Evening everyone! It's a crucial night in the Championship playoffs as either
Hull City or
Derby County will make it into the final at Wembley to play Sheffield Wednesday on May 28. Many will probably think that Hull's progression into the final is a foregone conclusion as they are already 3-0 up in the semi-final tie! However, we are no danger to upsets at this level, so even though Derby have a mountain to climb, they are not out just yet!
We will provide you minute-by-minute updates of the action at the KC Stadium this evening. As mentioned, the winner will face Sheffield Wednesday in the Wembley final. The Owls sealed their place in the showdown with a 3-1 aggregate win over Brighton & Hove Albion in the semi-finals. It was a disappointing outcome for Brighton, who for large parts of the season were leading the way at the top. There are still three teams in the race for promotion, though, and the winner will join Burnley and Middlesbrough in the Premier League next season.
Anyway, before we delve much deeper, let's bring you the lineups for both sides...
HULL CITY XI: Jakupovic; Odubajo, Dawson, Davies, Robertson; Huddlestone, Livermore; Elmohamady, Diame, Snodgrass; Hernandez
Subs: Kuciak, Maguire, Bruce, Meyler, Maloney, Clucas, Akpom
DERBY COUNTY XI: Carson; Christie, Keogh, Shackell, Olsson; Bryson, Hendrick, Hughes; Russell, Martin, Weimann
Subs: Grant, Buxton, Bent, Johnson, Butterfield, Camara, Ince
There are no changes to the Hull side as manager
Steve Bruce sticks with the same XI that put themselves 3-0 up in the first leg. Allan McGregor had a 50/50 chance of being fit for tonight's clash, but much like the first leg, he misses out due to a leg injury. This means that Eldin Jakupovic keeps his place in goal.
In front of Jakupovic, Moses Odubajo, Michael Dawson, Curtis Davies and
Andrew Robertson will line the back four. Tom Huddlestone and Jake Livermore will sit in midfield, while Ahmed Elmohamady, Mohamed Diame and Robert Snodgrass will situate themselves behind striker Abel Hernandez.
As for Derby, head coach
Darren Wassall has made two changes to the side from Saturday. Bradley Johnson and Tom Ince have dropped to the bench, making way for Jeff Hendrick and Andreas Weimann. Wassall has opted to include Weimann in the first XI with the hope of more fire power after he sat out of last weekend's match.
So, as expected, Scott Carson will take his place in between the sticks. Cyrus Christie, Richard Keogh, Jason Shackell and Marcus Olsson line the back four, with Craig Bryson, Will Hughes and Hendrick in midfield.
Johnny Russell, Chris Martin and Weimann will form a three-pronged attack.
Right, there's only one place to start really, isn't there? Saturday's semi-final first leg. It was the perfect night for Hull as not only did they seal a 3-0 win, but they did it on away turf at Pride Park, knowing that they would have to welcome
Darren Wassall's side back to their patch for the second leg. The first blow for Derby, who started the game well, came on the half-hour mark when Abel Hernandez scored for Hull.
The Rams would have been pleased to reach the half-time interval just one goal down, but they were hit with a sucker-punch five minutes from time when Moses Odubajo doubled Hull's lead. There was not much to shout about with regards to Derby's performance as they failed to seriously threaten their opponents' goal in the second half.
Hull extended their lead further in added time when
Andrew Robertson found the back of the net. Robertson scored in the eighth minute of stoppage time, even though the fourth official signalled five minutes to be played. The damage was already done for Derby, though, and they have given themselves a huge task to get back in this tie!
In terms of possession, Derby had more of the ball during the game. In fact they had 59%, while the visiting side had 41%. The difference was attempts in goal as the home side mustered eight, half of what Hull created that afternoon. There were only four shots on target in the entire game, though, with Derby producing just one and Hull three.
Former Blackpool manager Ian Holloway had some stern words for Derby following their performance. He told
Sky Sports News: "What happens at that Derby group? Those players have got to grow some. They lack character.
"You have to have the will do achieve something, not just the skill. It doesn't really matter who the manager is at Derby, whether it's Harry Redknapp and Darren Wassall, there's a massive character flaw within that squad.
"The crowd went quiet. The team went quiet and they went out with a total whimper. No-one takes responsibility. Derby need to have a complete rebuild - there is something wrong at the club."
