Blackburn Rovers 0-1 Hull City: FLW report as dream Koumas debut sees Tigers past Rovers | OneFootball

FLW report from Ewood Park for this Championship fixture

Hull City recorded four Championship victories for the first time since November 2021 and moved into third with a crucial 1-0 victory over Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park.

Despite not being at their best against Valerien Ismael's relegation-threatened Rovers, the Tigers took all three points when Lewis Koumas marked his debut with the winner, less than 24 hours after his loan switch from Liverpool was confirmed.

Sergej Jakirovic's side were then able to see out the final nine-plus minutes to narrow the gap on the automatic promotion places with a third win in this part of East Lancashire in as many seasons.

Blackburn Rovers 0-1 Hull City

The promotion-chasing Tigers started the brighter of the two sides, with both Charlie Hughes and Amir Hadziahmetovic forcing Balazs Toth into smart saves, with the second of those coming from a tight angle.

Rovers striker, Yuki Ohashi, then mustered the hosts' first half-chance of the game as his close-range header deflected off Akin Famewo.

The Tigers continued to look dangerous on the left flank, with Regan Slater given time to fire a low effort which Toth could only parry into Oli McBurnie's path, before Slater saw a second effort eventually cleared away.

Midway through the first half, Ryoya Morishita had the beating of Akin Famewo after a swift break from the hosts, but Hughes was on hand to stop Ohashi from steering the ball towards goal. Morishita then saw a low drive well-blocked by Lewie Coyle.

Rovers' tails were well and truly up, with the City rearguard just about able to repel a low cross from Mathias Jorgensen, who was unable to pick out one of his teammates inside the box.

Ivor Pandur was called into action for the first time 13 minutes before the break, with the Croatian tipping an effort from Ryan Alebiousu past the post after the full-back was able to drift into a central shooting position. After breaking away from the resulting corner, Liam Millar was then denied his third of the season after a strong save from Toth in what was the last meaningful effort of the first period.

Joe Gelhardt provided the first effort of the second half as his effort deflected off Eiran Cashin following a smart break from the Tigers, although nothing would come from two subsequent corners.

A cheap giveaway from John Lundstram presented Ohashi with the chance to fizz a cross across the Hull box on 58 minutes, but neither Cantwel nor Jorgensen could connect. The Japanese forward continued to pile on the pressure just seconds later, with Pandur eventually able to gather his free header.

The hosts could have, again, broken the deadlock from the following chance as Jorgensen got in between Egan and Hughes to send a header of his own just over the crossbar. Five minutes later, yet another chance went begging for Ismael's side as substitute, Moussa Baradji, found space to squirm his close-range strike.

A well-worked move from Hull midway through the half eventually fell at the feet of Kieran Dowell, who fired a half-volley high and wide after bursting into the box.

With 13 minutes to go, an inch-perfect tackle from Lewis Miller denied McBurnie from turning home his 12th of the season after playing a one-two with Gelhardt, in what was the pair's final action of the match.

Despite being frustrated for the majority of the encounter, Hull would find the breakthrough nine minutes from time as Koumas rounded off a smart passing move to slot underneath the body of Toth with his first touch in City colours.

The roles were very nearly reversed with two minutes to go as Koumas' defence-splitting pass set Joseph away, but Toth was able to thwart the Hull striker.

City were then able to see out the final minutes to leapfrog Ipswich Town into third, and they could close the gap on the top two to just two points against Watford in midweek.

FT: Blackburn Rovers 0-1 Hull City

Player Ratings

Blackburn Rovers

Balazs Toth - 6

Ryan Alebiosu - 7 (Miller 46" - 6)

Connor O'Riordan - 6.5

Sean McLoughlin - 6.5

Eiran Cashin - 6.5

Sondre Tronstad - 7

Adam Forshaw - 7 (Baradji 57" - 6)

Ryoya Morishita - 7 (De Neve 66" - 6.5)

Todd Cantwell - 6.5

Mathias Jorgensen - 6.5

Yuki Ohashi - 6.5 (Gudjohnsen 66" - 6)

Unused Subs: N.Michalski, H.Carter, H.Pickering, K.Montgomery, A.Doherty

Hull City

Ivor Pandur - 7.5

Lewie Coyle - 7

John Egan - 7

Charlie Hughes - 7.5

Akin Famewo - 7.5 (Jacob 71" - 6)

John Lundstram - 6 (Hirakawa 61" - 6.5)

Regan Slater - 7

Joe Gelhardt - 6.5 (Koumas 77" - 7.5)

Amir Hadziahmetovic - 6.5

Liam Millar - 6.5 (Dowell 60" - 6.5)

Oli McBurnie - 6.5 (Joseph 77" - 7)

Unused Subs: D.Phillips, C.McCarthy, P.McNair, H.Parker

Valerien Ismael reacts as Blackburn Rovers defeated by Hull City

Reacting to his side's late defeat, Ismael said: "I don't know why it is so complicated.

"It's not about the performance, the desire, the mentality. What we have complain (about) is that we didn't take our chances.

"I think in the first half, with Ryan (Alebiosu), Mathias (Jorgensen), Yuki (Ohashi), a couple of others. At some point, you have to take those chances when you are dominant in a game like this," he added.

"You have to get the reward and to make sure you score a goal. All of a sudden, in the second half, from nothing, we conceded a goal.

"After that, late in the game, it's tough for the players. As I said, they are trying to give everything in the game."

Sergej Jakirovic reacts as Hull City see off Blackburn Rovers

Despite his side making it four successive wins, Jakirovic still had some mixed thoughts about the Tigers' performance.

"This is football. Sometimes you have a tactical plan, but I wasn't happy with our possession, especially in the first half.

"I think we started very well in the game. We had some good opportunities, maybe a lack of a good decision, and then we lost this in the middle of the half, and then Blackburn started to make pressure.

"I think we defended our box very well," Jakirovic explained. "Blackburn is first in the league for crossing and we controlled it, sometimes they would shoot.

"At half time we agreed we had problems with Ryoya Morishita, because he came inside in the pockets, and our midfield struggled with a 4 vs 3, and that was a problem with our centre-backs.

"This is the reason why we lost everything there, and in the second half we did that much better.

"Maybe Blackburn could have scored with two chances, and we could have with Kieran Dowell.

"Then Koumas scores. But, if someone asks you how we played, tomorrow, we won 1-0. That is what's most important," he stated.

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