Hull 0, Birmingham City 1: Colin Tattum's big match verdict
Sep 21 2009 by Colin Tattum, Birmingham Mail
Blues showed the resilience, discipline and pride that helped dig them out of the Championship last season when Hull had their moments.
But most of the moments came from Blues, with Benitez running amok.
They thoroughly deserved the win and it came about not through grinding away, through pure attrition. No, McLeish is not of the seek and destroy school of football, he’s more pass and play and precision. That’s how Blues performed here, again.
It is frustrating, and potentially concerning, that there is not more of an end product, that there is not more sheer athleticism and vitality the other, more well-established clubs can boast. But that’s what McLeish is working towards as a longer-term venture, hopefully with plenty of Far East help.
Benitez deserved his first Premier League start and had the lone striker detail in a 4-5-1.
After slipping away from Kamil Zayatte cleverly and bringing the first of many saves out of Myhill in the 11th minute, it set the tone for his performance, and Blues’ keenness to make the running and not sit and soak it up.
Stuart Parnaby, with a well-timed block, and Teemu Tainio, scooping away from the feet of Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink in the nick of time after a lax palm away by Joe Hart, stopped likely goals.
But Blues were better value in the first half and left Hull subdued and scrambling for half-an-hour of the second. Zayatte was lucky not to turn a Gary McSheffrey cross into his own goal – the ball only just spun up over the crossbar – and Myhill beat out Lee Bowyer’s hooked attempt from a few yards’ distance.
McLeish opted for 4-4-2 in the 62nd minute, an interesting call. McSheffrey came off, just as he was growing in influence, Fahey moved to the left and Bowyer wide right.
It didn’t disrupt Blues, just gave them even more potency as O’Connor and Benitez quickly tuned into the same wavelength.
It was from another skilful Benitez foray – he collected Roger Johnson’s clearing header, nutmegged Paul McShane and sped on – when Blues scored.
He was denied himself by Myhill’s reflexes equalling a fierce shot, but from the subsequent corner O’Connor swooped.
Hull sent seemingly everyone up in a salvage attempt at the end but Blues were not letting this one go.
Dann’s tackle that slammed through Stephen Hunt was typical of the determination, albeit Blues were fortunate that a penalty was not awarded.
There was another slice of luck in the 88th minute during a scramble when the ball bobbled up, round and about just yards from goal following a corner.
Ibrahima Sonko nodded it on to the bar but Blues frenetically managed to steer it away, through Tainio.
Had Hull equalised, it would have been rough justice. Blues needed this victory, and they thoroughly earned it.
