'Tough and demanding' - Sergej Jakirović makes Sheffield Wednesday admission after Hull defeat
Hull City head coach Sergej Jakirović admitted Sheffield Wednesday made life difficult for his side after they came from behind to win 3-1 at the MKM Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
With pressure mounting from the chasing pack in the race for the play-offs, the Tigers went into the clash with Wednesday knowing they needed to get three points on the board.
However, they fell behind with 23 minutes on the clock when Jamal Lowe bundled Wednesday in front after Hull failed to deal with a Svante Ingelsson free-kick.
Fortunately for the home side, they issued an immediate response, pulling themselves level just a minute later when Matt Crooks tapped in Kyle Joseph’s low centre.
They then turned the game on its head right before half-time when Dominic Iorfa headed into his own net from a Paddy McNair free-kick delivery. The home side then increased their lead 13 minutes after half-time when Joseph slotted a cool finish past Pierce Charles.
Having played out a 2-2 draw with Wednesday at Hillsborough on Boxing Day, Jakirović, in his pre-match press conference on Thursday, admitted that his players had been warned not to take the Owls lightly. And judging by his post-match assessment, the Croatian watched Wednesday provide the sort of test he anticipated.
"I'm very pleased with the boys," Jakirović told the media. "I think the players put everything on the pitch because it was not an easy game. I expected a tough and demanding match because no one has beaten them easily.
"They are organised, they're trying to press the ball, press you hard, so in the first 20/25 minutes, it was not easy to find the gaps between their lines.
"They were very compact, and when we conceded this goal, we started to play much faster, many more combinations with short passes, and then we equalised, 1-1 after 94 seconds.
"And then the second goal was very important before the break. At half-time, I just said to the players that without counterattacks in the second half, we must be very organised with offensive marking because they're very fast in front and also be patient on the ball, play around, till the space comes.”