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November 8, 2009
By GEOFF McALLISTER STATS European Football Writer=
LONDON (SE) - Phil Brown ensured he would remain in employment for at least another two weeks as Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink's injury time winner earned a much needed 2-1 victory over Stoke.
Newly appointed Hull chairman Adam Pearson detailed before the game how three points would be enough to guarantee Brown stayed in the Hull hot-seat for their Premier League home game against West Ham in a fortnight.
Matt Etherington's well taken opener for Stoke raised the pressure on the under-fire manager but Seyi Olofinjana levelled before Vennegoor of Hesselink's late heroics allowed Brown to breathe easy.
Brown said: "People can say what they want about what may or may not be happening at this football club but my players have put in a fantastic performance today.
"The importance of this result was for all to see and it has given everyone a lift. The dressing room is buzzing and we need to take this into the next game.
"Football is all about momentum, something we have not had for much of the year and you have to use wins as a springboard onto bigger and better things.
"We are still fighting and there is a long way to go in this Premier League season."
Hull began brightly with the reinstated Jimmy Bullard influential in the middle of the park and the former Fulham man went close with two shots in the first ten minutes.
Inspired by Bullard's ambition Hull pressed forward and further chances were created for Bernard Mendy, Jozy Altidore and Richard Garcia but neither could take the opportunity.
Such is the bad luck that runs at the foot of the table that it was cruelly predictable as Stoke took the lead against the run of play but in some distinct fashion.
Etherington burst forward to chase down a searching diagonal ball from Ryan Shawcross and with right-back Mendy caught short the left-winger was able to dispatch an emphatic finish past Matt Duke.
Altidore headed over for the hosts just before the break but moments after half-time Hull were fortunate not to go two down after Anthony Gardner nearly turned Etherington's cross into his own net only for Duke to make a fine reaction save.
That save proved crucial as Hull drew level with former Stoke midfielder Olofinjana receiving Stephen Hunt's pass sizing himself up and curling the ball into the top corner from 25 yards.
The Tigers awoke with renewed vigour and Craig Fagan should have snuck them into the lead when he was unable to scramble the ball home after Thomas Sorensen had denied Altidore.
Inside the last ten minute Shawcross hit the crossbar for the visitors but Hull were dealt a rare slice of luck when Stoke defender Abdoulaye Faye picked up a second yellow with eight minute remaining.
The pressure was applied and as Sorensen denied Bullard in the dying moments the ball broke kindly for Vennegoor of Hesselink to finish.
Stoke boss Tony Pulis said: "We have played very well this season away from home but on this occasion we were not at our best.
"The turning point was when the goalkeeper saved, had Matty's cross gone in we would have been two up and it might have been a different story."
Updated on Sunday, Nov 8, 2009 12:32 pm, EST Email to a Friend | View Popular
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