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| Ryan Shawcross rescues Stoke to ruin 10-man Hull’s brave effort | Ryan Shawcross rescues Stoke to ruin 10-man Hull’s brave effort |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| The Hull City manager, Steve Bruce, expects to wrap up the protracted signing of Michael Dawson from Tottenham Hotspur this week. Bruce has been chasing the 30-year-old defender for most of the summer and the £3m transfer should brighten his mood after watching his side denied what would have been an admirable victory over Stoke City. | The Hull City manager, Steve Bruce, expects to wrap up the protracted signing of Michael Dawson from Tottenham Hotspur this week. Bruce has been chasing the 30-year-old defender for most of the summer and the £3m transfer should brighten his mood after watching his side denied what would have been an admirable victory over Stoke City. |
| Hull protected their goal for 69 minutes with 10 players after the 14th-minute dismissal of their defender James Chester. A goal on the break from Nikica Jelavic had Tigers fans crossing their fingers for a second successive victory in the Premier League for the first time since September last year, but Ryan Shawcross ruined it. | Hull protected their goal for 69 minutes with 10 players after the 14th-minute dismissal of their defender James Chester. A goal on the break from Nikica Jelavic had Tigers fans crossing their fingers for a second successive victory in the Premier League for the first time since September last year, but Ryan Shawcross ruined it. |
| The Stoke captain claimed an 83rd-minute equaliser that came with the help of the post and the goal decision system. Bruce, however, was more perturbed by a decision that came in the moments before the goal when Stoke were awarded a throw-in he was sure his side should have been given. | The Stoke captain claimed an 83rd-minute equaliser that came with the help of the post and the goal decision system. Bruce, however, was more perturbed by a decision that came in the moments before the goal when Stoke were awarded a throw-in he was sure his side should have been given. |
| “We feel an injustice because you can see how blatant it is,” Bruce said. “I just cannot understand how the three officials can’t get together and make that decision right. The whole of the crowd knew what it was, their player ran away and didn’t want to even take the throw-in. | “We feel an injustice because you can see how blatant it is,” Bruce said. “I just cannot understand how the three officials can’t get together and make that decision right. The whole of the crowd knew what it was, their player ran away and didn’t want to even take the throw-in. |
| “Surely that’s an indication to the referee or the officials to say ‘hang on a minute, it must have hit him’. It wasn’t even a slight deflection either. Everyone in the ground must have seen it except for the three officials.” | “Surely that’s an indication to the referee or the officials to say ‘hang on a minute, it must have hit him’. It wasn’t even a slight deflection either. Everyone in the ground must have seen it except for the three officials.” |
| A mistake from Allan McGregor cost the Tigers on Thursday in the Europa League when they were beaten 1-0 by Lokeren in Belgium and the condition must be catching. | A mistake from Allan McGregor cost the Tigers on Thursday in the Europa League when they were beaten 1-0 by Lokeren in Belgium and the condition must be catching. |
| This time three team-mates in front of the Scotland goalkeeper combined to give Hull a disadvantage in the 14th minute. Paul McShane’s pass to Jake Livermore was practically uncontrollable and the stabbed pass backwards was intercepted by Glenn Whelan, bursting forward from midfield. Chester lunged in a split second too late, Whelan went down and Chester went off. The referee, Jon Moss, had little choice. | |
| Hull switched from 3-5-2 to 4-4-1 and immediately embarked on Operation Frustration and it very nearly worked. Stoke committed numbers forward but lacked invention. Steven N’Zonzi, Erik Pieters, Shawcross and Marko Arnautovic all had half-chances and Mark Hughes, the Stoke manager, had seen enough. Bojan Krkic, the summer signing from Barcelona, was sent on to add guile to Stoke’s attack but his first contribution was a timid attempt to block Tom Huddlestone’s shot in the buildup to Hull’s goal in the 42nd minute. Asmir Begovic got a hand to it but Jelavic got to the loose ball before Marc Wilson and slid the ball home from a tight angle. | |
| Stoke lost their opening fixture of the season at home to Aston Villa and face the daunting trip to Manchester City on Saturday. Understandably, their desperation to collect a first point of the season intensified. | Stoke lost their opening fixture of the season at home to Aston Villa and face the daunting trip to Manchester City on Saturday. Understandably, their desperation to collect a first point of the season intensified. |
| Arnautovic made a mess of a volley at the back post before Shawcross’s low side-footed shot was well gathered by McGregor in the Hull goal. Peter Crouch, on as a substitute, had a shot well blocked by McShane. The ball spun towards Mame Diouf in space but the former Manchester United striker headed well wide. | Arnautovic made a mess of a volley at the back post before Shawcross’s low side-footed shot was well gathered by McGregor in the Hull goal. Peter Crouch, on as a substitute, had a shot well blocked by McShane. The ball spun towards Mame Diouf in space but the former Manchester United striker headed well wide. |
| Charlie Adam was Hughes’s final throw of the dice and his first involvement was to fire in a vicious shot from 25 yards that McGregor did well to push over. Crouch almost capitalised when McGregor pushed Bojan’s cross-shot into his path but the goalkeeper again reacted quickly to snatch away the chance. | Charlie Adam was Hughes’s final throw of the dice and his first involvement was to fire in a vicious shot from 25 yards that McGregor did well to push over. Crouch almost capitalised when McGregor pushed Bojan’s cross-shot into his path but the goalkeeper again reacted quickly to snatch away the chance. |
| It was starting to look like it would not be Stoke’s day until they got a stroke of fortune with seven minutes left. Bojan’s cross was fired against the post by Phil Bardsley. The ball hit McGregor and Shawcross forced the ball in. The referee waited for the touchline technology to confirm it had crossed the line. The overriding feeling for Hughes was relief. | |
| “We needed to show quality, guile and understanding of what was required and we didn’t do that to a great extent,” said the Stoke manager. “We’re an honest group and we know we can do better than we did. We were a little bit out of sorts but took something out of the game.” | “We needed to show quality, guile and understanding of what was required and we didn’t do that to a great extent,” said the Stoke manager. “We’re an honest group and we know we can do better than we did. We were a little bit out of sorts but took something out of the game.” |
| Man of the match Allan McGregor (Hull City) | Man of the match Allan McGregor (Hull City) |