A challenge of a more physical nature comes to the KC in the shape of Bolton Wanderers, and after an ugly first half it is Jozy Altidore's strength and Kamel Ghilas's pace and finishing that inspire a 1-0 win that could have been more emphatic with more luck in front of goal.

Report by Mark Gretton.

In the end it took the appearance of one man to put City back on track. One man whose arrival was anticipated last Saturday, whose absence was noted anxiously mid-week and whose presence yesterday immediately lifted the whole club. It’s a team game of course, but sometimes one individual surveys the situation, refuses to be dragged down by it, soars above it all and hoicks it up to his level. One man did it on Saturday and the rest took heart and followed. Lesson learned; it’s the last time I’ll miss the first two game of the season, I can tell you, as clearly I can’t trust you lot to support the lads properly without me there. But credit where it’s due, Jozy Altidore played his part as well.

On a broiling August afternoon, typical of our fair city, we lined up thus:

Myhill
Zayatte Gardner Turner Dawson
Hunt Olofinjana Kilbane Geovanni
Ghilas
Folan

Hmm, thought the faithful. When we looked at the oppo, we saw familiar faces that had got in ours before; Kevin Davies, master of the intelligent strikers niggle. Jaaskelainen, who mastered just about all our attempts to get past him last season. And of course one Sam Ricketts, who got a very generous ovation, particularly for a player who woefully underachieved last season and then let us down badly by fleeing at the first whiff of grapeshot. That might be the view of some, I don’t really have an opinion on the Welsh waster.

The first half, as we attacked the North Stand, was…. To be honest, if I were you I’d skip to the description of the second half, I’m only really going to be moaning for the next 500 words apart from one Geovanni moment.

For anyone still reading, it was grisly stuff. Bolton had loads to possession and they really should have scored with some of it. As early as the 4th minute Kilbane pulled out of a tackle and politely waved one of the visitors past him, presumably appealing for something. The Bolt ran on and shot and missed. Later on Gardner, otherwise impressive, was caught in possession and again the visitors should have done better. Zayatte, unsettled at right back, gave away a free kick that we scrambled away. Another freekick brought a splendid double save from Myhill which turned into a treble as the shot stop and the subsequent pawing away were followed by him leaping up to block the next effort after the ball ran free. This led to a corner; the grim-faced men of east Lancashire swung a good ball into the middle as they did all afternoon and Davies reminded us why he isn’t a top striker by glancing the header tame and wide. Yet another free kick found Davies and he knocked it back and we watched anxiously as it evaded all his colleagues.

If this sounds one-sided, then you’re getting the drift. We weren’t putting them under pressure, nor were we defending well. Central midfield was the biggest problem. Olofinjana and Kilbane neither played a pass, nor covered back as we needed them to. Oli may still be getting used to us, and getting used to playing again. Kilbane, to be fair, looks a different player this season. Unfortunately he now looks like Craig Lawford. He’s the most limited player in the Premiership not called Craig Fagan. When you consider the only likely replacement to “improve” on this is Dean Marney, we are in a pickle that is unlikely to be, er, unpickled until Bullard’s knee knits back together. Up front Folan was barging around willingly enough, but the ball sticks to his instep like a superball to concrete. Ghilas toiled willingly and rapidly to attempt to control balls rebounding off Folan, but no-one behind him supplied him regularly enough with an alternative. This wasn’t for the want of Hunt trying. He harassed, hurried and when he got the ball advanced determinedly before crossing for Folan who treated the deliveries like a drunken bather would a bar of soap.

Geovanni never got the ball. He and Hunt swapped sides, but the ball followed Hunt, allowing him to do the left-footed right-winger impression first made famous by our former Guvnor Peter Taylor in his Crystal Palace glory days. Geo wandered forlornly, coming to life only briefly on the half hour as a he picked up the ball in the inside left position, shimmied, accelerated away from the cover and caused Jaaskelainen to save with characteristic alertness. Other news, Hunt shot over, Ghilas shot weakly and that was as good as it got. Almost more concerning for someone who missed Wednesday was the number of people who were impressed by how much better we were than against Spurs. Half time and, frankly, I wished I was watching the cricket. Or unblocking a lavatory. By sticking my face in it.

