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Edge of the seat tension was palpable as Steve Bruce’s Hull City entertained champions Cardiff City at the KC stadium, knowing a win was necessary for automatic promotion to the Premier League next season. And what a match it turned out to be as the home fans were treated to a roller-coaster of an afternoon on the last day of the regular Championship season.
Cardiff, having already secured an automatic promotion by virtue of winning the Championship, were in no mood to show any favour to the Tigers by displaying a disciplined performance and made the whole Hull City fraternity wait for what looked like an eternity by earning a 2-2 draw with ten men. The result could have turned into a nightmare for the Yorkshire club had it not been for bitter rivals Leeds who struck late on to win 2-1 at Gianfranco Zola‘s Watford who needed to win to pip Hull for an automatic promotion place.
Hull fans and their Egyptian owners must have thought that all the good early season work would be undone as the team failed to secure those elusive three points against three bottom clubs in the last three games, which all finished goalless and their quest to secure only the second promotion into the big league in the club’s 109-year history entered into the last day of the season. For the whole of 90 minutes and beyond, a roaring and colourful KC stadium on a beautiful early summer sunshine had to endure the most nervy moments in its history.
Hull’s lack of goals and cutting edge in front of the opposition goal were very much evident as the home side endured a frustrating opening half with champions Cardiff coming close on a few occasions, as Korean Kim Bo-Kyung looking particularly dangerous for the Welsh outfit. With news coming in from Vicarage Road in London, about 200 miles from Hull, that Brian McDermott’s Leeds have taken the lead meant the Tiger fans were happy enough even though it seemed their team were relying too much on favours from others rather than doing the necessary work themselves on the pitch.
The start of the second half suddenly changed the boisterous mood inside the stadium as hope was slowly turning into one of utter disappointment. Malky Mackay brought in former Hull hero Fraizer Campbell at the start of the second half and the striker made an instant impact by latching on to a fine Kim pass before producing a clever finish past David Stockdale in the Hull goal. And with news coming in that Watford had levelled just before the first half, which saw considerable delay due to a horrendous injury to the Hornets’ stand-in keeper Jonathan Bond, meant Hull had to do something quickly to lift the spirits of the raucous home faithful.
Steve Bruce leads a Championship side into the Premier League again
Substitute striker Nick Proschwitz missed a sitter right after Cardiff scored as Steve Bruce’s dream of being involved in a third Premier League promotion feat in his managerial career was getting derailed. Proschwitz, signed in the summer from SC Paderborn 07 in the German second division, made amends for his miss by bundling home from close range from a Stephen Quinn cross just before the hour mark. With Leeds holding off Watford in London, KC Stadium was once again filled with belief and the home fans went into delirium as veteran of Hull’s last involvement in the Premier League in 2010, Paul McShane connected from a fine Robbie Brady corner to give them a deserved lead in the 63rd minute. Brady looked the most influential of all the home players along with Egyptian Ahmed Elmohamady and 35-year-old Senegalese defender Abdoulaye Faye who looked like a rock in the Tigers’ defence, although his handball late in the game nearly turned disaster until Leeds came up with the rescue act.
With Hull 2-1 up and the home fans sensing the proximity of the dream, Cardiff were reduced to 10 men late in the game with full back Andrew Taylor seeing a second yellow card. Proschwitz had a golden chance from the penalty spot to ward off all the tensions inside the ground after David Meyler was fouled inside the area but David Marshall saved well to prolong the agony. When seconds later substitute Nicky Maynard buried Cardiff’s spot kick after Faye was adjudged to have handled the ball, Steve Bruce, his players and the whole of Hull had a sense of disbelief written all over their faces with the match between Watford and Leeds locked at 1-1 with 16 minutes still to be played at Vicarage Road due to all the injuries there.
Hull knew that with their 2-2 draw against Cardiff a Watford goal would mean the Hornets pipping them for the last automatic promotion place. But considering all the ebb and flow of a dramatic afternoon, Hull’s season was salvaged by their Yorkshire rivals as Ross McCormack’s late goal put paid to Watford’s chances as they had to settle for a play-off spot and would need to qualify for next season’s Premier League via the difficult road of the play-offs.
“I’ve never experienced anything like that,” Steve Bruce, the former Manchester United defender and architect of Birmingham City‘s promotion in 2002 and 2007. “They put us through the wringer. Watford pushed us all the way but it was our day.”
Only the Championship season could have a finale like this and it is testament to the tough competitive environment of English football.
Champions (and promotion): Cardiff City
Promoted: Hull City
Play-offs: Watford, Brighton, Crystal Palace, Leicester
Relegated: Peterborough, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Bristol City.
