by Sam Hawcroft
Photos courtesy of Hull City/Dave Lofthouse
Hull City 2, Norwich City 1
Hull City sealed their place in the play-offs on one of the most dramatic final days the Championship has produced in recent years, coming from behind to beat Norwich City in front of a sun-soaked, sold-out MKM Stadium.
After a wobble in the closing weeks that had seen them slip from outsiders for automatic promotion to dropping out of the top six, the equation was simple enough – win, and they were almost certainly there. (There were endless permutations; none of which matter a jot now.)
Derby County and Wrexham were the only sides who could deny the Tigers, but as events unfolded elsewhere, it became clear this would be a day decided as much by nerve as by football.
The atmosphere reflected it. Nearly 25,000 packed in, the noise constant from kick-off as supporters were urged to play their part – and they did.
City started positively, Liam Millar whipping in an early cross that nearly reached Oli McBurnie, but there were early warning signs from elsewhere as Derby struck inside five minutes against Sheffield United. Pressure, whether the Tigers knew it or not, was already building.
Chances were at a premium in the opening stages, though Norwich showed they had not come to simply make up the numbers. Kellen Fisher forced Ivor Pandur into a low save from distance, while Mohamed Belloumi saw a penalty appeal waved away as City tried to establish control.
Pandur was then alert to race out and smother before the advancing Mohamed Touré, but the warning signs were there – and on 27 minutes they were punished. Ben Slimane chipped a perfect ball over the City back line and Touré ran on to it, poking past Pandur to silence the home crowd.
However, the response was immediate – within two minutes City were level.
Joe Gelhardt was brought down in the box by Ruairi McConville and the decision was straightforward. McBurnie stepped up and calmly sent Vladan Kovačević the wrong way to make it 1–1.
It lifted the place instantly. News filtered through that Wrexham were back in their game, but Derby still held the advantage as things stood.
City pushed for a second before the break, Matt Crooks heading wide from a Belloumi delivery, but Norwich remained a threat and refused to roll over, pressing and harrying throughout.
The second half began in the same vein. Millar again looked to pick out McBurnie but was denied by Kovačević, while at the other end Slimane headed over from a good position. It remained finely balanced – one goal either way felt decisive.
McBurnie came close to providing it in the 52nd minute, meeting a Millar free kick but seeing his effort pushed wide by an excellent save.
Changes followed on the hour, Kieran Dowell and Kyle Joseph introduced, and almost simultaneously came a huge roar from the stands – Derby had been pegged back to 1–1.
The equation was shifting again, and the crowd responded.
From that moment, the noise rarely dipped.
City forced a corner on 65 minutes, Joseph heading over, and then, two minutes later, the breakthrough arrived.
A free kick from Lewie Coyle was flicked on by Crooks and McBurnie swept the ball home from close range. Was it offside? Who cares. The stadium erupted. It was truly fitting that it would be the big bearded striker who’d bag the brace on today of all days – and with 17 goals, he finished second-top in the Championship behind Zan Vipotnik.
Moments later, another surge of noise – Derby were now behind. Now it was in City’s hands.
The final stages were played out to a backdrop of constant chanting from the North and East Stands. The visitors, to their credit, kept pushing, but City held firm.
McBurnie had a speculative effort gathered by Kovačević, while at the other end Paddy McNair produced a vital interception to snuff out danger.
Six minutes of added time were signalled but then came the moment that effectively sealed it. Full-time at Wrexham: 2-2. Another roar, louder than any before it.
Still, there was time for one final scare. Norwich won a corner deep into stoppage time, bodies forward, but Pandur rose to claim it cleanly, to a cheer as loud as a goal being scored..
Seconds later, at last, the whistle went.
Relief turned to celebration in an instant, and then to chaos as fans spilled on to the pitch despite vain pleas from announcer Steve Jordan to stay off. It may “only” have been a play-off place, but after flirting with relegation just a season ago, this felt like something far bigger, and can you really blame the fans for wanting to have their moment?
There has been plenty of talk this season about Hollywood. But when it mattered most, it was Hullywood who stole the limelight.
Attendance: 24,616