Hull plunged back into relegation trouble as Sunderland end Marco Silva home run
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Updated 06/05/2017 at 21:43 GMT
Premier League, KCOM Stadium - Hull City 0, Sunderland 2 (Jones 69, Defoe 90+2)
Hull City's Senegalese striker Oumar Niasse (R) reacts after missing a chance during the English Premier League football match between Hull City and Sunderland
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Hull City were plunged back into relegation trouble as Sunderland ended Marco Silva's three-year unbeaten home record with a 2-0 win.
Silva had not lost a home league game since March 2017 when he was manager of Estoril, but saw his side come unstuck against an already-relegated Sunderland outfit.
Hull had won six of the last seven home games to give themselves a fighting chance of survival but only Jermain Defoe’s wastefulness in front of goal kept the hosts in the match before Alfred N’Diaye missed a glaring opportunity to tap into an open net.
Billy Jones then scored what turned out to be the decisive goal when he connected with John O'Shea's flick-on from a George Honeyman corner on 69 minutes. And Defoe finally made the result safe when he bundled in from close range in stoppage time despite appearing well offside.
It was just Sunderland's sixth win of a miserable season, with Hull later plunging into the bottom three after Swansea beat Everton in the late kick-off.
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Andrew Robertson of Hull City and Fabio Borini of Sunderland compete for the ball during the Premier League match between Hull City and Sunderland at the KCOM Stadium
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TALKING POINT
Was Markovic denied a penalty early in the second half? It certainly looked a close call when Victor Anichebe clumsily bundled him over in the box. It could have had a huge bearing on the result.
MAN OF THE MATCH
Jordan Pickford (Sunderland) Outlined his credentials as one of the most sought after keepers and pulled off two outstanding saves from Hernandez and Markovic to keep Hull out.
PLAYER RATINGS
Hull City: Jakupovic 7, Robertson 7, Maguire 6, Hernandez 7, N’Diaye 6, Clucas 7, Ranocchia 6, Grosicki 6, Niasse 6, Elmohamady 6, Markovic 7. SUBS: Mbokani 6, Huddlestone 6, Evandro 6.
Sunderland: Pickford 8, Jones 7, Denayer 6, Borini 6, O’Shea 7, Ndong 6, Defoe 7, Manquillo 7, Kone 6, Anichebe 6, Honeyman 7. SUBS: Larsson 7.
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Sunderland's English midfielder George Honeyman vies with Hull City's English midfielder Sam Clucas (R
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KEY MOMENTS
4’ – SUNDERLAND CLOSE! Jones crosses for Honeyman and his header flies just wide of Jakupovic’s post!
20’ – GOOD SAVE! Clucas rifles a shot on goal after Hull’s best move of the game but Pickford is there to parry with his arms on the stretch.
38’ – HULL CITY CLOSE! Hernandez takes the selfish route with Grosicki and Clucas waiting and it flashes wide of Pickford’s far post.
48' - PENALTY SHOUT! Markovic goes down in the area under a challenge from Anichebe. Seen those ones given!
51’ - SAVE! Defoe is put clean through on goal from Pickford and he opens up his body but shoots straight at Jakupovic. Should have scored.
52’ - BIG MISS! If Defoe just missed a great chance, then N’Diaye has done likewise, missing an open goal after Pickford flapped a cross into his path at the far post.
57’ - SAVE! Pickford with a strong hand to deny Markovic from Elmohamady’s excellent cross
69’ – GOAL! Hull City 0-1 Sunderland: Sunderland force another corner to set Hull nerves jangling. In it comes from Honeyman, flicked on by O’Shea and Jones heads them ahead!
76’ – GREAT SAVE: A magnificent save from Pickford to deny Hernandez from point blank range.
90+2’ – GOAL! Hull City 0-2 Sunderland: And that’s that for Hull today. Defoe bundles it home from an offside position from Larsson’s free kick.
KEY STATS
Marco Silva's unbeaten run of 41 league home matches as a manager (W34-D7) ends. His previous defeat with Estoril, 1-0 by Rio Ave in the Primeira Liga on 30 March 2014. He did not lose a league home fixture in charge of Sporting CP or Olympiacos.
Jermain Defoe scores his 15th PL goal of the season, equal to last season. He has netted 53.6% of Sunderland's PL goals this campaign.
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