West Ham 1-0 Hull

West Ham 1-0 Hull

Home team scorers
Mark Noble 76 Pen

Hull City produced a display of scintillating passing and movement, created an endless succession of chances and lost to West Ham in a result that leaves them bottom of the Premier League at Christmas.

A late, soft penalty gave the Hammers six points in a week. But the Tigers were left licking their wounds after dominating the match but failing to find the crucial finishing touch. It was the best kind of relegation form.

After edging to victory over Burnley on Wednesday night, Slaven Bilic opted to go with an unchanged side, which meant giving Andy Carroll a second straight start. For Hull, Mike Phelan made a single change to his forward line: Adama Diomande being replaced by Dieumerci Mbokani.

Hull may not have won in six games, and not scored away from home in two months, but they should have had this match wrapped up in the first half hour. After the game was allowed to begin at a tepid pace, Hull settled into their passing rhythm and kept finding the right ball to unpick West Ham’s midfield.

Robert Snodgrass had already scuffed his shot with only Darren Randolph to beat before Mbokani was handed an even better opportunity in the 21st minute. Aaron Cresswell had received the ball from Winston Reid facing his own goal and chose to return it to his keeper but woefully underhit the pass. Hull’s Congolese striker intercepted the ball and quickly dinked it over the advancing Randolph. He then watched helplessly as the ball span towards goal, hit the near post, bounced along the line and then out again.

It was a chance that a team in Hull’s position surely had to take, but within three minutes the had another as Harry Maguire connected forcefully with a Robert Snodgrass corner, forcing Randolph to scramble the ball wide. Another five minutes later and a sweet, smart break ended with Mbokani playing in Sam Clucas. Like Snodgrass earlier, the former Chesterfield man couldn’t get the ball under control and fired it well over the bar.

With Hull seeming unwilling to help themselves, West Ham offered their own assistance just before half time when Angelo Ogbonna attempted a clearance that only just went outside his own post.

In possession the Hammers were as uninspired as they were timid in defence. They lacked pace on the attack, but also appetite. A succession of corners, none of which were treated to Dmitri Payet’s finest delivery, put a deceptive sheen on an anaemic display. At the half-time whistle there were boos from around the ground. Later during the break there were ironic jeers when fans were invited to watch the highlights on the big screen.

Bilic made a double change for the second half, withdrawing Lanzini, who was once again lacking in influence, and Obiang, replacing them with Ayew and Fernandes. But the chances kept falling to Hull.

A powerful Andrew Robertson cross was turned onto his own post by Mark Noble’s diving header. Two minutes later Hull’s Scotland full-back went for goal himself only to see his 20-yard shot cannon off the other post. Harry Maguire had another header cleared off the line, Ogbonna made a last ditch tackle to deny Clucas and Snodgrass landed a 25-yard curler on the roof of the net. West Ham also saw the ball cleared off the line, Ayew’s header meeting Robertson’s right boot.

It was one of those games where Hull had so many good chances that sod’s law demanded they must lose. And so it came to pass when in the 75th minute, Tom Huddlestone was adjudged to have brought down Mikhail Antonio during a spot of penalty box ping pong. There was barely any contact, but there was enough. Noble stepped up for his second spot kick of the week and duly turned it home. Hull were bereft.

Guardian