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Attendance: 14,590
Bristol City
Championship
Nov 21, 2015 at 12.30pm UK
 
Hull logo

1-1

Agard (39')
FT(HT: 1-0)
Maloney (73')

Live Commentary: Bristol City 1-1 Hull City - as it happened

Relive the 1-1 stalemate between Bristol City and Hull City at Ashton Gate with Sports Mole's live text commentary.
2

Championship leaders Hull City travelled to Ashton Gate to face Bristol City having won five games in a row and not conceded in that time to go top.

After the two-week international break, the Tigers were not at their best today and had to settle for a point as second-half substitute Shaun Maloney salvaged something.

Read how the lunchtime kickoff unfolded in our minute-by-minute updates below.


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Allo allo! After a week off, the Championship is back for matchday 17 and Saturday's 10 games start with a 12.30pm kickoff between Bristol City and Hull City. Plenty to discuss before we get underway, so let's get straight to the teams...

BRISTOL CITY XI: Fielding; Bennett, Ayling, Flint, Baker, Williams; Smith, Pack, Freeman; Agard, Kodjia
Subs: O'Leary, Bryan, Moore, Little, Reid, Cox, Wilbraham

Steve Cotterill goes with the same XI that started the Robins' last match - a goalless draw against one of the four sides below them, Bolton Wanderers. Top-scorer Jonathan Kodjia starts despite being in Paris when the recent atrocities were committed in the French capital.

HULL CITY XI: McGregor; Odubajo, Dawson, Maguire, Robertson; Elmohamady, Livermore, Huddlestone, Clucas; Diame; Akpom
Subs: Jakupovic, Taylor, Maloney, Aluko, Hayden, Davies, Bruce

Moving on to the visitors and Hull boss Steve Bruce has made two changes from the side that saw off Middlesbrough 3-0 a couple of weeks back. David Meyler is out for around two months with an injury picked up on international duty and replaced by Tom Huddlestone in the middle, while up front it's Arsenal loanee Chuba Akpom in for Abel Hernandez.

Bruce has just revealed to Sky Sports News that Hernandez is being given a rest after recently playing for Uruguay on international duty. The striker is Hull's top scorer with seven league goals this term, but Bruce is wary that he does not burn out and wants to keep him fresh for the "long winter" ahead.

Abel Hernandez for Hull on January 1, 2015Β© Getty Images

As mentioned above, Hull are on a superb run of form at the moment. They have won five league games in a row to go top on goal difference ahead of still-unbeaten Brighton & Hove Albion and in each match they've kept a clean sheet. Another shut-out today would make it a club-record six in a row.

Hull in fact have the best defence in English league football, conceding only eight in 16 matches, with nine total clean sheets. As you'll see below, their average goals conceded per game is better than that of Manchester United.


As well as having the stingiest defence in the country, Hull have scored the second-most goals in the Championship with 26. Only Fulham (29) have scored more, but their leaky defence means that they are down in 12th. A stat to go with that - Hull have seen 13 different players get on the scoresheet for them this season; a league-high.

H2H: Overall, the Robins have had the better with 32 wins in 79 meetings, but in recent years it's Hull who have done better. The Tigers are unbeaten in their last four meetings with Bristol City, winning two (D2).This is the first meeting since the 2012-13 campaign.

"He's livened up, he's fine. Hopefully he will do himself and his country proud today," Cotterill says of Kodjia. The summer signing has been involved in a higher share of his team's goals this season than any other Championship player (59%).

Jonathan Kodjia of Bristol City celebrates his sides goal with Derrick Williams of Bristol City on his shoulders during the Sky Bet Championship match between Bristol City and Wolverhampton Wanderers at Ashton Gate on November 3, 2015Β© Getty Images

PREDICTION: Righty ho. Five minutes until the off at what is a crisp, sunny day at Ashton Gate. Given the Tigers' immaculate form, it's hard not to side with them and I reckon Hull will come out on top 3-1. No clean sheet, but another three points for Bruce's boys.

One of the reasons the Robins are down near the bottom is their inability to hold on to leads this season - they have lost 10 points this term; a joint-high with QPR.

Speaking of QPR, they were in action last night in matchday 17's first game and they went down to Boro at the Riverside. It was goalless until injury time, when Leroy Fer handled on the line to gift the hosts a penalty which the ever-reliable Grant Leadbitter stuck away. Read all about the match here.