Ouch! In fairness to Holloway, though, I think many people were expecting a tighter contest, particularly when you consider the league results between the two. Derby earned the double over Hull in the regular season. The match at the KC Stadium ended in a 2-0 triumph for the Rams, with Jacob Butterfield scoring twice, and the reverse fixture at Pride Park ended in a 4-0 rout for the hosts. Bradley Johnson scored twice, while Chris Martin and Craig Bryson also added to the scoreline.
In the Championship table there ended up being a bigger gulf between the two sides. Derby finished fifth in the regular season, five points behind Hull, who claimed fourth spot after 46 games. Hull had a strong end to the campaign as they lost just three games in their final 10 matches. The defeats came against Middlesbrough, Derby and relegated Bolton Wanderers.
After losing 4-0 to Derby, Bruce's side went on an unbeaten run of five games. They managed to come from behind to seal a 2-2 with Huddersfield Town and went on to beat Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-1 in the following game. The Tigers came from 1-0 down to beat Reading at the Madejski Stadium, but their winning run was ended by Leeds United.
Hull had fought back to 1-1 at the KC Stadium before taking the lead through Tom Huddlestone, but Stuart Dallas managed to find an equaliser in the 88th minute to take home a point for Leeds. Hull recovered to beat Brentford 2-0 in the subsequent game, but their unbeaten run came to an end when they lost 1-0 away to Bolton.
The final game of the season was a positive one, though, as Robert Snodgrass, Abel Hernandez, Jake Livermore and Mohamed Diame scored in a 5-1 rout over Rotherham United on home turf. The result sealed their place in the playoffs.
As for Derby, well, they failed to win any of their final three games of the regular season, hampering their chances of finishing higher in the table. The Rams were staring at a defeat against Sheffield Wednesday on April 23 as they were 1-0 down with eight minutes of normal time left to play, but Darren Bent nabbed an equaliser before the final whistle.
The subsequent match against Brighton also ended in a draw, but this was in more dramatic fashion. Andreas Wiemann put Derby ahead in the 71st minute and as the minutes ticked by, Brighton's hopes of automatic promotion dwindled. However, James Wilson, who is on loan at the club from Manchester United, struck in the 95th minute. As we know, Brighton went on to lose an automatic promotion spot to Middlesbrough and lost to Sheffield Wednesday in the playoff semi-finals.
Anyway, back to Derby! Their final match of the Championship season was a disappointing one as they lost 1-0 to Ipswich Town in front of their home fans. Prior to the final three games of the season, the Rams went on a four-game winning run. They kicked off that run with a 4-0 rout over Hull and followed it up with a 4-1 triumph over Bolton at home. The team conceded a penalty on the day, but goals from
Johnny Russell, Tom Ince and Jacob Butterfield got them over the line comfortably.
Derby won their third game on the bounce with a slender 1-0 victory away at Charlton Athletic, and what followed was an exciting 3-2 win over Bristol City. Russell gave the Rams the lead in the 37th minute, but 60 seconds later, City were celebrating an equaliser through Jonathan Kodjia. Bobby Reid put the hosts ahead a minute before half-time, but Derby responded in the second half. Bryson and Ince scored with five minutes of one another to give their side all three points.
DID YOU KNOW? Every team that has had a three-goal lead from the first leg in the history of the Championship playoffs have gone on to reach the final. Positive news for Hull then! Not that they really needed the boost...
Hull have a very strong home form given that they have lost just one of their last 24 league games at the KC Stadium. Derby, on the other hand, have come out on top just three times in their last 12 league games on the road. In that time they have only kept one clean sheet.
HEAD TO HEAD: Hull have an inconsistent head-to-head record with Derby given that they have switched from win to loss in each of their last six home meetings in the league. The Rams enjoy scoring at the KC, though, as they have netted in seven of their last eight league trips.
We're just three minutes away from kickoff! Both sets of players have made their way out onto the pitch. It's a great atmosphere at the KC! Derby need to make history to get through, but you never know...
KICKOFF! Hull get us underway! Fingers crossed for an exciting game!
It's a rocking atmosphere in the stadium! The ball is hoofed forward by Derby towards the right side of the final third, but Jakupovic has it covered as he comes off his line and lets the ball bobble behind the byline.
Hull launch their first attack of the game as the ball is played long from their own half. Keogh tracks it and keeps an eye on Diame approaching behind him, but the defender kicks it back to his keeper and the ball is cleared.
Christie lays the ball off to Martin, who unleashes a shot, but it's a tame effort and Dawson blocks. The play is still alive, though, and Hughes charges into the box, but the hosts clear.
