' MATCH THREAD : HULL v CARDIFF CITY ' MATCH THREAD '

Hull City v Cardiff City: 'Impeccable' home form is key - Bruce

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By Hull Daily Mail

Wednesday January 13, 2016

By Philip Buckingham


LET'S BE HARD TO BEAT IN OUR OWN BACKYARD: Hull City boss Steve Bruce.


STEVE Bruce believes Hull City's "impeccable" home form can lay the foundations for an instant return to the Premier League.


The Tigers will aim to boost their automatic promotion hopes tonight by adding Cardiff City to a long list of rivals conquered at the KC Stadium this season.

A 10th Championship win on home soil would lift City up to second after Derby County drew 1-1 at home to Reading last night.

And in a week that will also see the Tigers host lowly Charlton Athletic on Saturday, Bruce wants to continue a formidable record in their own backyard.


"You always need your home form to stack up if you're going to be successful. That's the same in any division," said Bruce.

"Thankfully we've managed that and long may it continue.

"I wish we could match it away from home. Then we'd be practically unbeatable. It's one defeat in 17 games in all competitions so we want that to continue.

"We've got back-to-back home games coming up and we want to win them both if we can.

"That would be great. It's never easy but our home form has been impeccable really so we need to keep it up.

"There's no reason why we can't. We've started the new year well. We've been reminded of what a good squad we've got so let's put that to the test. It's all to play for."

City's only blemish on home soil this season was a 2-0 loss to Derby in November but a return of 29 points from a possible 36 at the KC has placed Bruce's men firmly in the promotion hunt.

"Teams coming here are trying to stop us, rather than trying to win the game," added Bruce. "I think most teams would be delighted to come away with a draw.

"Sometimes you have to be a bit patient but more often than not we've eventually found a way."

City will be favourites to make it five wins on the spin at the KC when welcoming a Cardiff side humbled by League One strugglers Shrewsbury in the FA Cup on Sunday. That turned up the heat on boss Russell Slade, who is reportedly fighting to save his job.



City won 2-0 in South Wales back in September but Bruce is not taking tonight's visitors lightly.

"When we were down there (in September) they were right up in the play-off area but I actually think Russell has done a fantastic job in a difficult situation," said Bruce.

"They've had a horrible fall-out from the Premier League. The ground used to be full to the rafters but unfortunately they've fallen into the Championship and they've had to cut their cloth. He's had to make so many changes in that respect and you have to say well done because they're still competitive.

"There's not one in the division where you think you'll have it easy. I was talking to Chris Hughton at the weekend and he was saying the same.

"Whoever you play, you'll find it difficult at this level."

Cardiff are the visitors to the KC on Wednesday evening following on from the FA Cup weekend. City overcame Brighton with a relative ease that belied the 1-0 scoreline on Saturday. The Bluebirds were not as successful, losing at home 0-1 to Shrewsbury Town from League 1.

Cardiff have had a strange league season so far, showing awful away form yet being rock solid at home (apart from when the Tigers visit). Pressure is growing on Russell Slade, and he’ll make a number of changes to the side that lost at the weekend. David Marshall is likely to return in goal, as should Joe Mason and Tony Watt up front.

Bruce made seven changes prior to the FA Cup tie, clearly mindful of the three games City have scheduled this week. It’s expected that the starting line up on Wednesday evening will be similar to the one that overcame QPR on New Year’s Day. The only injury concern is Adama Diomande who is ruled out with a groin injury.

2 nil Hull.

0-2

TEAM NEWS

Hull striker Adama Diomande has a groin injury and is the only one of seven players rested for the FA Cup win over Brighton not in line for a recall.
Allan McGregor, Jake Livermore, Sam Clucas, David Meyler, Mo Diame and Abel Hernandez are all available.
Keeper David Marshall is one of nine players Cardiff rested for the FA Cup.
Matthew Connolly, Lee Peltier, Aron Gunnarsson, Craig Noone, Anthony Pilkington, Joe Ralls, Joe Mason and Tony Watt are also set for a return.

I have got a strange feeling that the players will put in a great shift and surprise everyone. I think Hull will be all over us but we will win 3-2.

We have bounced back before and there is no better time to do it!

(Unless you want Slade out but we should still remain optimistic and support the team!)

Come on City! FairPlay to the fans travelling up how the hell do you all get the time off work??

Battle of the Scottish keepers!

Good luck to the team and I hope they give the die-hards who have travelled up something to smile about on the long journey home!

Hull 2 cardiff 2 slade to carry on

2-2

Marshall; Peltier, Connolly, Manga, Malone; Noone, Gunnarsson, Ralls, Pilkington; Watt, Mason

Subs: Moore, Fabio, Whittingam, O'Keefe, Ameobi, Macheda, Revell

Marshall; Peltier, Connolly, Manga, Malone; Noone, Gunnarsson, Ralls, Pilkington; Watt, Mason

Subs: Moore, Fabio, Whittingam, O'Keefe, Ameobi, Macheda, Revell

Poor bench

no

sorry

shocking bench

Fabio on the bench ? Best player this season just my opinion though.

If a defender gets injured we're fucked.

If we did get anhialated would Slade then have to go????? Or would he have one more game anyway??

I just hope we can produce something special somehow to stay in touch of the playoffs irrespective of the Circus that is going on which is something that you have to expect when supporting Cardiff City!

I think slade wants to go some strange things going on

Manga nearly cost us but atoned for his mistake!

3 times we've just given the ball away and putting ourselves under pressure

Very sloppy we are.

Were edging possession 0 shots to there 2 but you have to be content so far from our perspective. I just hope we can hang on in there and get something out of this game.

((After the last game!)

We keep giving the ball away, it's like a hot potatoe.

Pilkington just missed a lob from 10 yards.

Very sloppy we are.

Gunnarsson having a nightmare but we should be one up with pilks

Huge chance.

As has been said by a few people if we don't let them score will the pressure get to them and open a door for us?

I admit we have been a bit sloppy but it could be there for the taking as our confidence will only grow as the game continues and they will start to panic!

Penalty!

Mountain to climb now! We couldn't let them score! Just got to go for it now!

1 nil Hull.

The floodgates may open now..

ref obviously watched game last night with pen!

Penalty conceded by Peltier.

Scored by Herndez.