The Tigers are dominant again, winning their game in hand against ten man bottom side Colchester.

Report by Adrian Hoggarth.

“This was an abysmally gutless, woefully leaderless, wretchedly careless display. We were flayed by the vicious Colchester lash and seemed content placidly to accept the punishment. A disgraceful evening in the history of our club.”

So wrote Scribe Weatherill in the corresponding fixture last season. It was the evening of our ignominious 5-1 reverse and the bell was tolling for Phil Parkinson. Michael Turner had a shocker, gifting the ball to Cureton for 3-1, Marney and Ricketts were disappointing to say the least.

“The time is, I fear, to change our manager. He's cost us lots. But those costs are sunk. On this evidence he'll cost us plenty more if we keep him.”

It took one more defeat for Parkinson to be shown the door and for Phil Brown to be installed as the Tigers Supremo. And what an inspired decision that has proven to be. A successful reversal of fortunes last season, resulting in an escape from relegation. This season, exciting success in this division for the first time in two decades, Turner now the first name on the team sheet (possibly), and the team oozing class at the right time of the season.

In front of 5,497 packed into the soon-to-be-demolished-and-not-before-time Layer Road ground, we quite rightly opened with the side that hammered Southampton on Saturday, despite the return to availability of Messrs Folan and Okocha, who made up an impressive-looking bench:

Myhill
Ricketts Turner Clement Dawson
Garcia Marney Ashbee Pedersen
Windass Campbell

We won the toss and changed ends, choosing to kick towards the away support crammed into the covered terrace at our end. It was a cagey start from both sides, with City having the better of the early exchanges. Campbell and Windass were both caught offside early on, before on 10 Deano had the first real chance, heading wide a Marney free kick.

On 12 we got a taste of things to come. Campbell received the ball in the centre circle and set off towards goal, immediately causing Colchesterian panic before Virgo did the only sensible thing and crudely hacked him to the floor. Given what was to come, perhaps he was lucky only to see yellow for it, but the word is out: if you are a Championship defender and want to stop Fraizer making a fool out of you, best hack, and hack hard. Deano took the free kick but sent it wide of the left hand post.

Colchester’s game plan was effectively undone on 14 minutes when a harsh refereeing decision worked to our advantage, at least numerically, as Ifill saw red for what seemed to me and to those around me to be a fairly innocuous trip on Campbell. Vicious and cynical, or simply the coming together of two players going in different directions? Who knows, but referee Miller produced a straight red and suddenly we had a man extra.

Always difficult to play against 10, was the esteemed view of one gentleman to my right. Three minutes later and City’s first corner was met at the far post by an unmarked Ash, who headed it into the keeper’s body, and then wellied the return highly and handsomely over the bar. And then on 20, we take the lead. Windass plays in Campbell, whose sharp first time shot is saved by Gerkin but rebounds to him. With the keeper on the ground, Campbell is left with only a retreating defender to beat, and slots it into the bottom corner. Didn’t look like the cleanest of strikes, but no matter. We lead 1-0.

By this time we are in control. We’re also showing the sort of confidence in our passing and movement that shows why we’re having such tremendous success at present. Ricketts had earlier sprayed a wonderful crossfield ball over to Pedersen, and on 28 Clement played an equally impressive ball out to Garcia on the right, which resulted in a corner. It’s great to observe your defenders playing accurate balls out to the wings, and then watch your wingers control the ball and use possession so effectively. Garcia was back on form this evening, and Pedersen was superb.

On 33 it gets even better. Deano controls the ball just inside their half and hits a great ball across to Pedersen, advancing in space down our left. Henrik’s first touch is a little heavy, but he still gets to the ball ahead of the closest Colch defender, and is able to knock it through to the advancing Campbell. Young Fraizer controls it, turns his defender and takes it onto his left, just inside the box, before cracking a powerful left foot shot past the Gerkin. Superb stuff, and 2-0 to City.

The only disappointing thing about Campbell, I would suggest, is just how good he is. Imagine if he’d had the sort of first season with City that, for example, Marney did. At the end of it, we might have been able to pick him up for a small amount. I fear Fraizer’s exploits for City this season will be attracting the sort of attention that brings with it seriously deep pockets, and I wonder whether we’ll be able to compete for him in the summer. But no matter, he’s with us for now, and helping to loft us to almost unimaginable heights.

On 35 a Ricketts cross is headed wide by Pedersen, and a minute later it all goes horribly wrong. A ball into the Colchester attack is sloppily defended, i.e. we fail to get anywhere near it, and Lisbie finds space on the right hand edge of the box and hits a powerful low shot past Myhill’s right hand into the bottom corner. 2-1 from nowhere, and suddenly it’s game on.

We almost reply on 40, when Marney has a free kick blocked but hits the rebound into the box and onto the head of Windass, who puts his header wide. It was a difficult chance, as the ball was hit across the box with some pace, but Deano had got in behind his marker.

