Hull City vs Norwich City. Sky Bet Championship.
MKM StadiumAttendance15,120.
Saturday 10 March 2018 18:45, UK
James Maddison scored a first-half hat-trick and still ended up on the losing side as Hull boosted their survival hopes with a 4-3 Sky Bet Championship win over Norwich.
Four penalties were awarded - and converted - in a game that saw the hosts recover from 3-1 down at the KCOM Stadium.
Abel Hernandez scored twice from the spot on his first Hull start since August, with Jackson Irvine and Harry Wilson also netting as Norwich suffered a first defeat in eight games.
In contrast to their midweek defeat to Millwall, when they conceded in the opening minute, Hull made a bright start as Jarrod Bowen slid in Markus Henriksen after three minutes, only for the Norwegian to fire straight at Angus Gunn.
Two minutes later, Wilson's cross found Hernandez unmarked eight yards out but he too failed to test Gunn as he headed straight at the Manchester City loanee.
Norwich were finally punished for leaving a Hull player unmarked in their own area after six minutes, when Wilson's purposeful run led to him playing a through-ball for Irvine, who slotted low into the far corner.
Nelson Oliveira, back in the Norwich side after being dropped from the squad on Tuesday for a poor attitude in training, fired high and wide on the turn with the visitors' first chance.
Hull continued to control, with Wilson's tame shot too close to Gunn after he danced past two defenders in the 11th minute.
Norwich's equaliser came against the run of play after 18 minutes, with David Marshall - making his first league start of the season in goal - needlessly charging out and bringing down Oliveira on the edge of the area.
Referee Tim Robinson consulted with his assistant before ruling the initial contact was inside the box, with Maddison making no mistake from 12 yards.
A minute later the Canaries went ahead, with England U21 international Maddison cutting inside Ola Aina before firing a low shot past Marshall, who should have done better.
Norwich were awarded a second penalty in the 38th minute after Ondrej Mazuch needlessly bundled Onel Hernandez over in the area with the winger seemingly going nowhere, with Maddison slotting the ball into the bottom corner to complete his hat-trick.
Three minutes later Hull were back in it after being given a spot-kick of their own after Jamal Lewis pushed Bowen, with Abel Hernandez converting.
Referee Robinson continued to take centre stage after the break, pointing to the spot in the 52nd minute after spotting an infringement as a Sebastian Larsson free-kick was cleared.
Uruguay striker Abel Hernandez smashed the ball into the roof of the net to equalise.
Hull were once again doing all the pressing, and only two fine saves from Gunn denied Bowen and substitute Frazier Campbell after 63 minutes, with Wilson's follow-up blocked by Timm Klose.
Wilson slipped Bowen in on the right two minutes later, but Gunn was alert again to tip the ball wide of his near post, while at the other end Onel Hernandez miscued after breaking clear in the box.
The impressive Wilson put Hull ahead in the 71st minute, the Liverpool loanee jinking past a defender before firing in at the par post from six yards.
Campbell headed at Gunn from six yards out late on, while Aina failed to find a finish after a storming run from his own half, and at the other end Marshall was alert to keep out Grant Hanley's last-minute header.
Nigel Adkins: "I thought the players were magnificent. We've gone behind but we've responded, we've kept our composure. Great credit to the players.
"It's a fantastic performance in my eyes, the character shown by the players having gone 3-1 down. It's a big three points."
Daniel Farke: "I don't want to comment on the third goal for Hull because I think it's quite obvious, everyone in the stadium sees what happened there. Four penalties in a game, normally a free-kick or corner situation is pretty good for a penalty because you find someone with a hand on the shirt.
"I think in this situation someone waited for an opportunity to give this penalty. It was not even close to a penalty. You have to accept it though. It's hard to accept the loss because we were able to score three times."
