The Tigers fail to leapfrog Stoke on the final day - even a win would not have been enough - and are outclassed for long periods by an Ipswich side that is devastating at home but whose awful away form has seen them miss out on a play-off berth.

Report by Mike Scott.

Second best yesterday. Third best this season, and play-offs against the division’s un-form side to come. That’s not a bad report card.

City deployed the same buccaneering 4-3-3 shape as the previous week against Crystal Palace, but with diametrically opposite results. Palace played a similar 4-3-3 shape to City, Ipswich were strict 4-4-2 and their wide players mangled the Tigers’ midfield from first whistle to Alan Lee’s winner. I’m not going to call it a tactical blunder because it worked so well eight days ago. But City could have changed it earlier than he did and given Ipswich a tougher game.

A sunny afternoon greeted 28k plus fans to a rammed Portman Road, and it was the City supporters congregating into the Cobbold Stand (there were many others lurking silently in the home stands) that perpetrated a tumultuous racket as the commencement of the game approached. I know I’m biased, but I’m pretty certain that Hull City has some of the finest away supporters in English football, and have had for many years. With the only change from the Palace starting XI being Dawson in for Pedersen, City lined up:

Myhill
Ricketts Turner Brown Dawson
Marney Ashbee Hughes
Campbell Windass Folan

Within 2 minutes Windass had connected with a Myhill clearance and Folan saw his six yard shot blocked by centre back De Vos. The programme notes suggest that this may have been De Vos’s last game for Ipswich prior to a return to Canada for media work. He put in a 90 minute shift of aggressive, committed and effective centre backery that has not been surpassed by any opposition defender this season, and it was his form that went much of the way to shaping the eventual pattern of the game as our striking threat petered out and Ipswich’s grew.

And grow it did, and quickly. On 3 Ipswich passed the ball sweetly and created a shooting chance for Counago that was tipped onto the post by a sprawling Myhill. As the ball skittered across the six yard box Albanio-Latvian tubby “Hefty” Shefki Kuqi emerged from the melee to prod the ball home and induce a not inconsiderable degree of home fan rapture. Alas, the linesman’s flag fluttered unnoticed for several seconds and the goal was denied, although I understand video evidence casts considerable doubt over this decision. City responded well, going to the other end and engineering a shooting chance for Marney after a neat Folan lay-off, but Dean’s weak shot rolled apologetically wide.

It was a rip-roaring end-to-end start to the game but as the pattern of play settled it was Ipswich that were in the clear ascendancy. Quinn on the left was a particular danger and the calm and imperious Man Utd loanee Simpson at right back also forayed forward to support ex-Tiger Jon Walters with considerable success. Folan teed up Campbell in the box on 11 and young Fraizer’s sheer presence induced considerable panic in the Ipswich defence. But the momentum was with the home side as they camped out in City’s half for long periods. On 19 Counago was clattered by Wayne Brown and Miller rattled the left post with a 20 yard free kick. Then Quinn found space on the left but his cross-shot was poorly struck and dribbled wide. Then Quinn, given a roving brief, appeared in the inside right channel and curled a 20 yard shot just over the bar. City were, frankly, taking a proper beating.

As half time approached Folan ceded possession cheaply on halfway and quick Ipswich passing found Kuqi on the edge of the box, but he concocted a complete air shot and the chance went begging. City were happy, ecstatic, to get in at half time with parity. No doubt the half time news in the home dressing room was Crystal Palace’s thumping of 10 man Burnley – which terminated Ipswich’s play-off hopes – and they started the second half a little less sure footed than they ended the first. Windass did a rather neat “clatter the full back when he’s beyond the goal-line” routine, which irked Simpson as he picked himself out of Row E of the Greene King Stand and remonstrated with the wily old timer. And seconds later it was the same rattled Simpson that dithered under pressure from his sometime Man Utd reserves compatriot Fraizer Campbell and he was forced to concede a corner. This allowed the Tigers to place three consecutive crosses into the Ipswich box, but all were expertly dealt with by the mountainous De Vos. Kuqi had never recovered his composure after the disallowed goal and Jim Magilton decided to select raw pace ahead of brainless thuggery as Danny Haynes entered the fray to hurtle forward with gay abandon and precious little control of the football. On 53 Quinn had another sight of goal but his shot was blocked by Dawson, then Miller had a shot blocked by Marney after City had a corner cleared. City were struggling to keep possession in important areas as Ipswich harried mercilessly and on 58 Hughes was robbed and the ball was advanced down the right by the lively Garvan. Garvan’s cross was deflected into the path of Counago and his side foot shot was deliberately struck but drifted wide as Myhill’s goal gaped with indecent exposure.

