Hull City welcomed Southampton to the KC Stadium this evening knowing that a win would see them join their opponents in the top half of the Premier League table.
They were dealt an early blow when Paul McShane was taken off on a stretcher but still nearly took the lead when Shane Long's glancing header hit the post.
Southampton responded by striking the woodwork themselves courtesy of Jay Rodriguez's 25-yard shot, and they went from strength to strength before taking a 69th-minute lead through Jose Fonte.
The centre-back's initial header was saved by Steve Harper, but he eventually thrashed the ball home from close range, despite Maynor Figueroa's best attempts to keep it out following a goalmouth scramble.
Below, you can read how the action unfolded on Humberside, courtesy of SM's live coverage.
Evening, all! Aren't we lucky? This week we get a double dose of Premier League action, and Hull versus Southampton is one of four games being brought to you live by Sports Mole tonight.
Both sides appear to be sitting comfortably in mid-table, but such is the nature of this season's Premier League, they each have something to play for. Hull are only four points clear of the relegation zone, while a good run of results could give Southampton an outside shot of making Europe.
The respective managers each make one change tonight. Full team news coming your way...
HULL: Harper; McShane, Bruce, Davies, Figueroa; Huddlestone, Livermore, Elmohamady, Meyler; Jelavic, Long
SUBS: Jakupovic, Quinn, Koren, Brady, Boyd, Sagbo, Aluko
SOUTHAMPTON: Boruc; Chambers, Fonte, Yoshida, Shaw; Cork, Schneiderlin, S. Davis; Lallana, Rodriguez, Lambert.
SUBS: K. Davis, Clyne, Wanyama, Ward-Prowse, Guly, Hooiveld, Isgrove
Liam Rosenior was a pre-match injury doubt with a thigh problem and the full-back hasn't made it, so Tigers manager Steve Bruce recalls his son Alex Bruce to his defence.
That could see Hull revert to a 5-3-2 formation with Ahmed Elmohamady and Maynor Figueroa operating in the full-back roles, or Bruce could ask Paul McShane to fill in at right-back and David Meyler on the left wing if he wants to persist with 4-4-2.
Either way, the attacking two will be Shane Long and Nikica Jelavic, and the January arrivals have already shown signs of an understanding. They have scored three goals between them in the three games that they have started together since joining for a combined fee of £14m.
Tom Huddlestone and Ahmed Elmohamady, who formerly played under Bruce at Sunderland, are the only Tigers players who have featured in every one of their 25 Premier League games this season and they are unsurprising inclusions in the Hull starting XI this evening.
Veteran goalkeeper Steve Harper continues to deputise for the suspended Allan McGregor in between the sticks. The Scot is serving the last game of his three-match suspension tonight.
Southampton's only personnel alteration also comes in defence, where Calum Chambers is fit to start again and so replaces Nathaniel Clyne in a straight swap at right-back.
Otherwise, it is the same Saints XI that began the 2-2 draw with Stoke City on Saturday. Steve Davis was a goalscorer against the Potters and he continues to keep £12.5m signing Victor Wanyama, who made his return from a two-month injury layoff last month, on the bench.
England hopefuls Adam Lallana, Luke Shaw, Rickie Lambert and Jay Rodriguez will all be looking to press their World Cup claims this evening having been tipped to make the plane to Brazil.
Gaston Ramirez and Dejan Lovren are both likely to go to this summer's tournament in South America, with Uruguay and Croatia respectively, but they miss out at the KC Stadium with ankle ligament damage, injuries which have seen kept them out of the Saints' last four games.
HEAD-TO-HEAD: Southampton won the only previous Premier League meeting between the two sides - a 4-1 victory in November - and their overall record against the Tigers is pretty good, also. They have lost only once to Hull since 1976, although it was a 5-0 Championship thrashing in 2008.
Hull can join their South Coast opponents in the top half of the table with victory in Humberside tonight, while the Saints can leapfrog Newcastle United into eighth position with a win.
Around 10 minutes until kickoff at the KC Stadium...
BENCH WATCH: Hull have the fit-again Sone Aluko among their options on the bench, and Yannick Sagbo, who netted their consolation goal in their hammering at St Mary's before Christmas. Southampton are light in the forward department as Sam Gallagher again sits out due to personal reasons, but the presence of James Ward-Prowse, Victor Wanyama and Nathaniel Clyne show that they have strength in depth.