The second half started with us attempting to get Davies back in goal-scoring form. Another excellent corner, another poor header. Then Folan ballsed up dreadfully in giving the ball a\way, they advanced, we fouled, they whipped in a cross and Davies, with consummate skill, glanced it wide again. Muscle memory, I believe the sports scientists call it. But it had the desired effect. The manager lost patience with Folan, gave him the hook and turned to Altidore, telling him to go out there and win one for the Browner. Altidore immediately drew admiring murmurs. As tall, quick and athletic as Muhammad Ali, with shoulders as broad and powerful as Joe Frazier’s, he looked for all the world like Steve Kindon. And as followers of Burnley in the sixties and Huddersfield in the seventies will tell you, there’s no higher praise than that. We aimed a high one for him straight away. He leaped and missed. Not to worry, we immediately tried it again, this time cunningly trying one he could reach. He controlled it well on his chest, turned in the same movement and cushioned a volleyed pass over a defender perfectly for an onrushing striker. From the sidelines Caleb Folan watched in astonishment – what the hell was all that about? – and Ghilas must have been fairly surprised too, but he clearly remembered this sort of thing happening before and he darted through and hit the bouncing ball joyously past Jaaskelainen. 1-0 and the game inverted in an instance of proper football. Credit Brown with the change, credit him with the equally important tactical shift to play Ghilas up front as we went 4-4-2. Or if you’re a more cynical soul, wonder why, if the manager can see all that, he couldn’t have done it rather sooner.

But suddenly we were flying. Bolton lumbered forth as they had throughout, but we now had teeth. Hunt broke, found Altidore who flicked it on for Ghilas who wellied one onto the cross bar, down and just away from the predatory Jozy. Then a Kamel charge found Altidore who was lurking with menace. He picked it up, flicked it past the keeper who couldn’t get there, then turned away in triumph before hanging his head in disappointment as he saw the ball somehow creep wide. Next a tremendous passage of play; A Bolty tried to bring it forwards but was Hunted down, our man now a left wing terrorist. He hustled the anxious Trotter out of it and squared it to Geovanni. Geo shimmied and then exploded past his man before picking out Altidore. Jozy executed a power-assisted turn and shot crisply and true, only to find the ever excellent Jaaskelainen blocking it. Bastard. Ghilas charged in but could only Horlicks the rebound high over the bar.

On 81, Geovanni, now he was getting into the game, was withdrawn. Headshaking all around us. But we got the Boat on for a bit of midfield ballast, so maybe fair enough. But then we had the pocket rocket Ghilas removed for Fagan, who contended himself with receiving the ball from Altidore before running it out of play. He doesn’t know why, but he sure knows how. Predictably our lack of attacking threat now gave Bolton a late sniff and in injury time Myhill once more got low then scrambled to his feet to beat away the ball. As the shot had come from the recidivist Ricketts, the Taff Turncoat, had it gone in it would have been very hard to take.

But we got over the line and it felt enormously important, our first home win since the Miners strike, or some such improbable time. There are plenty of things that need the manager’s attention. Our central midfield is not up to it. Where we are stronger, we have no cover. But we do, suddenly, have a striking partnership. Kamel and Jozy looked like men who understood what each other was trying to do and had the wit to provide the foil. They also both looked like strikers who think that an important part of their job is to try and score goals. And between them they got us a win, a lovely, luscious, creamy win. Bring on the big bad Wolves!

HULL CITY (4-4-1-1): Myhill; Zayatte, Turner, Gardner, Dawson; Geovanni, Olofinjana, Kilbane, Hunt; Ghilas; Folan.  Subs: Altidore (for Folan, 60), Boateng (for Geovanni, 81), Fagan (for Ghilas, 86), Mouyokolo, Halmosi, Barmby, Warner.

Goals: Ghilas 61

Booked: Geovanni, Hunt, Olofinjana

Sent Off: None

BOLTON WANDERERS: Jaaskelainen, Ricketts, Cahill, Knight, Robinson, S Davis, M Davies, Muamba, K Davies, Taylor, Elmander.  Subs: Lee (for Elmander, 71), Samuel (for Robinson, 78), Ward (for M Davies, 81), Al Habsi, Steinsson, McCann, Shittu.

Goals: None

Booked: S Davis, Elmander

Sent Off: None

REFEREE:    M Jones

ATTENDANCE: 22,999