Before kickoff there is a wonderfully-observed minute's silence for those who lost their lives in Paris.

KICKOFF! Hull get us underway in the bright sunshine.

CHANCE! After five games without conceding, Hull almost let one in within three minutes today as Dawson gets loses the ball in the sunlight to allow Kodjia away. The Frenchman has Agard for support but he takes on a volley with the ball sitting up nicely, looping it a yard or so wide.

The sun could certainly play a big part in the first half. The hosts have just swung in a free kick that was clearly giving the Hull backline trouble, but they dealt with the danger.

First corner of the game goes Hull's way after Bennett cleared out of play, but the visitors didn't cause any problems as the Robins clear away.

The Robins are in their red and white home colours, by the way, with Hull all in navy blue this afternoon.

BOOKING! Today's referee is Paul Tierney and that's the easiest booking he'll have all season as Bennett gets in behind Maguire, who blatantly hauls over the wing-back just outside the box.

SAVE! The free kick is on the right edge of the area and Freeman could either go for goal or cross with his left foot. He goes for the former and McGregor tips over the bar.

Nothing comes of the resulting corner and you have to say that it's been a really encouraging start to the match by the home side. They are looking to make use of the sunshine and Cotterill will hope that they can take advantage and move in front before half time.

BLOCK! Hull's first shot of the game comes from Diame, who was allowed far too easily to strut into the box and meet Clucas's layoff. He opens his body and goes for the far corner but is denied by Ayling's brave block.

CHANCE! Another shooting opportunity for the visitors as the Robins fail to clear their lines and the ball drops to centre-back Dawson. It's the wrong man and also on his weaker left foot and he slices it high and wide.

Up the other end and it's an inviting cross by Williams that is just ahead of Agard. Bristol will keep putting balls in the box to test the Tigers' defence in the light.

BOOKING! A second Hull player into the book and it's Huddlestone who is cautioned for stopping Agard in his tracks.

STAT: Hull won their last league visit to Bristol City 2-1 in October 2012. It was their first win there since January 1965.

Elmohamady has been a good outlet for Hull down the right and his cross takes a slight deflection that probably helps it. Clucas is charging towards the near post, but Ayling beats him to it.

SAVE! Bang! What a hit by Hull centre-back Maguire as he unleashes a drive from 25 yards that Fielding does well to tip over the bar.

If you fancy following the lunchtime Premier League kickoff between Watford and Man United then open this link in a new tab (don't leave me!) United are one up already thanks to Memphis Depay, who is sporting some phenomenal new sideburns.

BOOKING! Problems for Hull as their other centre-back Dawson joins Maguire in the book for a late tackle on Kodjia. That's his fifth of the season, so he'll sit out the Tigers' next match. The former Tottenham man has stayed down injured as well...

HULL SUB: Dawson can't carry on, but Hull have an excellent replacement in Curtis Davis, who has been linked with Bournemouth in recent weeks.

BOOKING! ANOTHER booking for Hull as Robertson mistimes a tackle on Bennett. Free kick down the right for the hosts...

GOAL! BRISTOL CITY 1-0 HULL CITY (KIERAN AGARD)

The Robins' pressure tells as Agard pounces on a loose ball in the box and manages to pick out the far corner on the turn with his left foot. He's done really well there and that's his second league goal of the season.

OFF THE LINE! Wow! At the other end Hull almost equalise with their first attack after conceding as Livermore's rocket from just inside the box is nodded over on the line by Bennett. The Norwich loanee has been a threat going forward, but displayed good awareness at the back there.

MISS! Oh goodness me, what a miss! Hull are threatening to equalise before the interval and it's Akpom who fluffs his lines by somehow failing to get anything on Robertson's cross from only about six yards out. Anything on target would have been a goal.

Given all the excitement since the goal, I haven't had time to congratulate Bristol on being the first team to score in six games against Hull, denying the Tigers a club-record sixth clean sheet in a row. Four minutes added on before half time...

Lovely feet on the edge of the box from Diame that wins Hull a free kick in a central position about 19 yards out. Diame gets the nod ahead of Clucas, but balloons it well over.