ONE TO WATCH: Nikica Jelavic is gradually shaking off rustiness and settling into the Hull team alongside new forward partner Shane Long. He netted his first Tigers goal in their 2-0 win over Sunderland on Saturday, and is the type of striker that scores in clusters. He also has history against Southampton, having netted his only Premier League double against them during his Everton days.
PREDICTION: Out of the teams in the bottom half, only Crystal Palace have suffered fewer home defeats this season than Hull. However, Southampton are beginning to find their mojo again and they have all of their key attacking players on form. I fancy them to nick it 2-1 this evening.
We are underway at the KC Stadium...
Rodriguez tries to run onto a ball over the top and had he been in full flow he may have been able to knock the ball around Steve Harper and have a sight of an open goal. The Hull keeper was quick enough off his line, though, to beat him to it and deny the forward an eighth away goal of the season.
MISS! What a chance for the visitors, who have had all of the ball thus far. A long passing move eventually results in Cork running onto a ball into the right channel. Bruce gets a leg to the cross to divert it upwards, and when Lambert brings it down 10 yards out you are expecting the net to bulge. The England man tries to bend it into the corner and ends up hitting the stanchion behind the goal. Hands on head time for Lambert.
This has been a great start for the Saints. Hull have hardly got out of their own half. They have started 4-4-2 and I wonder if Bruce will switch to 5-3-2, push the full-backs up and give them more bodies in the centre of the park to help them compete with Southampton's midfield three.
CHANCE! Another great opportunity for Lambert, who peels away from McShane, beats the offside trap and latches onto a great through pass from Lallana. He takes one touch before trying to lift it over Harper, who charges off his line and spreads himself to make an important block.
Bruce will be relieved that his side have not fallen behind, but concerned with the repercussions of Harper's collision with McShane in the immediate aftermath of the goal. Both men are down injured and receiving treatment. Harper looks okay to carry on, but I'm not sure about the defender.
SUBSTITUTION: Indeed, McShane cannot continue and it appears to be a pretty bad injury. He is stretchered off to warm applause, while George Boyd, Hull's most used substitute this season, comes off the bench earlier than usual. Elmohamady will drop to full-back to accommodate the winger.
I wonder if McShane may have been picking up Rodriguez at set pieces because immediately after the substitution, the Saints striker is unmarked from a Davis corner and he climbs high to head down into the floor, but into a wall of Hull legs that were protecting the wounded Harper.
WOODWORK: It has been all Southampton thus far, but Hull come within inches of opening the scoring on their first venture forward. Elmohamady delivers an early cross from a narrow position on the right which is just behind Long, but he arches his neck to direct a glancing header towards the bottom corner. Boruc is beaten but the ball comes back off the post, and to Boyd, whose follow-up is dragged into the ground and over the crossbar.
It has been an eventful start in Lancashire, but we are still goalless, as are this evening's other three Premier League games at present. I'll try to keep you up to date when goals go in elsewhere.
McShane's enforced withdrawal has forced Bruce into a slight tactical alteration. It appears as though David Meyler, who is more defensively aware than Boyd, has moved across to the right flank to help Elmohamady combat the attacking threat of Saints full-back Shaw. Boyd is playing off the right.
Nice passing by Hull down the right, and Elmohamady is always a willing forward runner from full-back. His cross nearly finds Boyd at the far post, but Davis jus subtly leans on him to stop him making contact. Hull have responded pretty positively following the early injury blow to McShane.
Again Elmohamady takes up an advanced position on the right. He has four targets to aim at with his cross, which is towards Long. Yoshida gets up to head clear as Long clatters into the ground.
The action has fallen into a bit of a lull at the moment, or at least considering Southampton's rapid start it has. Hull aren't afraid to knock it Long towards Jelavic but at the moment, the Croatian poacher has received little change out of Jose Fonte in their aerial battles.
We are just hearing now that McShane has been taken to hospital via an ambulance, which suggests that he could be out of action for a while. Fingers crossed it is not too serious.
WOODWORK! This time it is Southampton's turn to hit the frame of the goal. Chambers' fizzed pass inside bounces off Lambert and Bruce before falling to Rodriguez. He initially looks for a teammate but when the hosts present him with space, he gets the ball out of his feet and looks to whip it into the top corner. It's a brilliant 25-yard effort and has Harper beaten, but comes back off the crossbar.
With Long and Jelavic quiet thus far, Hull's best attacking outlet has certainly been Elmohamady. He embarks on another run here and although Shaw initially pinches the ball from him, the Egyptian pressurises the 18-year-old full-back all the way to the byline and knocks it off him to earn a corner.
