Hull always knew that, sooner or later, they would lose a Premier League game but no one can say that Sergej Jakirovic’s team did not do everything in their power to try and delay that inaugural top tier defeat. After conceding two goals in the opening seven minutes Hull could easily have folded but Jakirovic’s promoted players are made of sterner stuff than that. Tellingly, they also sensed the fragility of a gifted but injury hit and extremely youthful Newcastle.
Once Matthias Jaissle was forced into switching to an un-loved three at the back system and Mohamed-Ali Cho narrowed the scoreline, the visitors assumed control and it almost seemed a minor miracle that Newcastle clung on for an ultimately morale boosting victory. Jaissle had harsh words for his players following last Monday’s 4-1 defeat at Leeds and, initially at least, it seemed they exerted the desired effect. Sure enough, the game had barely begun before Joe Willock lashed the ball beyond Konstantinos Tzolakis.
Three minutes were on the clock and it was only the third goal Hull’s £20m Greece goalkeeper had conceded since arriving from Olympiacos during the summer. That opening goal arrived after John Egan blocked Willock’s initial shot but Hull’s subsequent failure to clear, permitted Harvey Barnes to pick out a midfielder retrieved from the St James’ Park deep freeze by Jaissle. Four minutes later Barnes was once again the creator as he exchanged passes with the excellent Lewis Hall before the left-back newly recalled to the England squad swept the crispest of shots low into the bottom corner.
Significantly, it had all begun with Hall dispossessing Oli McBurnie deep in Newcastle’s half. Tino Livramento, too, was included in Thomas Tuchel’s latest squad on Friday but the right-back’s chances of joining up with England receded when a hamstring injury collected in training ruled him out here. Livramento was one of eight senior Newcastle players absent through injury but, undeterred, Jaissle’s starting XI were delighting in a spot of tiger taming.
Yet as much as Jakirovic’s side struggled to second guess the dynamic Willock and the impressive 18-year-old Sean Steur in the home midfield, they were not subdued entirely. Indeed Hull came close to reducing the deficit when Sorba Thomas was inches away from turning in a Matt Crooks cross at the near post. When deep in first half stoppage time Thomas tripped over his own feet and ended up hauling the advancing Jacob Murphy back by an ankle, a penalty was awarded.
Yoane Wissa stepped up to the spot but saw his rather under-powered kick saved smartly by Tzolakis. Jaissle’s bench included five academy players including the winger Kyran Thompson, a first year scholar who only left school in the summer, but when midway through the second half Newcastle’s manager finally made a change, he introduced the 34-year-old Fabian Schär in place of a tiring Steur. This change prompted a switch to a back three, featuring Schär in the sweeping role.
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