Hull City brought Wrexham’s nine-game unbeaten league run to an emphatic halt with a 2-0 win at the MKM Stadium, as Kyle Joseph’s early strike and Oli McBurnie’s second-half goal bookended a decisive penalty save from Ivor Pandur. In a contest between two Championship play-off hopefuls separated by just a point before kick-off, Hull’s sharper edge in both boxes proved the difference.
The Tigers’ response to Friday’s 4-1 home defeat by Middlesbrough could hardly have been stronger. Sergej Jakirovic’s side climbed into sixth place, above Queens Park Rangers on goal difference, while defeat dropped Wrexham to 14th, four points outside the top six. It was only the Welsh club’s second loss in 15 league outings and their first since mid-October, but this was a rare off night that they never quite shook off.
Joseph strikes early as Hull seize the initiative
There had been understandable concern among the home support when top scorer Joe Gelhardt, whose Championship tally is bettered only by Southampton’s Adam Armstrong, was ruled out with a calf injury. Any anxiety evaporated within 10 minutes. Making his first start since September, Mohamed Belloumi drove purposefully down the right and cut the ball back for Matt Crooks, whose deflected shot was spilled by Arthur Okonkwo. Joseph reacted quickest, squeezing the loose ball over the line from close range to give Hull the ideal start.