Hull close in on play-off final with victory over Derby

Championship play-off semi-final, first leg, iPro Stadium – Derby County 0 Hull City 3 (Hernandez 30, Shackell 40 (og), Robertson 90).

Hull City took a massive leap towards the Championship play-off final with a 3-0 victory over Derby County at the iPro Stadium.

A first-half strike by Abel Hernandez and a Jason Shackell own goal gave Steve Bruce’s side a two-goal lead at half-time. Andrew Robertson struck late in injury-time at the end of the match to put the final nail in Derby’s play-off dream.

Darren Wassall’s charges began in a determined matter but were unable to find the opening goal, despite their dominance.

Instead it was Hull who broke the deadlock on the half-hour mark when Hernandez scored his 22nd goal of the season with a strike from 20 yards. Scott Carson was left flat footed and disappointed he didn’t get near it.

Abel Hernandez scores the first goal for Hull - Reuters

The Rams have only achieved promotion through the play-offs once in five attempts and their luck showed no signs of changing when Hull doubled their advantage in extremely fortuitous circumstances on 40 minutes. 

Moses Odubajo’s shot took a wicked deflection off Jason Shackell, wrong-footing Carson and ending up in the back of the net.

Derby rarely troubled the visitors in the second period and goalkeeper Eldin Jakupovic – standing in for the injured Allan McGregor – had just two shots to save during the contest with both coming in the final 15 minutes.

As their desperation grew, the hosts pushed men forward in search of a goal but were left licking their wounds when Robertson scored with a breakaway goal after eight minutes of injury-time.

The win means Derby will have a huge task to reach the final, which is likely to be against Sheffield Wednesday after their 2-0 victory over Brighton on Friday, when the sides meet again on Tuesday at the KC Stadium.

TALKING POINT

Hull City’s first choice goalkeeper Allan McGregor had to pull out of the match just before kick-off, forcing Steve Bruce to hand the gloves to Eldin Jakupovic. But Darren Wassall will be furious that his side rarely tested the Bosnian goalkeeper. When Tom Ince finally landed a tame shot on target, Jakupovic made a meal of it. 

Is there any way back for Derby? The statistics aren’t in their favour. No side in the Championship play-offs has ever overturned a two-goal deficit in the second-leg to reach the final - never mind a three-goal deficit. It seems almost impossible to imagine Hull throwing away such a lead when the two sides meet again on Tuesday. Derby’s best chance has come and gone, it seems.

MAN OF THE MATCH

Abel Hernandez (Hull City): The visitors were under the cosh before the Uruguay forward struck from distance to give his side the lead. If Hull are to achieve promotion, his 22 goals will have greatly contributed to their success.

Hull City's Abel Hernandez celebrates scoring his side's first goal of the game - PA Photos

PLAYER RATINGS

Derby: Carson 5, Christie 5, Bryson 6, Keogh 5, Martin 5, Russell 5, Shackell 5, Johnson 5, Hughes 5, Ince 5, Olsson 5. Subs: Bent N/A, Butterfield 6, Blackman 5. 

Hull: Jakupovic 5, Odubajo 7, Dawson 6, Davies 6, Robertson 7, Huddlestone 7, Livermore 7, Elmohamady 7, Snodgrass 8, Diame 7, Hernandez 8. Subs: Bruce N/A, Clucas N/A, Akpom N/A. 

KEY MOMENTS

24’ - OVER! Olsson does brilliantly well to control the ball inside the penalty area, he lays it off for Martin who can't keep his shot down. Darren Wassall will be pleased with how his side have played so far.

30’ - GOAL! Derby 0-1 Hull City - Hernandez scores his 22nd goal of the season to put the visitors in front and what a finish too! He gathers the ball in the centre of the park and from 20 yards, he drills the ball into the bottom corner. Scott Carson gets nowhere near it and he'll be disappointed - he should have done better.

37’ - CLOSE! The ball breaks for Diame in the penalty area but his shot goes inches wide of the bottom corner of the goal. Steve Bruce holds his head - he knows how big of an opportunity that is.

40’ - GOAL! Derby 0-2 Hull City - The visitors take a massive lead in this contest as they score the most fortuitous of goals. Odubajo has few options so he goes for goal, it takes a wicked deflection off Shackell, wrong foots Carson and lands in the back of the net.

Andrew Robertson celebrates scoring the third goal for Hull with team mates - Reuters

73’ - CHANCE! Keogh delivers a free-kick into the penalty area, Martin's flick-on finds Christie but he can't keep his header down. What an opportunity. Time is running out for the hosts.

80’ - CHANCE! Derby force Jakupovic into another save but he makes hard work of this one as he fails to hold onto a tame shot by Ince and Hull are able to clear the danger.

88’ - CHANCE! Elmohamady breaks into the penalty area and smashes the ball into the side netting. That would have been game, set and match if it had crept in.

90’+8 - GOAL! Derby 0-3 Hull City - It's the final nail in the coffin for Derby's play-off dreams as Robertson slots in the visitors' third of the match. The Rams had a corner but it was poor and Hull launched a counter attack which has culminated in the killer goal.

KEY STAT

Abel Hernandez has now scored in each of his last four games for Hull (four goals).

MATCH IN A TWEET