Report: Town 1-1 Hull

By Aston
March 29 2006

Town’s play-off hopes were dealt another blow today as Town only managed a single point against lowly Hull City at Portman Road Earlier today.

Town manager Joe Royle made just one change from the side that drew with Crystal Palace last week with Ian Westlake coming in for the now departed Ricardo Fuller.

 

Town started the brighter side and inside the opening 5 minutes could have been 1-0 up if it wasn’t for the reactions of Hull ‘keeper Boaz Myhill, who parried Alan Lee’s shot into the path of Matt Richards only for Myhill to block.  

 

Cort headed wide for Hull from a corner at the other end before Lee had an effort headed off the line by Andy Dawson before Ian Westlake deflected a Scott Barron cross across the face of goal before Lee was denied by a Cort header.

 

But finally after 21 minutes Town took the lead, Darren Currie’s free kick may have taken a slight deflection off Alan Lee but either way it went into the net to give Town a well deserved lead.  

 

Town taking the lead woke Hull up, Green fired over, Jon Parkin fired into the side netting, and Scott Wiseman fired wide before Alan Lee had a header saved before he had two further chances to extend Town’s lead with one saved shot and another going over the bar.

 

Jim Magilton had a shot blocked by debutant Rui Marques before Ian Westlake was forced off with an ankle injury following a tackle, Dean McDonald coming on in his place with 6 minutes to go in the first half.

 

The second half started well for Town, Darren Currie curling another free kick just over the bar before Shane Supple kept Paynter out at the over end.

 

Sadly all Town’s missed chances haunted them in the 57^th minute when Leon Cort headed home from Stuart Greens corner to make it 1-1.

 

The final 30 minutes or so were a frantic affair with both sides making changes and having chances to win the game, Ellison fired wide before Hull brought on Fagan and Welsh for Delaney and Green in the 68^th minute

 

Currie tried to beat the ‘keeper from the by-line with a lob that ended up on top of the goal before Magilton was again deined by Leon Cort before being replaced by Danny Haynes with 16 minutes to go.

 

Lee again failed to find a way past Myhill in the Hull goal before Wilnis headed over, Currie’s 30-yard effort was held and a number of Hull chances all fizzed wide and over.

 

The draw leaves Town 8 points behind the play-offs but with only one team from the top 11 winning today it could and perhaps should have been just a six point gap with 6 games left to play.

 

Town line up: Shane Supple, Luis Sito, Jason De Vos, Fabian Wilnis, Scott Barron, Jim Magilton, Ian Westlake, Owen Garvan, Matt Richards, Alan Lee, Darren Currie.

Subs: Lewis Price, Dean McDonald, Chris Casement, Vemund Brekke-Skard, Danny Haynes.

 

Hull line up: B Myhill, S Wiseman, L Cort, D Delaney, A Dawson, S Green, K Andrews, M Rui Marques, K Ellison, B Paynter, J Parkin.

Subs: M Duke, J Welsh, A Thelwell, D Duffy, C Fagan.

	Town 1	Hull 1
Goals	Currie (23)	Cort (57)
Yellow Cards	None	Delaney
Red Cards	None	None
Subs	McDonald on for Westlake (39) Haynes of for Magilton (74) Casement on for Barron (79)	Welsh on for Delaney (68) Fagan on for Green (68)
Possession	49%	51%
Shots on Target	16	5
Shots Off Target	9	10
Corners	5	8
Fouls	11	13
Attendance: 23,968/td>