HALF-TIME: BRISTOL CITY 1-0 HULL CITY

League leaders Hull have it all to do then after an excellent first 45 by the home side. They deservedly lead, but it could easily be level after Hull's bright end to the half. Agard with the goal.

Kieran Agard of Bristol City in action during the Sky Bet League One match between Bristol City and Coventry City at Ashton Gate on April 18, 2015Β© Getty Images

Click here to see how that leaves the live Championship table. Hull are still top, but Brighton, who play Burnley in a big game tomorrow, can go top if Hull fail to win. Burnley could also go to the summit if Hull lose and they beat Brighton.

The Robins are up to 16th and five clear of the drop zone as it stands.

The half-time stats actually read OK if you're a Hull fan. They've had eight shots to the Robins' three and 68% possession, but it felt like the home side won the half and, for me, they deserve to be in front.

A reminder also that Hull have had four players booked. Maguire, Robertson and Huddlestone are still on the pitch, but Dawson went off injured. Even if he recovers in time to face Derby on Friday, he won't be able to play as it was his fifth booking of the season.

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KICKOFF! We're back underway at Ashton Gate, with the Robins now defending the goal facing the sun, which was a problem for Hull in the opening 45.

Today's attendance at Ashton Gate is 14,590, with 752 Hull fans making the trip South and West to watch their team play.

It was a really good finish on the turn with plenty of bodies around him by Agard:


Very little has happened of note so far in the second half. Hull continue to have more of the ball, but they have not created much so far. With Hernandez sitting out, they look a little light in attack.

Sone Aluko is Hull's best attacking option on the bench, but he has only scored once in 11 Championship games this season.



Finally something to talk about in the second half as Clucas plays a neat one-two on the edge of the area before fizzing a low drive a yard or so wide from 20 yards.

HULL SUB: A second change for the visitors and it's Akpom who surprisingly goes off to be replaced by Maloney. That leaves Hull without a recognised striker on the pitch when they're chasing a goal.

It's Diame who is now leading the line, but he is very much a midfielder by trade and you have to wonder if it's the right move by Bruce.

Midway through the second half now and Hull continue to be frustrated by a Robins backline that has been leaky this season.

BOOKING! Bennett is the first Robins player booked for bringing down Robertson.



GOAL! BRISTOL CITY 1-1 HULL CITY (SHAUN MALONEY)

The Tigers were much more threatening at the end of the first half, but out of nowhere they hit back as Diame flicks the ball into Maloney's path. The Scot beats the offside trap and coolly lifts the ball over Fielding. Game on!

Remember how I said that Bristol had lost as many points as anyone in the league from losing positions? This will be a familiar feeling for Robins supporters.

Now then. About 15 minutes, including added time, to go and the home side still have all three substitutions at their disposal. Hull only have one. Surely Cotterill must be thinking about a change.

BRISTOL SUB: And indeed he does make a change, with Kodjia coming off for Aaron Wilbraham in attack.

On the balance of play, you would have to say that Hull deserve to be level. The hosts have created barely anything since half time and given the misses from the first half, the Tigers will feel that the goal was coming.

SUBS: Both teams make a change. Bennett is replaced by Mark Little for the home side, while Aluko takes Odubajo's place for the visitors. Can either side find a winner?

His first goal of the season:


CLOSE! What a way to win it this would have been. Robertson has got a great engine and been bombing up and down the wing for Hull all game. He survives one tackle and then crosses deep to the back post where Aluko's acrobatic effort flies wide.

FOUR minutes left for both teams to snatch the points. On the whole, Hull have been better, but will being at home just give Bristol the edge in the last few moments?

CHANCE! The golden opportunity falls to.... Hull! Elmohamady's deep cross from the right is met by Clucas, but he can only glance it wide.

FULL-TIME: BRISTOL CITY 1-1 HULL CITY

All square it finishes at Ashton Gate then. Hull miss out on seven wins in a row in all competitions but they do go a point clear at the top. How long will they stay there?

As for Bristol, they now lie 19th and could drop further depending on results elsewhere later today.

That's all we've got time for today, I'll leave you with our match report and kindly ask you to have a click around on the site for plenty more live coverage today. Enjoy!

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Ben Hamer of Bristol City in action during the Sky Bet Championship match between Bristol City and Leeds United at Ashton Gate on August 19, 2015
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