London - Late goals by Shaun Maloney and
Abel Hernandez gave under-strength Hull City a 2-0 win away at Swansea City on
Saturday and a perfect start to their Premier League campaign of two wins from
two.
Caretaker manager Mike Phelan, who has been
in charge since Steve Bruce resigned shortly before the start of the season,
could well see his job made permanent as Hull recorded back-to-back wins at the
start of the season for the first time in their history in the top flight.
Swansea's new American owners, who were
watching from the stands, will be hoping their players show as much spirit as
the 'Tigers', who had only 13 fully-fit first-team players but in Scotland
international Robert Snodgrass had the best player on the pitch.
The hosts came rocketing out of the blocks,
Icelandic international Gylfi Sigurdsson unleashing a thunderbolt of an effort
from the edge of the box only for Hull 'keeper Eldin Jakupovic to somehow get
his fingertips to it, enough to tip it against the crossbar and away to safety.
Swansea largely dominated the first half
but their Spanish international striker Fernando Llorente has yet to show he
has rediscovered his nose for goal, spurning several chances.
The lack of an end product wasted the
sterling creative efforts of Gambian Modou Barrow, who caused endless problems
for the Hull defence and at one point thought he had won a penalty when he was
felled by Andy Robertson only for referee Stuart Attwell to dismissively wave
play on.
Hull relied largely on the counter-attack and
they might have gone in front on the break when a superb ball from Snodgrass
picked out Adama Diomande.
The Norwegian worked himself free in the
penalty area but lashed his shot harmlessly wide with only Polish goalkeeper
Lukasz Fabianski to beat.
Hull for their part finished the half feeling aggrieved with Attwell, who turned down appeals for a penalty when Snodgrass was brought down with a scything challenge by Jordi Amat.
Snodgrass, who scored in their surprise
opening win over champions Leicester City, then went close to opening the
scoring in the second half as his goalbound effort was blocked by Stephen
Kingsley.
Hull turned on the pressure in the final
quarter of the match with Snodgrass at the hub of everything, a corner of his
being met by Curtis Davies, whose header was superbly saved by Fabianski.
However, the visitors were not to be denied
and another blissfully-delivered ball by Snodgrass was met by Davies' head and
substitute Maloney nipped in to score.
Maloney turned provider in time added on, selflessly passing to Hernandez who slotted the ball home.