Former Hull forwards Jaden Philogene and Chuba Akpom returned to haunt their old side as Ipswich moved up to fourth in the Sky Bet Championship with a 2-0 win at the MKM Stadium.
The pair and four others dropped to the bench as Ipswich made six changes from Saturday’s 0-0 draw with Wrexham, but their introduction after 66 minutes was the catalyst which enlivened a dour contest.
With his first touch, Philogene’s dipping cross saw Marcelino Nunez head home in the 69th minute, while Akpom finished from close range moments later as Ipswich extended their unbeaten run to six matches.
They have now won their last three on the road, having claimed a brace of 4-1 wins at Swansea and QPR this month, while their stubborn defending saw Hull draw a blank for the first time in 14 games.
The Tigers, who slipped to a third defeat in four matches and to eighth in the table, had enjoyed the better chances until Ipswich went ahead but it was for large parts a forgettable contest.
Joe Gelhardt, full of confidence with six goals in his last seven matches, spied an opportunity to lob Christian Walton, who backpedalled but watched on as the audacious 40-yard effort went harmlessly wide.
Walton was called into action on the half hour, brilliantly getting his fingertips to Joel Ndala’s strike from the edge of the box, and Kyle Joseph dragged wide from a lightning-quick Hull break.
Kasey McAteer drilled high over the bar, while at the other end Gelhardt had the first shot on target, an innocuous attempt from distance that Walton easily saved at the end of a first half low on quality.
Ipswich – who were forced into a change as Jens Cajuste limped off at half-time, with Jack Taylor coming on – showed more ambition after the break, as Marcelino Nunez’s shot brought a save from Ivor Pandur.
Philogene and Akpom were introduced midway through the second half to give the visitors more impetus and it had a near instant impact as the Tractor Boys hit the front.
It was a floated cross from the left from Philogene, who scored 12 times in 32 appearances for Hull in the 2023-24 season, that allowed Nunez to steal in behind two defenders and head beyond Pandur.
Ipswich went up a level after the opener as Akpom saw a shot blocked by desperate Hull defending but the on-loan Ajax frontman struck from the resulting corner, despite claims of offside from the hosts.
Nunez’s corner was headed goalwards by Dara O’Shea and although Pandur parried away the effort, Taylor’s follow-up found its way to Akpom, who was on loan at Hull in 2015-16, to tap in.
Replays showed Akpom was onside as he finished at the far post in the 73rd minute, while only the post denied Philogene a goal of his own late on after he lashed a shot across Pandur.
The managers
Hull’s Sergej Jakirovic:
To follow…
Ipswich’s Kieran McKenna:
To follow…
