Meyler strike helps Hull to win over Hudderfield
15:03, 15 Dec 2012
Hull 2 Huddersfield 0
Hull consolidated their position as npower Championship promotion contenders with a dominant victory over Huddersfield at the KC Stadium.
Steve Bruce's men bossed it from the off and Robert Koren's eighth-minute effort and David Meyler's second goal in two games made sure of the points.
Koren's fifth of the season got the ball rolling when he finished an impressive move from close range and that looked like being the Tigers' only reward as Jack Hobbs missed a glaring opportunity late in the first half when he headed wide. Jay Simpson was a constant threat throughout the encounter and Meyler hit the bar at the death.
But Meyler atoned for his previous miss by rolling the ball into an empty net in injury time following good work by Simpson.
The win makes it three in a row for the Tigers, who look set to be embroiled in a promotion challenge in the second half of the campaign, though their afternoon was soured when Alex Bruce saw red after full-time for a clash with Alan Lee.
On this showing, Huddersfield could well be in a battle at the other end of the table as they rarely looked like scoring and even the return from injury of on-loan striker Jermaine Beckford failed to spring them into action.
Simon Grayson's charges are now without a win in six and their dalliance at the top end of the division earlier on in the season now seems a distant memory.
The Tigers returned to the KC with back-to-back away wins under their belt following successes at Nottingham Forest and Watford and they made a flying start back on home soil.
After settling the quickest they raced into an eighth-minute lead with a fine move. Robbie Brady set Stephen Quinn free down the left and the former Sheffield United man produced an inviting cross for Koren to slide the ball home from eight yards.
But Hull were unable to maintain their early zest and with the Terriers beginning to see more of the ball, the game turned into a scrappy encounter with little quality.
Bruce's men had a late first-half resurgence, though, and should have been further ahead, but Hobbs inexplicably headed wide from Brady's delivery from just five yards and then Koren had another effort blocked.
The home side's domination carried on after the break as well and Alex Smithies had to palm a Brady cross-shot around the post while Simpson and Ahmed Elmohamady both put efforts off target.
They continued to look the more dangerous, with Simpson having another shot blocked and then mis-kicking after fine wing play by Elmohamady.
Huddersfield had plenty of possession, but did little with it and brought on Beckford after an absence of five games in an attempt to create more.
It was Hull that were getting into the dangerous positions, though, but they struggled to find the killer ball that would put the game to bed.
Meyler then hit the bar before making sure at the death from close range as it kicked off after the full-time whistle with Alex Bruce flooring Lee and seeing red.