GOAL! HULL 0-1 DERBY (RUSSELL)
Oh, hello! We have an early goal from Derby and it's just what they need! The majority of the work gets done by Christie, who storms down the right flank before whipping a cross into the box. The ball is headed back towards Russell, who stabs it home from close range on his second attempt. Game on!
Derby certainly have their tails up! Hughes and Olsson play a one-two in the middle of the park. The ball is then whipped across the face of goal, but nobody is there to tuck the ball into the net and it goes behind for a goal kick.
Hull show their first sign of threat at the other end as Odubajo whips in a decent ball from the right-hand side. It just misses Diame by a few inches. The forward was preparing himself to header it home, but the ball got away from him.
The ball is struggling to stay on the ground at the minute! Neither side have managed to put a move together in the last few minutes. One's thing for sure, Hull need to quieten the visiting crowd or face a shock upset!
Hughes has started very well tonight and he shows quick feet in the centre of the field as he evades his markers to get into the final third. He knocks the ball forward to Russell, who gets brought down by Livermore and earns a free kick in a dangerous area.
It's taken by Russell, who manages to get it over the wall, but as the ball is dipping, it just drops wide!
A nervy moment for Hull! Weimann gets in behind the defence on the left side of the area before sending a low cross into the box. The ball goes into no-mans land, but Snodgrass just gets there first to hoof the ball clear.
BOOKING! Bryson is on the charge and gets completely wiped out by Snodgrass! Referee Michael Oliver issues a yellow card.
Well, Derby are doing everything right so far. They are unrecognisable from the first leg. The fans will just be hoping that it's not too late for them.
Christie crosses the ball in from the right side, but he fails to reach a teammate. Hull then try to break, and the ball ends up at Diame's feet. He goes for goal, but Derby's defence drop back to clear the danger.
Oh dear, a wasted attack for Hull! They have not had many opportunities to test the keeper and they have one as Livermore gets the ball on the right corner of the box. He has a lot of space, but ends up thumping the ball over the bar. That was also their first shot!
It's Odubajo's turn to charge now as he drives towards the box but ends up getting stopped in his tracks by Olsson. Derby then break. Russell sends a cross in from the left, but its mishit and the ball rolls out.
BOOKING! Livermore goes in the book after bringing down Martin right on the edge of the penalty area.
CHANCE! Hendrick takes the free kick. He goes for placement rather than power, but the ball ends up hitting the wall. The play is still alive, though, and the ball falls to Bryson, who unleashes a great shot, but it just drifts wide.
CHANCE! It's end to end at the moment! There's a scramble in Derby's box, and the visitors struggle to clear. Odubajo tries to lift the ball up for a shot, but it's cleared. The ball then drops to Livermore, who fires from the edge of the box, but it goes wide.
GOAL! HULL 0-2 DERBY (ROBERTSON OG)
Oh my! Derby have a second! We're only a couple of goals away from the Rams making history! The goal will go down as a Robertson own goal, but it was great work from Weimann, who got into the box in an attempt reach Olsson's perfect low cross. Robertson can only knock it into the back of his own net. What a game!
PENALTY DENIED! Hull try to bounce back instantly after conceding a second as Odubajo gets into the area and is taken down on the edge of the box. The referee isn't interested though.
Hughes manages to get past three defenders on his way to the box, but the ball is pushed wide and the hosts win a free kick.
Olsson is receiving some treatment after going to ground following a collision with Elmohamady. The defender has hurt his back, but seems fit enough to carry on.
Elmohamady is awarded a free kick on the right side of the area. It's whipped into the box by Snodgrass. There's a lot of pace on the ball, but nobody can get onto it to direct towards goal.
HALF-TIME: HULL 0-2 DERBY
The half-time whistle blows and it's been the perfect 45 minutes for Derby. They are two goals away from pulling off the impossible and overcoming a 3-0 deficit from the first leg to beat Hull City and reach the Championship playoff final. Johnny Russell led the comeback as he scored in the seventh minute. Hull were shell-shocked and conceded a second in the 36th minute. It was a well-worked goal, but ended up going down as an own goal as Andrew Robertson got the last touch. The tie is currently 3-2 to Hull on aggregate. The second half is set up nicely! We'll be back for it shortly.
RESTART! Derby get us back underway! Can Derby perform a historic comeback or will Hull hang on? Let's find out!
