Hull City 1-1 Watford: FLW report as late Hornets strike denies Ruben Selles perfect Tigers start

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·11 December 2024

Hull City 1-1 Watford: FLW report as late Hornets strike denies Ruben Selles perfect Tigers start

FLW report live from the MKM Stadium

Hull City kickstarted the Ruben Selles era with a 1-1 draw with play-off hopefuls Watford at the MKM Stadium.

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After being installed as Tim Walter's replacement last Friday, despite City being unable to lift themselves off the bottom of the Championship, the Spaniard was able to end a run of six consecutive defeats in his first game in charge.

Chris Bedia looked as if he'd given the Tigers a first victory since October 1st as he deflected home Marvin Mehlem's effort on 82 minutes, before Hornets substitute Rocco Vatta levelled matters just five minutes later.

Hull City begin Ruben Selles era with Watford draw

After the new head coach was greeted with a heroes' welcome inside the MKM, Selles' new chargers looked for the best possible start as Abu Kamara found acres of space to pick out Ryan Longman inside the box within the first minute, but the wide man's effort was no trouble for Daniel Bachmann.

Ivor Pandur then had a heart-in-mouth moment as his pass almost sold Sean McLoughlin short. However, former City man Tom Ince was unable to capitalise, with the ball cleared in the nick of time.

The Hornets' first meaningful effort of the night came after 10 minutes through Yasser Larouci's energy on the left flank, with a smart cross falling at the feet of his wing-back counterpart Jeremy Ngakia, before Ryan Giles stood up to his powerful effort.

Giorgi Chakvetadze was the next to try his luck with a speculative effort. Whilst this is something we've come to expect from the Georgian, this attempt was always rising high and wide of Pandur's net.

A wicked delivery from Kamara then saw Regan Slater glance a header goalbound, but the Hull midfielder could only watch his effort drift wide of the mark, before Giles saw a low drive sting Bachmann's palms.

Tensions slightly boiled over after 35 minutes after a coming together between Imran Louza and Kasey Palmer, with both midfielders going into Lee Doughty's book after a moment of 'handbags'.

With five minutes to go before the break, Hull captain Lewie Coyle surged forward and found Slater out wide, with the midfielder's cutback falling to Joao Pedro, who found a brick-wall of Watford defenders between his effort and goal.

Cleverley's side looked to swing the momentum in their favour in the final seconds of the half, as Chakvetadze evaded Coyle with ease, but his cutback was sent wide by Vakoun Bayo.

The first effort of the second period then fell to the instinctive Chakvetade, who maneuvered superbly around the onrushing Pedro to allow time and space for yet another curling effort which had Pandur on red alert.

Hull then broke immediately, with Slater finding time to pick out an array of men in Black and Amber inside the box, with Longman once again unable to convert from yards out.

Palmer then threaded a lovely ball through to Pedro after the Italian sprung the offside trap, but his shot across Bachmann was well saved by the Austrian.

After failing to connect with an effort of his own making on 62 minutes, Longman was denied from close range just moments after, seeing his header fall straight at Bachmann after a teasing cross from Coyle.

Just a minute after his introduction, Mason Burstow was the next to be foiled by the Hornets keeper, as Bachmann spread himself superbly to deny a curling effort after more creative guile from Palmer.

With time beginning to run out, Kamara then saw a fizzing effort deflect wide of the mark, but Hull would eventually get the fortune their efforts deserved with eight minutes remaining.

The aforementioned Kamara's cross took a deflection off Mattie Pollock, diverting it into the path of the onrushing Marvin Mehlem, and the German's effort deflected in off fellow substitute Chris Bedia, cue bedlam inside the home sections of the MKM.

However, it would only last for five minutes as two of Cleverley's substitutes combined to produce a late equaliser.

Kwadwo Baah was given the freedom of the right-hand side, and so was Rocco Vata in the middle of the box to convert home the cutback with ease past the onlooking Pandur for his first goal in Watford colours.

The remainder of the encounter fizzled out into what was a fair result, with Hull still bottom ahead of a weekend trip to Coventry City, whilst Watford remain on the coattails of the top-six after salvaging a late point.