Post Match Reaction: Hull City 2-1 Derby County

We were ace for 25 minutes. As good as against Leicester, but in a different way. Direct, quick and honest. We scored a great goal early-ish, Woodhouse winning the ball, playing through France, Burgess, Brown and finally Elliott, who thumped home. We had other chances, played in plenty of crosses and had them on the rack. We played a good tempo, played high up the pitch, and barring one quick break following a poor France header, they weren't in it. Suddenly, for 5 minutes, it became Curtis Woodhouse vs. Derby County, and the following 55 was Garbage.

We stopped playing, no idea why. We were too deep. We let Johnson and Idiakez run the game, we struggled to pick up Peschi and John, and their wingers had free reign. Idiakez picked up EVERY goal kick and free kick off the back four and sprayed it about as he pleased. He did so for 75 minutes before someone even tried to kick him. If our manager saw it, he did nothing. After 35 mins we defended a free kick, Welsh went haring out of defence, arms waving, indicating for everyone to push up, when he looked around, it was just him and Brown.

They had what looked a good goal disallowed 5 minutes before they equalised. Cast Iron penalty after Cort brought down Johnson. Following our inner, they had another disallowed (form which Davies was sent off for his protests), Boaz made 2 good saves and Tudgay put two just wide. It was a battering.

Taylor attempted to stem the tide by swapping Burgess and Lynch for Green & Fagan and going 4-5-1 in an attempt to hold on to the point. Negative at best.

Bo had a good game, Lynch and Edge started OK but were forced further and further back. Cort did OK, Delaney defended well but like Lynch and Edge, distributed poorly. Elliott and France were great for 25, but got pushed further back and were rarely involved. Welsh and Woody had another good game, but sat further and further back. They really needed a voice behind them to keep pushing them on. Brown was outstanding again, despite the fussy ref pulling him up for most challenges. He gets 2 bonus points in the ratings for winning the game on his own. Against the run of play, he put pressure on a Derby defender, robbed him and was rugby tackled in the box. Green tucked it away. Burgess was a threat but then died away when the service did.

What looked likely to be our best performance in the Division turned into one of the poorest. Very disappointing. More disappointing that we never looked like we could turn it around. The manager had decided a point was enough, Is that good enough?

Ratings: Bo 7, Lynch 6 (Green), Edge 6 (Joseph), Cort 7, Delaney 6, France 6, Elliott 6, Woodhouse 8, Welsh 6, Brown 10, Burgess 6 (Fagan).

Must do better.