Hull City vs Crystal Palace: Back-loaded victory is Steve Bruce’s answer to Neil Warnock

Bruce was unapologetic about shoring up a hitherto leaky defence by playing three centre-backs

Hull manager Steve Bruce with Crystal Palace's manager Neil Warnock (Getty Images)

Neil Warnock is a specialist in damning with faint praise, especially after one of his sides has been beaten, and he was at his most supercilious after his first defeat as Crystal Palace manager, 2-0 at Hull City.

“The way that Hull set up was a compliment to us,” Warnock said, referring to Steve Bruce’s decision to go back to a 3-5-2 formation.

“I don’t know if they’ll get away with that home and away,” sniffed Warnock. “The first goal was always going to win the game.”

Bruce was unapologetic about shoring up a hitherto leaky defence by playing three centre-backs. The system, and Palace’s inability to adapt, allowed full-backs Ahmed Elmohamady and Andy Robertson to play as old-fashioned half-backs, and Hull looked altogether more fluent for it.

“I just felt as if with the two full-backs we’ve got, who like to get forward, maybe we’re a bit too open,” said Bruce after second-half goals from Mohamed Diamé – his third in four appearances for Hull – and Nikita Jelavic gave his side a win they badly needed.

More relevant, he said, was his players cutting out the individual errors.

“I had to warn them: if you make errors, you’re not going to play,” he said. “A win in the Premier League is so difficult. I said last year we needed 10 and we got them. It seems easy, but it ain’t when you’ve got Arsenal, Liverpool and Southampton coming up.”

Goals: Hull Diamé 60, Jelavic 89.

Subs: Hull Ramirez (Hernandez, 76), Rosenior (Robertson, 81), Bruce (Elmohamady, 90); Palace Mariappa (Dann, 12), Chamakh (Campbell, 64), Gayle (McArthur, 70).

Booked: Hull Livermore Palace Mariappa, Campbell.

Man of match Diamé Match rating 6/10.

Possession: Hull 59% Palace 41%

Shots on target: Hull 2 Palace 2

Referee M Dean (Wirral) Attendance 24,281.