Hull City won their first away game, not only of this season, but in 31 away games with two late goals at Carrow Road. City controlled large parts of the game and it was only a matter of time before all their play was converted into goals. However, that didn't happen and a Robert Koren header and Tom Cairney free-kick ensured Nigel Pearson's side took away all three points.
Paul Lambert had made just one change to his squad and that was to bring in young Steven Smith on the bench for Matt Gill who this week went on loan to Peterborough. For the visitors, Pearson was able to reinstate his captain Ian Ashbee who missed last week's 0-0 draw with Nottingham Forest, with John Bostock dropping to the bench.
City kicked off toward the River End as the rain fell from very grey skies. It was the visitors that had the first sight of goal, when in the sixth minute although John Ruddy palmed away Cairney's shot, Jay Simpson thought he'd scored with the rebound. But the Assistant Referee had already raised his flag for offside!
City responded immediately and after Grant Holt was fouled, Simon Lappin's freekick went out for the game's first corner. As soon as the left-sided midfielder's ball arrived in the 6-yard area, referee David Foster blew for an opposition foul.
Korey Smith and Russell Martin were working well down City's right and this produced a corner after the right-back's cross deflected off the Tigers' right back, Andy Dawson. Lappin lifted the corner over the first man and it looked like Leon Barnett was about to volley goalwards, but he produced an air kick instead and the chance went begging.
The Canaries continued to dominate the possession and won another corner in the 18th minute. Barnett once again attempted to opening his Canary goalscoring account, but could only head over Lappin's outswinging flag-kick.
Hull's frustration was very evident in the 20th minute, when Ian Ashbee was the first player to go into the referee's notebook, for a rough tackle on Holt.
In the 24th minute Jimmy Bullard drew ironic cheers from the home crowd as he attempted to get his side in front, but his 25 yard shot was always rising!
Hull won their first corner in the 28th minute, but once again an alert Assistant Referee, spotted some pushing by the opposition. They tried again to get a foothold in the game in the next minute when Craig Fagan got around Elliot Ward on the edge of the Canaries area. However, his low shot lacked any real power and was easily collected by Ruddy low to his right.
The home side went back on the offensive and again kept possession by switching play from the right to the left flank. This saw Adam Drury and Lappin, who like Russell Martin & Smith, combined well down the left, resulting in Lappin's cross being headed out for another corner. Lappin delivered another excellent flag-kick which saw Holt get his head to it, although he wasn't able to keep it low enough.
City continued to keep up the pressure on Hull until the break, earning a further two corners although they weren't able to turn that domination into a goal.
The first came in the 37th minute after another swift move involving Russell Martin and Hoolahan, which saw the tricky Irishman feed Holt in the area, but a defender intercepted his attempted shot. The second came on the stroke of half-time, when down the left this time Drury and Lappin exchanged passes, with City's left-back playing the ball off a defender. Lappin again delivered another quality ball in, but this time it was headed clear.
HALF-TIME: City 0 Hull 2
Neither manager made a change and there was no change on the pitch either as the Canaries continued to control the game.
In the 51st minute the alert Assistant Referee, standing in front of the away fans, spotted a handball by Andy Dawson just outside his area. From the resulting free-kick Lappin whipped in a ball that whizzed through the 6-yard area, with no one, defender or striker, able to get a touch on it. Fortunately, it fell to Hoolahan who did well to lift the ball to the far post where Barnett, just couldn't quite jump high enough to connect to it.
Barnett then conceded a free-kick just outside his penalty area, although Bullard found Ruddy very alert to the ball that went through the Canaries wall.
Lappin then set up Hoolahan for the best chance of the game so far. He found the Irishman in the area, but Hoolahan was denied by Hull's keeper Matt Duke.
Hoolahan was pulling the strings again in the 63rd minute, cleverly holding the ball up before sliding it perfectly in behind the defence for the over-lapping Drury. From right on the byline the left-back's cross was plucked out of the air by Duke as Holt looked destined to open the scoring.
There was an even better opportunity for the home side to take the lead in the 64th minute. Hoolahan was again instrumental finding Holt on the edge of the Hull area. The City striker put the ball in behind the defence, where Lappin had just the keeper to beat. Amazingly rather than shoot, he squared the ball into the middle but no one in a yellow shirt was there!
Fearing his side were going to concede any minute, the Hull boss made a double substitution in the 64th minute, bringing on Mark Cullen and Nick Barmby for Simpson and Craig Fagan.
But it was the home side that were asking more questions of Hull and they carved out another glorious chance in the 77th minute. Hoolahan, picked up the ball in midfield and set about running at the visitors' back-pedaling defence. He had Chris Martin on his left and Holt on his right, choosing the Beccles Born striker. Martin just had Duke to beat, but disappointingly lacked any invention and fired his shot straight at the Hull keeper.
That was to be Martin's last contribution, with Lambert making a tactical change bring on Simeone Jackson.
Then, very much against the run of play the Tigers stole into the lead to stun the capacity home crowd. Dawson cut in from the left and with his shot deflecting of Ward, it wrong footed Ruddy, allowing Koren the simplest of headers back into the far corner.
In a final throw of the dice in the 85th minute, Lambert introduced Anthony Mcnamee at the expense of the hard-working and effective Lappin.
But that change made no difference at all and Hull extended their unlikely lead with just two minutes of normal time remaining. Ward conceded a free-kick on the edge of his area, which Cairney stroked over the wall and into the far corner beyond the despairing dive of Ruddy.
That had knocked the stuffing out of the Canaries and despite there being four minutes of extra time, there was to be no late goals this time around. Deservedly at the final whistle, they were applauded off the field, from the home fans who recognised that they had played well and just didn't get the proverbial 'rub of the green.'
FULL-TIME: City 0 Hull 2
Goals:
City: None
Hull: Koren (82); Cairney (88)
Bookings:
City: Holt (77); Ward (88)
Hull: Ashbee (20); Ayala (74)
Referee: Mr David Foster
Attendance: 24,947