From the resultant set piece, Shaw heads away Boyd's delivery and it falls to Livermore, who allows it to drop before slicing a half volley some way wide of an unalarmed Boruc's left-hand post.
The Saints counter through Lallana, who gets to the right edge of the Hull penalty area before cutting back on Livermore to chip a cross towards Lambert, but it is way short of his England teammate.
Lambert wins a headed flick which Schneiderlin races onto. The French midfielder stretches out a leg to try and beat Davis to the second ball, but the Hull captain shows some good covering defender. Had Schneiderlin got their first, he could have been through on Harper's goal.
SHOT! Elmohamady delivers from deep and Jelavic does very well to trap his cross and then wriggle free of Yoshida. He also dribbles past Davis as he creates space for a shot by travelling into the area. He ends up shooting tamely with the outside of his right foot, allowing Boruc to get down and gather easily, when firing across the Pole with his left foot would have been the better option.
Shaw has spent much of the first period on the back foot but this time takes the opportunity to push Elmohamady the other way. He gets by the Hull full-back and drills a superb low cross into the six-yard box which Harper extends an arm to parry away from the immediate danger zone.
We are entering the first of SIX minutes of first-half stoppage time...
BOOKING: Shaw dives in on Elmohamady and trips the flying Egyptian, who was on his latest dash down the right wing. That was a naive tackle from the teenager and one probably resulting from frustration caused by his lack of chances to get forward thus far. Credit must go to Elmohamady for that.
Chambers does well to pinch the ball from Boyd but then knocks it out for a Hull throw trying an elaborate back heel. Bruce instructs Figueroa to take it quickly but the threat of Long's run into the left channel had been spotted by Fonte before the Honduran could return the ball to play.
HALF-TIME: HULL 0-0 SOUTHAMPTON
A goalless first-half at the KC Stadium, during which both sides struck the woodwork, has been marred by what looks like a serious injury to Hull defender Paul McShane.
The Republic of Ireland international was stretchered off and taken, via an ambulance, to hospital following a collision with his own goalkeeper Steve Harper in the first 10 minutes.
Shortly after his withdrawal, Hull hit the post through Shane Long's glancing header and 20 minutes later at the other end, Jay Rodriguez saw his fantastic whipped shot from from 25 yards come back off the frame of the goal. Rickie Lambert had previously had two great chances for the Saints.
UPDATE: We have out first Premier League goal of the evening, and it has come at The Hawthorns, where table-topping Chelsea lead West Brom 1-0 courtesy of a Branislav Ivanovic strike.
STATS: Mauricio Pochettino's men enjoyed a very healthy 64% of first-half possession but have only converted their time on the ball into one shot on target. Hull had twice as many and also led in corners [2 to Southampton's 1] and fouls [4 to 3]. The action is about to resume on Humberside...
The second period has begun at the KC Stadium, with both sides unchanged...
BOOKING: Fonte becomes the second Saints player, after Shaw, to be cautioned by referee Martin Atkinson after cynically pulling back Hull substitute Boyd 30 yards out.
SHOT! Huddlestone surprisingly steps aside to allow Jelavic to shoot from the resultant free-kick, and the Croatian dips the ball over the wall but straight into the gloves of Boruc.
Chambers gallops down the right for Southampton and crosses towards the back post, where Rodriguez had peeled off his marker to try a very audacious overhead which flies into the stands.
A very similar effort from Rodriguez nearly yields Southampton a chance, as he fluffs another acrobatic volley from a Chambers cross, with the ball looping towards Lambert. It does not quite drop quickly enough for the Liverpudlian to fire away the rebound as he is charged down by Hull shirts.
SAVE! Southampton are moving through the gears now. Davis cleverly delays his pass into Lambert, who shoots on the spin from 12 yards out. Harper saves well at his near post and then denies a Rodriguez poke moments later, although the forward was eventually flagged offside.
Southampton have started the second half as quickly as they did the first, but again Hull have weathered the storm. Meanwhile Long seems to ran off a niggle to continue for the hosts.
Livermore's attempted switch to the right is shot of Elmohamady and cut out by Rodriguez. He controls it on his chest and charges into the area, but overruns it and allows Harper to claim.
For the first time since the interval, Hull have the opportunity to attack down the right through Elmohamady. He crosses, but too close to Boruc, who comes off his line to catch.
