Hull maintain strong start at Stoke as Cardiff stun Sunderland

Stoke 1-3 Hull

Hull City kept up their brilliant start to the Championship season, cruising to a 3-1 win over Stoke City at the bet365 Stadium - their first away H2H victory since January 2006. 

A tepid start was broken up by an injury to Stoke striker Tyrese Campbell, who was eventually replaced after suffering an apparent hamstring problem. Meanwhile, Hull were struggling to get to grips with the game, but they did have a half-chance in the opening 15 minutes when Adama Traoré fired over from 25 yards.

Potters midfielder Daniel Johnson, who scored in midweek, found space to fire a shot wide in Stoke’s best opportunity in the first quarter of the fixture.

Hull had failed to score on their last two visits to Stoke, but that was about to change, as with the game drifting, the Tigers broke the deadlock from out of nowhere. Jaden Philogene got the better of Ben Wilmot after running onto a long ball, and he squared the ball to find Aaron Connolly to bundle home the opener.

In the blink of an eye, Liam Rosenior’s men made it two when goalkeeper Ryan Allsop launched a long ball forward to Connolly down the left, his shot was blocked, but Traoré pounced to fire into the net with a devastating finish.

Wesley had the first opportunity of the second period as Stoke attempted to get back into the game, but the Brazilian could only place his header into the safe hands of Allsop.

Minutes later, the Hull stopper was called into action again from a Wesley swivel and shot which he also managed to palm away.

Far from sitting on their two-goal lead, Hull went on the attack and introduced Liam Delap and Scott Twine from the bench, a decision that would pay dividends as the lead grew to three. A flowing passing move got the Tigers to the edge of the area where Regan Slater picked up a loose ball and fired home via a wicked deflection.

Stoke picked up a consolation goal thanks to André Vidigal’s low strike, but it wasn’t enough to trouble Hull who extended their unbeaten run to seven league games and climbed into the top-four as a result.

Pressure is growing on Alex Neil though, with the Potters winless in five Championship outings and just two points clear of the relegation zone.

Flashscore Man of the Match: Aaron Connolly (Hull City) 

Sunderland 0-1 Cardiff

Cardiff City extended their unbeaten away record at the Stadium of Light to three matches, following a somewhat fortuitous 1-0 victory against Sunderland.

Seeking their first home H2H victory since April 2014, Sunderland began assertively, as on-loan Chelsea forward Mason Burstow headed Alex Pritchard’s enticing cross straight at visiting goalkeeper Jak Alnwick.

That early chance gave the hosts an appetite for forward momentum, and they again came close to netting the game’s opening goal shortly on the quarter-hour mark, as Jobe Bellingham sent another header towards goal that was well dealt with by Alnwick.

Despite being victorious in three of their previous four expeditions to the Stadium of Light, in a run that included back-to-back victories on their previous two visits, a recently rejuvenated Cardiff outfit surprisingly failed to produce any threat to Anthony Patterson in the Sunderland goal, throughout a frustrating first half for them in the final third.

Beginning where they left off at the end of the opening 45 minutes, Sunderland continued to bombard their overwhelmed visitors with potential goalscoring opportunities, as Alex Pritchard saw his ambitious long-range effort well-saved by Alnwick.

However, despite the introduction of attacking assets Patrick Roberts, Adil Aouchiche and Luís Semedo from the home dugout, with the former two substitutions being denied by an inspired Alnwick.

And unbelievably, in a smash-and-grab fashion, Cardiff stole the points with three minutes left in regular time, as Mark McGuinness made his way up from the back to head home Ryan Wintle’s corner.

The victory extends Cardiff’s unbeaten record in the Championship to three matches, ahead of a midweek third-round EFL Cup clash against fellow second-tier side Blackburn Rovers. Meanwhile, Sunderland miss the chance to move up to fourth position in the table after suffering their first defeat in six matches.

Flashscore Man of the Match: Jak Alnwick (Cardiff City)