LAST UPDATE | 29 Dec 2023
AARON CONNOLLY WAS on target again for Hull City as they triumphed in the Championship tonight, while Gavin Bazunu’s late mistake to concede a goal did not prove costly for promotion-chasing Southampton as they beat Plymouth 2-1 at St Mary’s.
Connolly grabbed his 8th goal of the season as Hull moved back into the Championship play-offs with a 3-2 victory at the MKM Stadium over a Blackburn team that lost a fourth game in a row.
Liam Delap capitalised on some poor defending to open the scoring after 11 minutes for Hull, before Connolly controlled well before cushioning a half-volley home seven minutes later.
Blackburn reduced the deficit on 33 minutes when Sammie Szmodics had the nous to spot Matt Ingram off his line before expertly chipping home for his 15th goal of the season.
Harry Pickering made it 2-2 at the break but Alfie Jones’ winner after 63 minutes condemned Jon Dahl Tomasson to another damaging loss.
Che Adams and Carlos Alcaraz netted in the second half for Southampton in their win, but Ryan Hardie pulled one back in stoppage time for Plymouth as Ireland goalkeeper Bazunu had the ball pinched off him on his own goalline, before Hardie tapped in.
"Calamitous for Southampton!" 🤯
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) December 29, 2023
Hardie capitalises and pulls one back for Plymouth! pic.twitter.com/oMswbUQOjg
But Southampton won out and they are now on a 17-league match unbeaten run – two off their 102-year club record – and have scored 12 goals in their last four fixtures to turn up the pressure on Ipswich and Leicester.
Bazunu had kept four clean sheets in the month of December for Russell Martin’s side, this was the first goal he had conceded in the Championship since 13 December against Coventry City. Ireland players Ryan Manning and Will Smallbone also started tonight for the victorious home team.
The visitors thought they had scored 10 minutes into the second period but Bali Mumba was offside before nodding in – moments later Alcaraz had opened the scoring for real, curling sumptuously into the top corner for his fourth goal of the season.
The goal opened the visitors up and after Will Smallbone had glanced a header wide, Adams made it two with some fine strength.
Plymouth did score the first away goal at St Mary’s since 11 November after that Bazunu error. Ryan Fraser then squandered a one-on-one and Whittaker curled over in a breathless finale but Saints made it seven home victories on the spin.