All this losing of possession could mean only one thing, and Craig Fagan was duly introduced for Hughes, whose languid style had failed to gel with the extreme pace of the game. Fagan is quick, we know that, but he is a bear of little brain and he proceeded to play remarkably poorly. On 62 Fagan’s misplaced pass commenced an Ipswich raid that culminated in two blocked shots and a Quinn effort that sailed high over the bar. Nicky Barmby came on for Folan, who had tried hard but had lost his way having been isolated from his fleet of foot striker partner, and Nicky did give the Tigers’ forward play a slight lift. However with friends like Fagan City needed no enemies as another dreadful pass allowed Ipswich to attack down our right, the consequential three corners seeing shots deflected wide on each occasion. 69 minutes gone and the diminutive Quinn was replaced by battering ram Irishman Alan Lee, a man that has struggled to justify first team action in recent weeks. Within seconds of his introduction Ipswich won a free kick on the left (at a guess it was Craig Fagan that committed the foul, although my notes do not confirm this allegation) and Lee headed a long ball square to Walters to the left of goal. Walters’ return header lolloped straight onto Lee’s be-alicebanded bonce and he steered a neat header into the corner of Myhill’s net to claim the decisive goal. Let’s be honest, it was nothing more than Ipswich deserved for their sustained dominance.

This transformed the game. Ipswich had got what they wanted, and lapsed into ultra defensive mode. This was undoubtedly to City’s advantage, but for all the pressure the Tigers exerted the goalscoring opportunities were scarce, De Vos being at heart of all the good defending. The best chance fell to Barmby after a Marney cross from the right channel, Nicky’s effort was meatily butted but aimed too close to keeper Bywater and an easy save was expedited. On 73 a pretty obvious penalty box handball by Ricketts was not spotted by referee Marriner (who was card heavy in the first half but blended into the background well as the game went on) after which sustained City pressure ended when Marney lofted a clever 40 yard shot onto the roof of the net. Dawson had a free kick that sailed over and, late on, Barmby shot just over after being teed up by emergency striker Turner. Even Fagan crafted a goalscoring chance, as he found the ball deep in Ipswich’s box near the goalline. His attempted left foot shot was so laughably puny that it barely reached the advertising hoarding behind the goal.

So there we have it, a play-off semi against the premier choice of opposition, the largely form-free Watford. And what a tremendous achievement that already is for Brown, Horton, Parkin and all the members of the backroom staff. Victory over two legs will provide the Tigers with a berth in the most lucrative 90 minutes of football in the world and us long suffering supporters with our first trip to Wembley. And that really would be an occasion to make some noise about, as the Premiership beckons for the team that wins that day. I, for one, simply can’t wait.

HULL CITY (4-3-3): Myhill; Ricketts, Turner, Brown, Dawson; Marney, Ashbee, Hughes; Campbell, Windass, Folan.  Subs: Fagan (for Hughes, 61), Barmby (for Folan, 64), Doyle, Walton, Duke.

Goals: None

Booked: Brown, Dawson, Marney, Ricketts

Sent Off: None

IPSWICH TOWN: Bywater, Simpson, De Vos, Bruce, Wright, Walters, Garvan, Miller, Quinn, Kuqi, Counago.  Subs: Haynes (for Kuqi, 52), Lee (for Quinn, 69), Sumulikoski (for Counago, 80), Colgan, Sito. 

Goals: Lee 70

Booked: Counago, Haynes

Sent Off: None

REFEREE:   A Marriner

ATTENDANCE: 28,233