The Tigers were well beaten in the lunchtime kick-off
14:28, 23 Aug 2025Updated 15:29, 23 Aug 2025
Ryan Hedges slots in Blackburn Rovers’ opener at Hull City(Image: Shaun Brooks – CameraSport via Getty Images)
Hull City were brought well and truly back down to earth with a huge Championship bump as Blackburn Rovers thumped the Tigers 3-0.
A first-half strike and two goals in the first five minutes of the second period inflicted a first league defeat on Sergej Jakirovic, with his side well below par and torn to pieces by a Rovers side who claimed their first points of the season.
The start was in stark contrast to the flying one a week ago, with City labouring in possession and dominated by the visitors. City recovered and had a couple of good chances through Oli McBurnie and Joel Ndala after Rovers’ Yuri Ribeiro almost put through his own net.
Rovers hit the front after 18 minutes when City were caught sleeping at the back, and the impressive Augustus Kargbo fed Ryan Hedges to lift in the opener over Ivor Pandur.
Jakirovic was forced into two changes from the side, which left it late to beat Oxford United on Sunday, with Charlie Hughes and Matt Crooks unavailable through illness and injury, respectively with a virus sweeping through the camp in the days before the game. Teenager Cathal McCarthy, who joined the academy from UCD in the summer and impressed during pre-season, was handed a debut in the back four alongside skipper John Egan. There was also big news on the bench with Mohamed Belloumi returning to a matchday squad for the first time since damaging his ACL late on in the defeat at Oxford United on Bonfire Night.
In addition to Hughes and Crooks, City were without Lewie Coyle, Semi Ajayi, Akin Famewo and Enis Destan, while Liam Millar continues to make good progress in his recovery from an ACL injury, but isn’t expected back until next month. For Rovers, who were unchanged from the late loss to Birmingham City a week ago, former Tiger Sean McLoughlin was named in the starting XI.
No sooner had Todd Cantwell kicked the ball off than Oli McBurnie and McLoughlin were having a rumble, clearly roused by the return of legendary MKM Stadium announcer Steve Jordan and his famous pre-match ensembles.
City were slow out of the blocks, seemingly still unaware the kick-off was earlier than usual, and it allowed Rovers to build some early momentum without troubling Pandur, though they were becoming increasingly frustrated with Todd Cantwell’s flopping around antics and it did for Slater, who was booked after just 11 minutes for dragging him back.
After a really quiet start, the Tigers burst into life, and it came from a near miss from Yuri Ribeiro at the back post, forcing goalkeeper Balazs Toth into a good save to deny an own goal. From the corner, McBurnie’s header was well saved before he denied Ndala’s goalbound effort.
After a flurry of chances for the hosts, Rovers were in front after 19 minutes when Ryan Hedges ran onto a clever return pass from Augustus Kargbo to slot beyond Pandur and into the net, after some sleepy defending. Pandur’s early dive made it easy for Hedges to lift the ball over him and into the empty net.
The hosts were struggling to stop Rovers down both sides with Cantwell afforded the freedom of the MKM Stadium, and just before the half-hour, it should have been 2-0 to the visitors when Hedges was allowed to ghost into the box unmarked and plant a header over the bar.
City were huffing and puffing without really having any great fluidity, and were struggling with the movement of Rovers’ attacking unit, and it wasn’t a huge surprise that the strength and physicality of both Hughes and Crooks.
Lundstram was penalised for what looked a soft foul at the start of the second half and within two minutes, Hedges had fired across Pandur and into the bottom corner to double Rovers’ lead and leave City with a mountain to climb.
That mountain became even tougher moments later when City were cut to pieces when Alebiosu drove down the right, pulled it across for Pandur to flap at the ball and it landed in the path of Cantwell who drove into the corner.
Jakirovic withdrew Palmer 10 minutes into the second half, sending on striker Kyle Joseph, but seconds before, Rovers hit the bar through Dom Hyam’s header.
Perhaps City’s day was neatly summed up when a Kasey Palmer shot from the edge of the box hit Ndala.
On came David Akintola for Ndala, before Axel Henriksson and Kristi Montgomery replaced Kargbo and Tavares with just over 20 minutes to go.
The bright spot for beleaguered City was the return from nine months out with an ACL injury of Mohamed Belloumi, replacing Slater with six minutes to go and showing a couple of positivesmoments. Brandon Williams also made his Championship return after nearly two years out, coming on for Gelhardt.
If spirits were raised after pre-season and a bright start to the league, this was a reality check for Jakirovic and his side, who must sort out their defensive frailties ahead of their visit to Ashton Gate next weekend.
City: Pandur, Giles, McCarthy, Egan, Drameh, Slater, Lundstram, Ndala, Palmer, Gelhardt, McBurnie. Subs: Phillips, Belloumi, Akintola, Vaughan, Joseph, Williams, Brown, Ashbee, Shehu.
Rovers: Toth, Alebiosu, Hyam, McLoughlin, Ribeiro, Tavares, Tronstad, Hedges, Cantwell (c), Kargbo, Ohashi: Subs: Goddard, Pickering, Gueye, Miller, De Neve, Wharton, Henriksson, Montgomery, Tyjon
Referee: Tom Nield
Attendance: 20,518 (around 1,100 from Rovers)
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