We’re looking static and defending against a team of 10 men who suddenly see there might be a chance to get back into it. A corner on the Colchester right is swung in and headed out for another. The next one is equally dangerously swung in, and is met by a firm downward header. The home crowd cheer the equaliser, and we all expect to see (at the other end) the net bulging. But not so. Wales’s Number One flings himself down to his left and makes a fantastic reflex save. The ball is cleared, and we go in at half time leading 2-1 rather than pegged back to 2-2. A crucial save, reminding us of the class we have in goal.

Colchester start the second half the more confidently, in fact we’re looking shaky. Platt gets through on the right but his low shot is pouched at the second attempt by Myhill. A corner of ours is cleared, and a swift break is ended only with Pedersen conceding a corner at our end. We settle a bit. A short corner routine between Marney and Dawson sees the latter crossing onto Turner’s head, but his header is tipped onto the crossbar. We’re sitting back a bit and attacking on the break. Myhill catches a cross and throws it out to Marney. Campbell steps over the pass and spins off into space on the right. Deano receives the ball and knocks it through to Campbell, whose cross evades any Tigers. Our attacking looks good, but we’re unable to kill the game off. It’s getting a bit scrappy at the back, as Colchester gain in confidence and attack with skill. We’re looking a bit tired. Marney seemed to run out of gas a bit around the hour mark, which was a shame as I thought he had a very good game up to that point. He’s become so much more influential (albeit intermittently) recently, and was a real force in the midfield, willing to take the ball and use it incisively.

On 65 Hughes replaces Pedersen. The game is going downhill as both sides run out of steam and referee Miller starts to penalise Turner for standing still in one place and being attacked by flying Colches. On 69 Windass is replaced by Folan.

A word (in fact a few) for Andy Dawson. I thought he had an excellent game. When Daws knocked a ball into touch in the first half some chap commented that he’d not be with us if we go up this season. He proceeded to have a solid game, bailing out Clement on occasions and doing his own job very tidily. Keep up the good work.

Into the last 10. Big minutes. Three points or just the one? City attack on the break and the result is a free kick that Dawson hits over the wall but it doesn’t have the power to beat the keeper. The events leading up to this were down the other end and, as is sometimes commented on by my fellow match reporters, a little difficult to determine. In fact, I could say this about any of the action. I could tell you a lot about the wool blend of the coats worn by the two blokes in front of me, but probably far fewer accurate details of the game itself. Watching football at Layer Road just isn’t what we’re used to these days. No doubt there are similar old style grounds in the Football League with similarly poor views for spectators, and no doubt we were not there so very long ago, but all of that seems so far away now.

On 83 Garcia fights his way through the Colchester defence but his shot is blocked. Ricketts is booked for kicking the ball away. And then on 86 the game is settled. Marney wins the ball in the centre circle and plays a sublime ball through to the advancing Folan. Caleb takes it in his stride, rounds the Gerkin and, as the Tiger Nation begins its promotion-fantasizing celebrations, slots the ball into the empty net. 3-1, and game well and truly over.

Almost. There is still time for Campbell to break through on the left and hit a beautifully controlled chip over the pickled Gerkin, only to see it rebound back off the crossbar. It’s his last contribution of the game, and before he can add any more to his price tag Brown replaces him with Okocha. Okocha has a few minutes to jink around a bit and to have a shot saved in the time added, before the final whistle confirms the further cementing of our current play-off berth.

I’m very pleased now that the game in January was postponed, and not just because it gave me the opportunity to sit in a very pleasant pub on a wet Saturday afternoon getting sloshed with Tigery chums, but because we’re now in the sort of form that sees us take advantage of a game like this in a way that two months ago we didn’t really seem capable of. We’re stronger now, and took the opportunity to open up a five point gap over the sides chasing us for a play-off spot.

Which also happens to be the gap between us and the top of the league.

Blimey...

HULL CITY (4-4-2): Myhill; Ricketts, Turner, Clement, Dawson; Garcia, Ashbee, Marney, Pedersen; Campbell, Windass.  Subs: Hughes (for Pedersen, 67), Folan (for Windass, 71), Okocha (for Campbell, 89), Walton, Tyler.

Goals: Campbell 20, 33; Folan 87

Booked: Campbell, Ricketts

Sent Off: None

COLCHESTER UNITED: Gerken, Ifil, Heath, Virgo, White, Duguid, Hammond, Jackson, Wordsworth, Platt, Lisbie.  Subs: Izzet (for Wordsworth, 62), Balogh (for Duguid, 70), Vernon (or Platt, 72), Elito, Bankole.

Goals: Lisbie 37

Booked: Heath, Izzet, Lisbie, Virgo

Sent Off: Ifil

REFEREE:   P Miller

ATTENDANCE: 5,497