Hull City put on an impressive performance, but their hopes were dashed in the dying moments of added time. Southampton managed to secure a 2-1 victory at Hull City’s home ground, thanks to a stoppage-time goal by substitute Ryan Fraser.
With just about 10 seconds remaining out of the five added minutes, Ryan Fraser delivered a stunning winning goal, leaving Hull City without a home victory since the opening match of the season. This loss came despite their commendable display throughout the game.
Although Hull City’s winless streak at home has now reached five games, this match was arguably their best performance of the season, especially considering they were up against a team that played in the Premier League last season. However, it served as a harsh lesson on the importance of capitalizing on scoring opportunities.
Will Smallbone, who was a summer transfer target for Hull, put Southampton ahead 20 minutes into the game, despite Hull City’s promising start. Hull City responded brilliantly when Delapn scored his third goal of the season from close range.
The second half saw both teams trading blows, but Hull City carried a greater threat. Despite their encouraging play, they couldn’t find the winning goal, with Delap missing a golden opportunity before Ryan Allsop made an excellent save to deny Smallbone a second goal. The winning goal by Fraser left both the home fans and players in disbelief.
Rosenior made two changes from the team that drew 2-2 against Millwall in the previous game, with Ruben Vinagre and Jason Lokilo coming in for Sean McLoughlin and Adama Traore, who both started on the bench. Ozan Tufan also made his return, and Lewie Coyle, wearing a Zorro-style mask, was back after missing the previous match due to a fractured eye socket.
Hull City had a few promising moments early in the game, with Philogene at the center of the action. However, it was Southampton who forced the first save within the first 10 minutes when Jones lost possession outside his box, allowing Smallbone’s shot to deflect and nearly loop over Allsop, who had to tip it onto the roof of the net.
In response, Hull City constructed a well-executed move that allowed Delap to get free in the box, but he took too long to shoot, and the angle closed down by the time he did. Their defensive weaknesses were exposed once more when Walker-Peters easily got past Philogene deep inside the box and set up Smallbone for the second goal after 20 minutes.
To their credit, Hull City didn’t dwell on the setback and managed to equalize within five minutes. Morton’s cross from the wide area found Lokilo, and after Philogene failed to connect, Delap was there to score from close range.
Hull City came close to taking the lead moments later when Philogene’s shot forced a save from Gavin Bazunu. However, Walker-Peters continued to trouble Vinagre and Philogene on the other end.
Despite their strong start in the second half, Hull City missed a chance to take the lead when Delap provided a cross for Philogene, but he couldn’t connect. Morton also lacked conviction from close range, resulting in an opportunity slipping away.
Hull City looked more likely to score, and Lokilo, in particular, posed a significant threat down the right. However, the game went from one end to the other, with Allsop making a terrific one-handed save to deny Carlos Alcaraz.
Rosenior made his first changes with Ozan Tufan and Lewie Coyle returning from injury to replace Twine and Christie, respectively. Lokilo’s impressive performance came to an end with 15 minutes left as Aaron Connolly replaced him.
Connolly’s powerful run created a great opportunity, but his cut-back pass was poor and easily handled by the goalkeeper. Allsop made an excellent save to deny Smallbone, and there was an intense scramble inside the box as Hull City defended their goal.
With nearly five minutes of added time played, Hull City’s lapse in concentration allowed Fraser to score unmarked from close range, sealing an unexpected 2-1 victory for Southampton. Now, Rosenior’s team must regroup and prepare for their next match against Birmingham on Wednesday night.
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