by William Young, To Hull and Back podcast
The Tigers got through Easter unbeaten and kept themselves inside the playoffs as well as within touching distance of the automatic playoffs with two very different draws against Oxford United and Coventry City.
First up on Good Friday was a trip to Oxford, where City gaffer Sergej Jakirović made five changes from the victory over Sheffield Wednesday before the international break, with keeper Dillon Phillips making his league debut.
The home side started brightly with Lankshear seeing a weak effort deflected into Phillips’ arms, the Tigers put themselves in front with their first real attack of the game, when Semi Ajayi sent a superb long ball out wide to Mo Belloumi, who cut inside and drilled a strike past Oxford keeper Cumming and into the net.
It was a great start from City, and it looked like they would go on to take control – but less than 10 minutes later, they were pegged back, when Charlie Hughes fouled Lankshear just inside the penalty area, awarding Oxford a spot kick, which Cameron Brannagan duly dispatched.
That leveller seemed to knock City’s confidence, as the Us took control – Lankshear missing a great chance with a header and Jamie Donley skying an effort, before City had a great chance to retake the lead when Belloumi played Kyle Joseph in, but his first-time effort was pushed behind by Cumming.
In the second half, Oxford looked to take control of the game, and basic errors from City allowed them to, with Michał Helik heading over and Brannagan forcing Phillips into a superb diving save from a piledriver from range. The Us continued to look the likelier side to win it, and missed a golden chance at the death when Mark Harris managed to put the ball wide when he had an open goal from six yards. A lacklustre City survived, and managed to take a point back to East Yorkshire.
So, on to Easter Monday – and a visit to the MKM Stadium of the league’s champions-elect, Coventry City. Sergej made five more changes from the draw with Oxford, with Toby Collyer making his first start, as well as Ivor Pandur returning in goal and Amir Hadžiahmetović making his first appearance since he qualified for the World Cup with Bosnia during the international break.
The Tigers started the game like a house on fire – pushing Coventry into their defensive third and piling the pressure on them, with Cody Drameh having a couple of efforts in quick succession go by while Amir and Gelhardt saw efforts at goal go wide, before a great chance for City came and went, when Coventry’s keeper, ex-Tiger Carl Rushworth, spilled a cross from Amir and the ball fell to John Egan at close range, who somehow was denied by a spectacular block on the line by Liam Kitching.
While City dominated the majority of the half, Coventry did slowly grow into it in the latter stages, with Victor Torp sending an effort wide before Matt Grimes saw his half-volley bobble harmlessly wide.
The second half was a much scrappier and tighter affair, and became ill-tempered at times, with the only real chance early on coming when Gelhardt headed a Millar cross into Rushworth’s gloves, and Oli McBurnie saw a back-post header also easily held by the Sky Blues’ keeper.
The visitors had a couple of half-chances too, with Jack Rudoni heading straight at Pandur and Ellis Simms blazing over from an angle, before a late strike over from Drameh and a McBurnie header wide in the closing stages brought the curtain down.
It was a tough, battling game, and City played superbly against champions-elect Coventry, having held them at bay in both meetings this season, and gave a performance that will definitely give confidence going into the final five games of the season. City are five points ahead of seventh, and four points behind second, and their final games are against sides either with little to play for or in a relegation fight.
A couple more results should cement their place in the playoffs, and then, who knows what awaits the Tigers?