Hull's inability to get on the ball in this second half is largely down to Huddlestone's ineffectiveness. He's had a fine time of things since joining the Tigers, but this game has bypassed him tonight, with Southampton moving the ball quickly in the middle of the park and forcing him to chase after it.
GOAL! HULL 0-1 SOUTHAMPTON (JOSE FONTE)
Southampton deservedly take the lead and it comes after a pinball-like goalmouth scramble! After a corner is cleared, Davis drills a cross deep to the back post where Fonte climbs above Davies to head down towards the bottom corner. Harper does superbly to palm away and then even better to block Lallana's follow-up. The rebound comes back to Fonte, who smashes goalwards again and despite a heroic clearing effort from Figueroa, it just crosses the line. Lambert fired home left-footed anyway, just to make sure, but the goal had already been given and will be awarded to Fonte - an unlikely Saints scorer!
The new technology at the referee's disposal means that there is no controversy about the goalscorer, but there is about the awarding of the corner which preceded it. Figueroa and Chambers were chasing down a long ball, and the last touch before the ball went behind seemed to be off the Saints man.
PENALTY APPEAL! Southampton plead for a penalty after the ball seemed to hit Elmohamady on the arm. Rodriguez tried to lift it over him and it glanced the Egyptian's arm, but that was certainly a case of ball to arm. Referee Martin Atkinson got that one spot on.
SUBSTITUTIONS: Bruce makes a very positive double change, bringing on fit-again striker Sone Aluko and top goalscorer Robbie Brady for David Meyler and Maynor Figueroa respectively. Both have had injury problems, but they certainly present the Tigers with a greater attacking threat.
SUBSTITUTION: Pochettino also turns to his bench, swapping Rickie Lambert, who may have thought for a second that it was him who opened the scoring for Guly do Prado in attack.
UPDATE! West Ham United appear to have snatched three precious points late on against Norwich City at Upton Park following an 84th-minute goal from centre-back James Collins.
Another injury concern here for Bruce as Elmohamady stays down after clashing legs with Shaw. Bruce has already made his three substitutions and therefore the Egyptian must limp on.
The Tigers have a free-kick 30 yards out and a chance to load bodies into the box. Instead, though, the left-footed Aluko fancies his chances from the angle, only to wastefully blaze over the bar.
Including what will probably be a hefty amount of stoppage time, we have about 10 minutes left. Hull now have three forwards on the pitch but are yet to create a clear opening for them.
OFF THE LINE! Shaw carries the ball from the halfway line and eventually unleashes a low shot which Harper dives to his left to get fingertips to. Do Prado is following up and knocks the rebound towards goal, only for Davies to somehow come to the rescue and make an amazing block!
CHANCE! Huddlestone dinks a ball over the top for Jelavic to run onto. He controls it but cannot bring it down to the floor, and eventually pokes hopefully over the crossbar.
SAVE! Hull are pushing for an equaliser now and Aluko plays a one-two with Long, collecting the return and cutting inside on his right foot to shoot low. Boruc gets down to make the save, but can only parry initially. Jelavic chases the rebound but the Saints keeper gathers at the second attempt.
WOODWORK! As we enter the first of FIVE minutes stoppage time, Cork nearly shocks the KC Stadium with a 30-yard thunderbolt which swerves through the air and cannons back of the crossbar. Harper was waving the ball behind for a goal kick before the late movement nearly undid him.
SUBSTITUTION: Pochettino throws on the physical presence of Wanyama to help with the defending of any late set pieces. Steve Davis makes way. Southampton have now used up all of their three substitutions after James Ward-Prowse replaced Adam Lallana with 88 minutes of play gone.
FULL-TIME: HULL 0-1 SOUTHAMPTON
So, a Jose Fonte goal earns Southampton a 1-0 away win at Hull which lifts them to eighth in the table. Paul McShane was taken to hospital with a suspected fractured ankle as the Tigers, who are now only three points clear of the relegation zone, fell to a fourth home Premier league defeat.
It could have been different had Shane Long's glancing header sneaked in early on, rather than come back off the woodwork. Although, Southampton also struck the frame of the goal twice with superb long-range efforts from Jay Rodriguez and Jack Cork. They are now unbeaten in eight matches.
That's it from me. Thanks for joining Sports Mole this evening. Be sure to come back tomorrow night for extensive live coverage of six Premier League games, including the big one as Arsenal host old foes Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium. Until next time...
Written by
Joe Fish
Joe Fish
