A Hull City X1 containing several players with Premiership experience delighted the large crowd with some mesmerising football.
The game was only seconds old when Ahmed Elmohamady had to make a vital block to stop James Walshaw from converting Rhys Meynell’s cross to give Town an early lead.
Hull hit back strongly and Phil Barnes was called upon to save a strong drive from Yannick Sagbo and skipper Adam Nowakowski completed the clearance by heading off the line.
Robbie Brady fired wide after being played in by Tom Huddlestone and Meynell put his body on the line to block a fierce drive by David Meyler as Hull showed their class,but Town hit back bravely when Ryan Kendall latched on to a clearance and drove just wide.
After 23 minutes Hull took the lead when George Boyd received the ball on the left,cut in and fired into the top corner.
Elmohamady was finding space on the right and his cross picked out Robbie Brady but Barnes managed to smother his cross.
Town roared on by an appreciative crowd countered spiritedly and visiting keeper Steven Harper had to punch away a Nowakowski header from Meynell’s shot.
Next it was Simon Lenighan’s time to show some class with a delightful through ball which released Walshaw down the left,but City’s Joe Dudgeon just beat Kendall to his teasing centre.
The Tigers increased their lead shortly before the break when Brady fired into the corner of the net after being set up by Elmohamady.
Five minutes after the restart,Calum Martin made it three when he picked up a half cleared corner and curled a superb shot past Barnes.
Town almost pulled one back immediately when Ashley Worsfold’s cross caused panic in the Tiger’s defence, causing a tremendous goalmouth scramble,in which Walshaw backheeled against the post and Kendall just failed to force the ball over the line.
On 56 minutes good work by Boyd enabled Brady to tuck the ball past Barnes for number four and although Town threw on four subs it was Hull who scored again.
A penetrative run through the middle by Sagbo,ended with a pass to Boyd and his first time screamer flashed past Barnes into the far corner.
It is unlikely that Town will meet a side of this quality throughout the season and they can take heart from their battling display.
Town,1 Barnes, 2 Turner, 3 Meynell, 4 Nowakowski (Rowe 65), 5 Heath (Coates 80), 6 McGurk, 7 Kerry,8 Lenighan (Nelthorpe 75), 9 Kendall (Dean 65), 10 Walshaw, 11 Worsfold.
Unused subs 16 Swain,18 Crook,19 Metcalfe,20 Birch.
Town Man of the Match Adam Nowakowski. Att. 540
By John Harrison
