Grant McCann frustrated at ‘two points dropped’ in draw with Swansea

Posted Saturday, February 15, 2020 by PA

Grant McCann insisted it was a case of two points dropped after Hull’s thrilling 4-4 Sky Bet Championship draw with Swansea at the KCOM Stadium.

Leonardo Da Silva Lopes, Marcus Maddison and Mallik Wilks each put the Tigers ahead, with Wayne Routledge, Kyle Naughton and Jordon Garrick providing swift equalisers every time.

Rhian Brewster then gave Swansea the lead for the first time late on, only for Tom Eaves to produce a stoppage-time leveller on a night when a combination of slick attacking play and slack defending made for an absorbing contest between two teams who failed to register a shot on target between them during their respective midweek games.

“I don’t know where to start really, it’s very difficult for me to analyse that game without watching it back,” said McCann, whose sides have now gone seven league games without a win.

“It was almost like a basketball game, kamikaze at times. I’ll focus on the positives but we’ll look at the negatives as a staff and try and iron them out.

“Conceding four at home is not good enough. A lack of confidence in the group and every little mistake gets punished.

“For us to show determination and get the draw out the game was pleasing but it shouldn’t have got to that stage.

“The boys are a bit subdued. We’ve dropped two points, that’s the way I see it.”

Hull dominated the early stages, with Wilks twice going close in the opening four minutes before Da Silva Lopes fired home his first goal for the club from Callum Elder’s sixth-minute cross.

Swansea drew level just eight minutes later following a flowing move which finished with Conor Gallagher beating a man in the area before squaring for Routledge to finish with the outside of his foot.

Maddison restored Hull’s lead five minutes after the break but this time the hosts’ advantage lasted only five minutes, as Matt Grimes rolled a corner to an unmarked Naughton 12 yards out and he blasted the ball into the net.

Wilks gave Hull the lead for a third time when he rifled in the rebound after his initial header from a Dan Batty cross had been blocked, only for substitute Garrick to level the scores again when he stabbed home Andre Ayew’s low cross amid more static defending.

Swansea took the lead for the first time with six minutes remaining, as Liverpool loanee Brewster turned a low effort past Long to seemingly snatch the three points.

Hull responded in stoppage time, however, when substitute Eaves poked home after being left unmarked in the six-yard box from Josh Magennis’ cross.

“From our point of view the goals tell you everything about the game,” said Swansea boss Steve Cooper, whose side have now taken just three points from their last five games.

“We’ve had to work hard to create and scores some good goals.

“The goals we’ve given away are just absolute gimmes. Not getting enough pressure on the first ball, we’ve not won the first headers and not picked up the second ones.

“To concede four goals the same like that is disappointing and if I’m being honest it feels like a defeat.

“We haven’t had a great week; that’s three games where if we take a look at ourselves we should have done better.”