with his touch wildly spinning away gifted Southampton their next chance. His loose pas fell to John who was allowed to progress to the edge of the area before shooting from the edge of the area, but was easily held by Myhill.

As City continue to exert pressure on Southampton Safri is turned by Marney, who responds by pulling our midfielder down. The free kick is given about 30 yards out but Windass hits it rather wastefully through the defence before being deflected back to the keeper.

Again out first half tactic sees Ashbee play the ball long from the half way line, with both the keeper and Campbell reaching the ball at the same time. A collision between the two sees the ball spin out to Pederson with the goal unguarded, but Henrik rather swings wildly at the ball, so it goes well over.

A few more half chances are presented to City from throw-ins before Southampton equalise. Well nearly. Southampton are starting to play much better through midfield, passing the ball well, this time releasing John to score past the stranded Myhill. As the away fans celebrate, the linesman’s flag is seen fluttering in the wind.

The response to Southampton playing better? Campbell pressures the centre back Thomas to concede a corner. Marney plays the corner beyond the back post to see Ashbee play the ball back in. Turner heads at goal but the keeper collects under close pressure by Campbell.

The final action of the half sees Powell foul Windass, with the resulting free-kick played up the right. Here McGoldrick fouls Ricketts level with the edge of the area. The free kick is knocked out for a corner, before Marney plays the corner to the back post, where the ball is hit goal wards by a Southampton defender, but the keeper collects.

The second half starts out with Southampton trying to put pressure on City, but only continue from the first half with playing the ball well in midfield, but having no cutting edge up front.

The City response was for Ashbee to win a free-kick on the left which Marney hits in hard with Turner getting his head on the ball, but can only head over.

Again the ball is played over the top for Campbell to run onto. Campbell however gets flagged off-side by a sympathetic referee, despite Thomas playing him onside. Soon afterwards, Marney plays a cross field ball which Windass does very well to keep in play. His cross towards Campbell is well defended by the Saints back line, heading out for a throw-in.

As a result of this, a great two minutes see City go from 1-0 up to 3-0 up. Firstly a Ricketts throw in to Turner at the front post sees the home defence head weakly down. To gain possession, Garcia does this odd twisting jump between two defenders which opens up some space for him. His weak shot is collected by Pederson who blast the ball into the top of the net from close range. By the time I’ve finished noting down the events of that goal, Windass had won a free-kick (I’m guessing off the limited Vignal who the other Saints full back had a torrid afternoon). As Deano whips up the East stand into frenzy, Marney hits the free-kick into the front post where Turner heads in.

Southampton have a chance to regain some pride, after Ashbee niggles at Viafara to give them a free-kick about 25 yards out. Licka’s ball sees none of the Southampton forwards react quick enough, allowing Myhill to collect easily.

City start the afternoon’s substitutions with Hughes replacing Windass. Hughes took up a position on the left with Pederson moving up front. Southampton also did a sub of their own with Licka replaced by what we first thought was their team mascot. It later turned out that the short sub was in fact Simon Gillett.

Ashbee was having a great game in midfield. His simple short passing in midfield was very unfussy, and allowed the ball to keep moving. His passing style at times reminded me of the passing of Chelsea’s Lampard. It was Ashbee’s passing and movement played his part in the team receiving a number of ‘Oles’ from the home crowd before playing in Garcia on the left hand angle of the box, whose shot was well saved.

If you thought 3-0 was good, well it got better. Hughes took the ball up the left to great effect before playing in a tiring Campbell (to be fair, he’s run the Southampton defence ragged all afternoon). A defender knocks the ball out to Marney in a central position about 30 yards out, who smashes the ball first time past the keeper to make it 4-0.

Another City sub soon followed with France replacing Pederson and taking up a position on the right with Garcia moving up front. Southampton also carry out a substitution of their own with Stern John, whose attempts during the afternoon had been trying to provoke Ashbee but failing miserably, replaced by Wright.

The game progresses with Ricketts skipping up the right and France dropping back to cover at right-back. His pass to Garcia is cut out for a corner, which Marney crosses to Turner at the front post before his header across the goal is cleared.

Garcia is the replaced by Bridges for the final 10 minutes of the game.

From what appears to be a slight mis-control by France takes him away from his marker, before releasing Marney. His run beyond the defence initially leaves him one on one with the keeper before a defender does well to get back. Marney ties a shot towards the back post, which starts to curl wide. However Bridges times his run well to meet the ball, but only manages to hit the post from about a yard out with the goal wide open.

As Campbell is announced the KCFM man of the match, Southampton play a great ball across the park to the Stoke loanee Pericard. His shot looks goal bound before Myhill pulls off the kind of back-arching, claw the ball back from just behind you kind of save that you often remember of Tony Norman.

As the Southampton fans taunt the City fans with a rendition of “4-0 up, you still don’t sing” (ironic, as I thought the afternoon had amongst the better atmosphere of the season), City find a great response, score a fifth. The ball up the right is collected by Bridges, who passes into Campbell on the edge of the area. With defenders on his back, he in turn plays it to the left angle of the box to the unmarked Hughes who curls a lovely shot past the keeper.

So for the first time since the 5-1 win over Northampton in our first of the two promotion season, City have 5 different goal scorers on the sheet.

One player I’ve not really mentioned was Clement. Partly because Southampton were so poor up front, partly because he was so good in possession. Okay he doesn’t have the aerial dominance or defensive organisation of Brown, but on the ground he cut out many Southampton attacks and in possession his passing was so good that it seems we now have the ball playing centre-back that Peter Taylor promised us when he unveiled Marc Joseph.

The crowd of 16,829 was again disappointing. I don’t care if you’d down Chants Ave or in Canada, something special and unique in the history of our club maybe about to happen. I would encourage everybody to get down to the KC before the end of the season to be a part of it.

HULL CITY (4-4-2): Myhill; Ricketts, Turner, Clement, Dawson; Garcia, Ashbee, Marney, Pedersen; Campbell, Windass.  Subs: Hughes (for Windass, 59), France (for Pedersen, 70), Bridges (for Garcia, 78), Walton, Tyler.

Goals: Campbell 7; Pedersen 55; Turner 57; Marney 68; Hughes 90

Booked: None

Sent Off: None

SOUTHAMPTON: Poke, Ostlund, Powell, Viafara, Thomas, Licka, Euell, Safri, Vignal, McGoldrick, John.  Subs: Pericard (for McGoldrick, 46), Gillett (for Licka, 62), Wright (for John, 70), Pernecky, Saganowski.

Goals: None

Booked: Viafara

Sent Off: None

REFEREE:   E Ilderton

ATTENDANCE: 16,829