Hull 3-1 Bournemouth: Abel Hernandez strikes twice as Marco Silva's side fight back

By Dan Long

Saturday 14 January 2017 18:48, UK

Hull secured just their fourth league win of the season as they came from behind to comfortably beat Bournemouth 3-1 and start Marco Silva’s Premier League career in perfect fashion.

Junior Stanislas opened the scoring from the spot after Harry Maguire had tripped Ryan Fraser (3), but Abel Hernandez levelled the tie up just after the half hour with a header (32).

Hernandez turned the match on its head when he fired in just after the break as the Tigers took the lead (50), before a Tom Huddlestone shot was turned into his own net by Tyrone Mings to cap the victory (62).

New Hull boss Silva began his Tigers’ venture with two cup ties and made three changes from the side that was beaten by Manchester United in the EFL Cup in midweek as his focus turned to England's top flight.

Eddie Howe reverted to a more familiar starting line-up after a convincing 3-0 FA Cup defeat at Millwall last weekend, with Jack Wilshere making his first appearance of 2017.

Hull were thrashed 6-1 at the Vitality Stadium in mid-October and were clearly out to avenge that scoreline, but they looked as though they’d still be propping up the table when Harry Maguire’s casual approach handed the Cherries the lead inside three minutes.

After losing Wilshere, he set his sights on Fraser and as the Scot turned towards goal, Maguire unnecessarily stuck out a leg, leaving referee Martin Atkinson with little choice but to award a spot-kick. Stanislas stepped up and dispatched the penalty to Eldin Jakupovic’s right with aplomb.

Bournemouth then missed chances through Harry Arter and later, Benik Afobe who had pressured Michael Dawson into a mistake as the last man.

Howe’s Cherries always looked like they would struggle for luck with set-pieces as the Tigers put six men on the line at every corner, but it was their opponents who had a stroke of luck just after the half hour as they netted an equaliser.

The move itself however, was anything but lucky. Huddlestone picked out Andrew Robertson in acres of space on the left, he arrowed in a whipped cross and Hernandez was there to head home.

Hull ended the first half in dominant fashion and began the second equally as impressive, scoring just five minutes after the break when Hernandez doubled his tally after a left-footed drive from just inside the area.

Howe then brought on Josh King and Callum Wilson in an attempt to play Hull at their own game; a move that, eventually, proved futile.

Hernandez went close to heading in a Adama Diomande cross just prior to the hour mark, but it only took two minutes before Hull were even further in front; Huddlestone made the best of a loose ball, taking the ball and picking his spot before the onrushing Mings inadvertently took the ball over the line.

Both of Hull’s new signings, Oumar Niasse and Evandro were handed debuts in the closing stages, and although Bournemouth kept a hold on possession late on, when they did offer any sign of an attack on Jakupovic’s goal, the Hull defence were largely equal to it.

The victory moves Hull off the bottom of the table - they are now level on points with Crystal Palace and only inside the relegation zone thanks to their vastly inferior goal difference; Bournemouth slip down to 11th.

Player ratings

Hull City: Jakupovic (6), Davies (6), Dawson (6), Maguire (6), Robertson (7), Huddlestone (6), Mason (6), Clucas (6), Diomande (6), Snodgrass (7), Hernandez (8)

Subs: Niasse (5), Evandro (5)

Bournemouth: Boruc 5, Daniels (5), Mings (5), Smith (6), Cook (5), Fraser (6), Wilshere (5), Arter (6), Stanislas (6), Surman (5), Afobe (5)

Subs: King (4), Wilson (4), Pugh (5)