Classy Boro cash in on sloppy City's defensive failings

TIGERS MISS CHANCE TO MOVE BACK INTO PLAY-OFF PLACES AS PROMOTION CHASERS TAKE SPOILS

- By BARRY COOPER [e-mail] @bazdjcooper

Joe Gelhardt scores Hull City's goal from the penalty spot

(GEORGE WOOD/GETTY IMAGES)

Hull City offered a performance as desperate as the horrific East Yorkshire weather to succumb to a Friday night thrashing by Middlesbrough, who took advantage of the Championship’s second-worst defence with four first-half goals to seal a 4-1 win at the MKM Stadium.

Amid so much positivity ahead of a game where City could have gone third and a place behind Boro, that quickly evaporated in a dismal first half where their defensive issues were embarrassingly exposed.

City’s haphazard defending was again their undoing after just nine minutes when David Strelec was afforded space to fire in the top corner after the Tigers fell asleep from a swift counter, and from then on, it was a disaster.

Boro bagged four in the first half, with Alex Gilbert, Morgan Whittaker and Riley McGree all taking advantage of the leakiest defence in the Championship.

Fans voted with their feet, on an awful night, many were heading for the exits well before the halftime whistle came and who could blame them.

As is often the case in these games, City were better in the second half and got on the scoresheet when Joe Gelhardt converted their first penalty of the season, after being fouled by the goalkeeper, but they were well beaten.