This is Hull and East Riding --*Philip Buckingham* says Hull City showed plenty of character in the defeat to Liverpool at Anfield – but were essentially running on empty.
LIGHTNING would not strike twice for Hull City. A month to the day since becoming one of only five Premier League clubs to nullify Luis Suarez's threat successfully in a 3-1 win at the KC Stadium, it was Liverpool's gifted Uruguayan who yesterday exacted revenge on his fertile Anfield soil.
Unlike the Tigers' historic victory 31 days earlier, Steve Bruce's men had no answer to the attacking verve of a title-chasing Liverpool side led by Suarez.
Once Daniel Agger had nodded in a downward header late in the first half, all hope of an illustrious double slipped through tired fingers.
The margin of the defeat could have been greater but in Suarez, Liverpool had the telling advantage this time around.
Scoring his 15th goal in seven home games this season with a magnificent free-kick four minutes after the break, the prolific marksmen again proved the ace in the Reds' pack.
City huffed and puffed in pursuit of a happy New Year's Day. Four days after hammering six past Fulham, however, they failed to even muster one shot on target.
For a City squad low on numbers, Anfield represented a stop too far down the line.
Ten of a fatigued XI had started at least six of the games in December and the demands had clearly taken a heavy toll.
Liverpool, without question, always appeared the superior side but the Tigers were low on the energy that has so often dug the foundations for their better performances this term. This was a side running on empty.
"A football player can play a match every day, but you can't play with the same intensity," said Bruce in the wake of a losing start to 2014.
"We looked tired and when tiredness creeps in, concentration goes, your passing goes and basically you haven't got the energy to compete. "Sometimes you just have to say you were beaten by a better team and we were, it was as simple as that."
Although 2013 had ended with a scintillating flourish, Bruce still found room for change from the side that had beaten Fulham 6-0 four days earlier.
A switch back to 3-5-2 – the same system that had tripped Liverpool up a month before – paved the way for Alex Bruce and David Meyler to return, with Liam Rosenior and George Boyd the unfortunate absentees.
The stated aim was to stifle a Liverpool attack that had plundered 23 goals on the way to six consecutive wins at Anfield and, namely, Suarez, the tormentor-in-chief responsible for 14 of them.
The early signs were promising in a subdued opening.
City's compact shape offered few spaces to exploit and it was the visitors who were first to threaten.
Yannick Sagbo shot into the Kop when working space on the edge of the box, while Robert Koren's attempt on goal, fed by Jake Livermore, was diffused by a covering challenge and collected safely by Simon Mignolet.
Suarez was beginning to get irritable at the close attention he was afforded, but his threat was mercurial and constant.
The Uruguayan had the ball in the back of the net after 19 minutes when nodding in Phillipe Coutinho's free-kick but wheeling away in celebration he discovered a raised flag.
Replays showed it was only Suarez's shoulder beyond the last defender.
Suarez persisted and carved open City six minutes later.
A wonderful flick from Daniel Agger's long ball sent in Raheem Sterling and only Allan McGregor's save when one-on-one kept the Tigers level.
Although City recovered to enjoy a tidy defensive spell, their good work was undone eight minutes from the interval.
A right-wing corner from Coutinho was headed downwards by Agger and though his effort appeared innocuous enough, Henderson made a nuisance of himself to unsight McGregor.
The dam had sprung a leak and City were fortunate their plight was not worsened before the break.
First Henderson, latching on to a lovely lay-off from Aspas, and then Coutinho, dropping a shoulder inside the box, dragged wide with McGregor's goal gaping. Two fortunate escapes were City's.
For the visitors to find a way back in there needed to be a notable upturn in their use of the ball. Bruce preached the message at half-time but his words floated away across Stanley Park when Suarez effectively killed the game as a contest four minutes into the second half.
Awarded a free-kick when brought down by Chester to the left of centre 20 yards out, the irrepressible striker curled an unstoppable right-foot effort past the diving McGregor and into the top corner. It was a moment where all you could do was applaud.
Bruce responded by using his full allocation of substitutes a minute before the hour mark. Danny Graham, Matty Fryatt and Boyd all entered the fray in a bold switch but Liverpool's grip on the contest never relinquished.
For all City could be commended for their endeavour, the home side were always the likelier to find the game's third goal inside a relaxed conclusion.
Brazilian playmaker Coutinho alone had four attempts on goal but only twice managed to work McGregor.
On both occasions the Scot was the equal to what came his way from the right foot of Coutinho.
The Tigers plugged away, with Boyd and Fryatt pressing their claims for a start against Middlesbrough in the FA Cup, but Anfield was an unrelenting end to a hectic festive schedule. Though minds and hearts were willing, there would be no reward for Bruce's men.
That came later with news of those below them in the table failing to make up the ground. City fall to within six points of the bottom three but remain 10th. For that, there was ample reason to believe in 2014. Reported by This is 1 day ago.