Hull 4-1 Cardiff (match report)

Good fast start from Cardiff with an early Thompson shot and a Chopra cross causing MyHill to tip wide - Loovens heading over from the corner. Hull City had been instructed by their chairman before the game to attack at all costs, and this they did forcing a corner and a blocked shot themselves in a frantic opening. Neil Alexander made a great save after Marney came inside Chris Gunter but Hull City took the lead from the resulting corner. No City players took responsibility, and Dean Marney met the ball unchallenged, the ball was blocked on the line by Kevin McNaughton but Damien Delaney was on hand to smash home for his first goal of the season.

Before Cardiff could catch their breath, they were 2 down. Loovens was slow to get to a loose ball and the ball came to Dean Marney who curled past Alexander to confirm a nightmare start for Cardiff. Hull were better all over the pitch as Flood and Scimeca barely got a touch and Hull were able to completely dictate the tempo.

On 36 minutes, the nightmare became a disaster as City failed with their offside trap and Craig Fagan dummied his way past Neil Alexander to put Hull 3-0 up and completely out of site and the bumper crowd were loving it. Poor Willo Flood was withdrawn soon afterwards, looking a forlorn figure as he limped off after waiting so long for his first Cardiff start and looked to have suffered another injury just 40 minutes into a dire first half for Cardiff City.

HT: Hull City 3-0 Cardiff City.
Taking nothing away from Hull, they were good but Cardiff City were abysmal.

Hull City did not set out to relax in the second half and despite improving slightly, Cardiff were still second best with Craig Fagan forcing 2 good saves from Alexander in the Cardiff goal.

On 56 minutes, Cardiff City got a goal back through MICHAEL CHOPRA who ends his goal drought (12th goal of season and 1st in 7) and gave City a glimmer or hope. Riccy Scimeca and Joe Ledley combined and Chopra went past Delaney to fire low past Myhill. The goal seemed to galvanise City somewhat and they looked livelier with a great knock-down by Thompson setting up Chopra whose shot hit Myhill and was deflected for a corner.

Hull however were not ready to sit back and defend and they continued to press and Hull duly got their 4th when Michael Bridges put himself about and worried Alexander into spilling a Craig Fagan cross-shot and Bridges turned the rebound in to re-establish Hull`s 3 goal lead.

Just a couple of minutes later Darren Purse`s frustration boiled over and he gave away a penalty after kicking out at Fagan which Stephen McPhee clipped lazily onto the bar and the rebound was blocked. An undeserved let-off for Cardiff after a rash reaction from captain Darren Purse.

Scimeca set up Chopra who almost got away but some frantic defending to deny the striker and then Paul Parry brought loud cheers from the delighted Hull crowd. And that was about it for a well beaten Cardiff side who were completely outplayed and put in a woeful performance. Gunter and Chopra came out of the game with some credit but needless bookings to Chopra and Glenn Loovens compounded a disastrous afternoon for the Bluebirds. 4-1 defeat and a missed penalty, it could even have been worse. All the good work at the start of the season is fast becoming undone for Cardiff and it was they, not Hull, who looked like the side sitting in the relegation zone.

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