Hull City's season hits new low after Sheffield Wednesday humbling as Tim Walter anger grows

Tim Walter's disastrous reign at Hull CIty reached a new low on Tuesday night as his side were beaten for the second time this season by Sheffield Wednesday at what is quickly becoming an MKM Stadium filled with abject discontent.

Wednesday's 2-0 win was about as comfortable as you could imagine long before Josh Windass guided in a first half penalty, their first in more than a year. City were laboured, slow, and showed little in the way of encouragement that Walter will get them out of the growing mess they find themselves in.

A drab first half saw City go close through Regan Slater and Xavier Simons, who hit a post late on in a half the visitors dominated and deservedly took the lead shortly before the break when Joao Pedro's clumsy challenge on Shea Charles, with Windass slotting in the penalty kick. Walter was subjected to more chants about his job, as his side were jeered off at the break.

READ MORE: Hull City player ratings vs Sheffield Wednesday as Tigers suffer yet more home humiliation

READ MORE: 'They can say what they like' - Tim Walter makes Hull City vow amid supporter backlash

Michael Smith made it 2-0 with nine minutes to go and seal a deserved away win for the Owls, leaving City in real trouble and now nine games without a win, and a fourth straight loss, and a manager who simply has to be put out of his misery before any more damage is done.

Walter made two changes from the side beaten at Luton Town on Saturday with Kasey Palmer handed a first home start since joining the club and Ryan Longman a maiden start of the season after recovering from shoulder surgery, at the expense of Gustavo Puerta and Abdus Omur, both of whom dropped to the bench.

Inside the opening couple of minutes, the Tigers came close when Kamara teasing cross into the box caused a problem for goalkeeper James Beadle, fumbling it low down and allowing it to squirm underneath him, but he was able to grab it before it trickled over his line and into the back of his net.

Both teams traded chances inside a lively minute, the first coming from a quick Owls break when Shea Charles galloped down the left before switching to Josh Windass on the right, and he guided an effort inches wide of Pandur's far post. City responded quickly with Longman touching to Palmer to fire into the side-netting from distance, and straight on the attack, Wednesday went close with Windass feeding Ike Ugbo to blast across the front of goal and wide of the far post.

Wednesday gradually assumed control after City's decent-ish start, and will feel that Pol Valentin should have done better from 20 yards when he blazed over under little, if any, pressure, their fans singing about being in a library, and in truth, the MKM Stadium with its large swathes of empty seats was painfully quiet, a sign of their growing anxiety and frustration on the terraces.

The best chance of the game came on the half-hour, urged on by the home fans. Palmer's ball into the box wasn't cleared, and it fell invitingly to Slater six yards out unmarked, but he planted his effort straight at Beadle, who blocked brilliantly, and it proved crucial because moments later, Wednesday were awarded their first penalty in more than 500 days after a clumsy Pedro foul on Charles. Referee Langford took an age to give it, but once he did, Windass slotted into the corner with Pandur going the opposite way.

Sections of the MKM Stadium started to chant 'you're getting sacked in the morning' followed by the North Stand shouting 'we want Walter out' just as Simons rattled an effort off the post, via what looked like a faint glove from Beadle.

Hughes and Ugbo then went face-to-face in added time at the end of the first half, with the pair booked for that little altercation and with it, the final action of a desperate first half for City, who were again booed off by their home fans.

Walter made two changes at the break, with Longman and Slater coming off with Marvin Mehlem making his return from injury and Abdus Omur on. Wednesday took off Windass and Ugbo, with Michael Smith and Anthony Musaba on. Walter sent on Gustavo Puerta for Simons just shy of the hour mark, after a dispiriting opening to the second half.

Pedro did at least test Beadle with a looping header from an Abdus corner, diving away to his left to claw away from danger, and that was the opportunity for Danny Rohl to make two more changes with Svante Ingelsson and Liam Palmer in place of Gassama and Valentin with just over 20 minutes left.

It would have been 2-0 with 15 minutes left but for a wonderful goal-saving tackle from Kamara to deny Musaba a tap in from six yards, and that sparked more chants against the manager, and towards the watching Acun Ilicali, demanding he make a change.

Dominic Iorfa replaced Bannan and then Hughes came off for Chris Bedia with 13 minutes on the clock, and the home fans becoming increasinly unhappy with the German, who cut a lonely, isolate figure in the technical area.

Any doubts about the result were extinguished nine minutes from time when Smith, off the bench, side-footed in the net to make it 2-0 and make the final stages a lot more comfortable for the Owls. Mason Burstow was given a late run-out in place of Kamara as the clock ticked away on yet another depressing MKM Stadium outing.

Despite Acun Ilicali's latest vote of confidence in the beleagured German, he simply has to make a decision in the best interests of the club, before it gets too late.

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

Owls: Beadle, Valentin, Valery, Bernard, M Lowe, Johnson, S Charles, Bannan, Gassama, Windass, Ugbo. Subs: Hamer, Palmer, Iorfa, Chalobah, Ingelsson, Paterson, Musaba, J Lowe, Smith

Attendance: 21,297

Referee: Oliver Langford