Oscar Estupinan scored a second-half equalizer to help Hull City produce one of the close football results of the weekend in the Championship. Sonny Carey took advantage of shoddy defending after 28 minutes to give the visitors a commanding lead. Jordan Thorniley, who had replaced Luke Garbutt at halftime, was sent off just eight minutes later for a clear professional foul on Oscar Estupinan, which became the focal point of the game. Hull hasn’t won at home since October 5, but Estupinan’s goal after 77 minutes, when he headed in Lewie Coyle’s deep cross from the right, earned them a point for their efforts.
Before the break, Jean Michael Seri and Ozan Tufan were by far the two greatest players on the field, and their deft interplay resulted in a great opportunity after 12 minutes. Seri lured Tufan into a potentially hazardous region to the left. The international player for Turkey passed the ball to Alfie Jones, whose fairly pedestrian attempt in front of goal was diverted for a corner. But just as Hull appeared to be gaining momentum, Blackpool struck. Jake Beesley intercepted goalkeeper Matt Ingram’s errant pass and set up Carey to complete the task. Moments afterward, Hull attacker Estupinan was narrowly denied by a fine finger-tip save from Dan Grimshaw, almost restoring parity.
Defender Marvin Ekpiteta did a masterful job of heading clear the ensuing scuffle from outside the goal line after the ball hit the crossbar. Thorniley was sent off for a clear sending-off offense after the defender took too slow to react to a hypothetical long ball through the middle. Hull manager Liam Rosenior must have been confident in his team’s chances of at least earning a point at that time. Estupinan outran Thorniley in speed, and when he was hauled down on the edge of the box, referee John Brooks was forced to send him the red card. But Blackpool eventually crumbled when Estupinan outmuscled Ekpiteta in a central position from just outside the six-yard box, maybe understandably becoming jaded in the process.
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