Elmohamady charges down the right flank and manages to get away from his marker, but the move breaks down. Odubajo then gets a cross into the area, but Carson comes out to make a comfortable catch.
CHANCE! How do Derby not have a third?! Weimann crosses into the box, searching for Bryson, but he gets his feet in a muddle and pokes the ball wide with his thigh. Weimann keeps the ball in play and shoots into the side-netting.
Derby get a free kick as Hughes is brought down by Odubajo. Martin takes it, but it's quite a tame effort and Dawson blocks.
HULL SUB: The hosts make their first change of the game as Meyler replaces Huddlestone.
Hull win a free kick a few yards from the penalty area. The ball is placed centrally and Snodgrass lines up to take it, but he smashes it into the wall.
Derby have carried their momentum from the first half into second. Hull are struggling to deal with them, and you feel that if it stays this way, the Rams will get the goals that they need!
BOOKING! Shackell is the first Derby player to get a yellow card after clipping Meyler. It's worth noting that Odubajo was booked earlier for a foul on Hughes.
Hull have some time on the ball and manage to work it to Hernandez on the edge of the box. The forward strikes from there, but he completely misses the target.
Kendrick searches for Martin on the left side of the box, but the latter lets it run for Olsson. The defender also fails to get on the end of it.
DERBY SUB: It's a blow for Derby as Weimann is forced off the pitch with what appears to be a knee injury. Tom Ince comes on to replace him.
Close! Snodgrass looks to be through on goal following a pass from Hernandez, but Shackell gets a vital touch to redirect the ball's path. Carson comfortably collects.
Derby show some sloppiness on the ball as Hendrick's pass goes straight to Diame, who fires from the edge of the area, but his attempt bobbles wide.
Ince finds acres of space down the left and manages to send a high cross into the area, looking for Martin, but Davies gets there first to head clear.
Martin sends a through-ball for Ince, who looks to drive through the middle, but Odubajo gets in front of him to intercept the ball.
Robertson charges down the left wing before aiming a cross into the area. It's not his best, though, and Hughes gets on the end of it. He then shoots from 25 yards out, but his attempt sails over the bar.
CHANCE! Ince gets on the end of a cross on the left side of the box. He shoots, but Dawson sends it wide.
SAVE! Jakupovic makes his first meaningful save of the game as Martin shoots from inside the box, but the keeper punches clear.
Derby put Hull under pressure as Hughes lays the ball off to Ince, who goes for glory just outside the area, but the ball misses the target.
Hull manage to keep the ball for some time and it ends up at Meyler's feet. The home fans urge him to shoot, but he opts to pass to Elmohamady, who finds space on the right, but he fails to get a shot away.
Shackell gives away a cheap corner to Hull after letting the ball get away from him on the byline. The ball is whipped in by Snodgrass, but it's cleared. The home side are looking much more comfortable now!
There's some tired legs out there for Derby. They put so much energy into the first half, they were expected to drop off slightly. The Rams only need one goal, though, to push the game into extra time.
DERBY SUB: Goalscorer Russell makes way for Bent. Can he be the hero?
Odubajo gets fouled by Hendrick and the free kick is taken by Elmohanady. It's short, but fails to trouble the keeper.
Bryson manages to find Martin on the edge of the area. Martin then tries to flick it back, but Odubajo intercepts the pass. Christie then fizzes the ball across the goal, but it misses Bent.
DERBY SUB: It's the last change as Camara replaces Olsson. The clock is ticking for Derby.
The fourth official indicates FOUR MINUTES of added time. The nerves can be felt from both sets of fans!
HULL SUB: The Tigers try to run down the clock by bringing off Diame and replacing him with Clucas.
Derby are throwing everything at it, but so far, Hull are defending well.
Derby have a corner and Carson comes up... but it comes to nothing.
FULL-TIME: HULL 0-2 DERBY (3-2 AGGREGATE)
HULL CITY THROUGH TO CHAMPIONSHIP PLAYOFF FINAL!
Congratulations Hull City! Steve Bruce's side have made it into the Championship playoff final after holding on to grab a 3-2 aggregate win over Derby County. Johnny Russell and an Andrew Robertson own goal gave the Rams hope of becoming the first team in the Football League to overcome a 3-0 deficit from the first leg, but it was not to be. Hull will take on Sheffield Wednesday in the final at Wembley on May 28. Thank you for joining us, and until next time, goodbye!