MY ACCOUNT
Michael Carrick secured a first victory as Middlesbrough manager with a 3-1 win at Hull, who are reportedly close to recruiting Liam Rosenior as new head coach.
Highly-rated Rosenior, a favourite in East Yorkshire during his playing days, watched from the stands as the Tigers slipped to another home defeat.
Chuba Akpom’s 30th-minute header put Boro in control before Cyrus Christie equalised for the hosts on the hour.
Just when Hull had looked like building momentum, Tobias Figueiredo scored a soft own goal three minutes later.
An away win was then confirmed when Ryan Giles beat Nathan Baxter at his near post with the aid of an 80th-minute deflection off Christie, who was also credited with an own goal.
Rosenior no doubt left the MKM Stadium with plenty to ponder as Hull are just a point above the Sky Bet Championship relegation zone.
It was, though, a significant victory for Carrick as Boro moved up to 18th.
Middlesbrough were good value for three points and had the game’s first big chance after 12 minutes when Isaiah Jones teed up Akpom on the edge of the penalty area. Akpom had time and space but struck wide.
Carrick had identified a weakness on Hull’s left and urged his players to exploit that perceived fallibility.
It worked, too, as Boro scored in an almost identical position to which Jones was earlier seen to good effect.
Tommy Smith’s ferocious deep cross might have tested the resilience of weaker forwards, but Akpom bravely headed home.
Akpom, on loan at Hull from Arsenal in 2015-16, refused to celebrate.
Hull’s plight could have worsened eight minutes later when Giles let one fly from the left.
Baxter spilled a routine save, but he at least had the wherewithal to scoop the ball to safety with his right leg.
Carrick would have been happy at the break but far less impressed by the lackadaisical manner in which Hull were allowed to create their first meaningful chance soon after the restart.
Christie was gifted an easy cross from the right, from which leading scorer Oscar Estupinan did well to volley towards goal. Zack Steffen reacted smartly to tip over the crossbar.
Even weaker defending then led to Christies’s equaliser when he waltzed, unmarked, into the penalty box. The full-back’s shot was scuffed but it took a huge deflection over Steffen’s head.
Carrick will have been furious by such a cheap concession, but it was nothing compared to how Hull interim head coach Andy Dawson must have felt a few minutes later.
The Tigers feebly dealt with Jones’ cross towards the back post, from where Darragh Lenihan headed across goal. Figueiredo lacked the spatial awareness to prevent the ball from rebounding off his legs and into the back of the net.
Hull at least tried to get back into the game, but there was no way back once Christie was adjudged to have scored another own goal.
