Hull City sink into Championship relegation zone after latest defeat

Hull City's disastrous start to the season continued as they slipped back into the relegation zone with a 1-0 defeat at Luton Town, a result which heaped more pressure on Tim Walter.

Despite dominating the first half, Walter's side failed to have a single effort on target and conceded yet another sloppy goal, with Mark McGuinness angling in from a corner the Tigers didn't deal with just after the half-hour mark.

It capped a half which encapsulated Walter's tenure. All the ball across their back line and almost zero threat up front and then conceding a fairly soft goal against a side who had offered about as little as the Tigers.

READ MORE: Hull City player ratings vs Luton Town as Joao Pedro passes up golden chances

READ MORE: Three games to shape Tim Walter's Hull City future as Tigers face pivotal week

City hit a post through Joao Pedro while their first effort on target didn't arrive until the 75th minute, despite having much of the ball in areas where they couldn't hurt the Hatters, and this result will only leave Walter under more pressure having lost against a side who have now leapfrogged them at the bottom end of the league.

Walter made just the one change with fit again Abu Kamara returning to the starting XI at the expense of Mason Burstow who dropped to the bench, where he was joined by Marvin Mehlem. The German had missed the last six games with a calf injury but made his return after two training sessions.

City started brightly and could haven taken the lead after just four minutes when Kamara was freed down the left, he showed superb speed to race away from Reece Burke but his decision-making lacked conviction, and his cross was cleared at the near post. From that corner, Drameh against his former club, saw a goalbound shot blocked.

Kamara, who was enjoying some freedom against ex-Tiger Burke, whipped in a teasing near-post cross looking for Pedro, but he was beaten at the near post amid a bright start from the Tigers, who had quietened the initial crowd surge.

Puerta was caught in possession and that allowed Adebayo to surge forward but his shot was blocked, and from the corner, Mengi was afforded too much space inside the box to plant a header straight at Pandur.

City were dominating the game but without creating anything of note. A prime example of that being a surge from Slater towards the box, though, instead of shooting, rolled the ball into Abdus on the edge of the box with his back to goal, it went back to Simons 10 yards further back to blaze over.

For all their dominance, the Tigers were not having shots on target, unlike the hosts, who were lacking a consistent threat, but were at least giving Pandur some work to do.

Burke was then carded 22 minutes in for a drag back on Kamara as he looked to cut inside and make tracks forward. Despite City's dominance of the ball, they were not creating anything and so it was a familiar tale.

A cheap corner given away, in it came to Hughes at the near post to flick to the back where defender McGuinness was there to turn in from eight yards unmarked. Another cheap goal, another game without a clean sheet and another game where City had given a leg up to their opposition.

Luton had offered very little to that point, and once again, the manner of the goal will have left Walter furious.

City, however, should have been level shortly after when Coyle's cross, moments after he was carded, picked out Joao Pedro in front of goal to head wide unmarked. That was a gilt-edged chance, and one he should have buried.

It should have been 1-1 five minutes into the second half when Slater raced away down the right firing over a lovely ball for Pedro, who poked at goal and hit the post. He will feel, like in the first half, he should have hit the back of the net.

The first change from either boss came 10 minutes into the second half when another ex-City man came onto the pitch; Liam Walsh replacing the injured Shandon Baptiste, while Walter made his first switch with Ryan Longman coming on for Puerta.

Kamara fashioned another bright opening when he galloped away down the left, though his cross to the back post was cut-out. Moments later, Edwards made a double change with Adebayo and Burke replaced by Daiki Hasikola and Jacob Brown with 25 minutes left.

Kasey Palmer was next on the pitch replacing Omur, and was straight in the action seeing a shot pushed away by Thomas Kaminski - City's first shot on target coming after 75 minutes. That chance coming after Luton had the ball in the net at the other end, only to be ruled out for a foul on Pandur.

Palmer's arrival made a difference, his cross deflecting behind and from his decent corner in, the ball came out nicely to Drameh who got it all wrong, dragging a shot wide.

With time ticking away, Tom Krauß was replaced by Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu, and Walter sent on Chris Bedia in the hope of the big striker finding a moment of magic, and almost came when he poked wide from Longman's cross. Palmer's shot then deflected over via Kaminski and so with it, went City's hopes of stopping the rot.

This result, and performance, will do little to halt the surge of frustration from supporters, who again, travelled in good number, and voice, and again saw their side fall short.

Luton Town: Kaminski, Holmes, McGuinness, Burke, Mengi, Nakamba, Krauß, Baptiste, Chong, Morris, Adebayo. Subs: Krul, Andersen, Moses, Woodrow, Mpanzu, Brown, Walsh, Taylor, Hashioka

Hull City: City: Pandur, Drameh, Jones, Hughes, Coyle (c), Puerta, Simons, Slater, Omur, Kamara, Pedro. Subs: Racioppi, Giles, McLoughlin, Mehlem, Bedia, Longman, Jacob, Burstow, Palmer.

Referee: Thomas Bramall

Attendance: 11,386 (1,100 from Hull City)