Hull City give Marco Silva perfect start with victory over Swansea City

Marco Silva started his Hull City managerial career with a victory courtesy of two substitutions, although not many people saw it. This dour game lacked quality but at least provided Hull with some hope in their quest for a season revival, with Abel Hernández returning from injury to score and youngster Josh Tymon adding another in injury time, as many supporters boycotted the game.

Some Hull fans opted to stay away in protest against the owners, after the sacking of Mike Phelan and Silva’s appointment. The official attendance given was 6,608, but it felt like far fewer, and the usual chants against the Allam family surfaced.

Hernández has been out since November and, given Hull’s paucity in attacking options, his comeback is well timed. Silva will need goals before the end of the campaign if his side are to avoid relegation from the Premier League and at the end of a torpid game Hernández at least created some optimism.

Tymon, 17, ensured an even more positive denouement with his first goal for the club, although Michael Dawson, the captain, was forced off with a shoulder injury.

Silva, who has agreed a deal until the end of the season, may have wondered what he had signed up for while he was standing on the touchline during parts of this match. If he had been expecting fast-paced football in England, in front of packed crowds, then he would have to wait.

“It’s very important this victory; we needed it,” he said. “We need good results to improve. It’s also important that we didn’t concede so I am happy. We changed a lot of things, with our positioning and defensive organisation. But two training sessions is not enough; we need more time.

“It’s important for me that our fans believe in the team because we need help. To change our position and our situation we need this. I hope in the next game against Bournemouth there will be more people here to support us.”

For Paul Clement, presiding over his first game as manager of Swansea City, there was frustration. His side were poor and on the rare occasion they did find some attacking fluency, Eldin Jakupovic was difficult to beat.

Of the low attendance, Clement said: “It surprised me. I was expecting a bigger crowd and more atmosphere. I found it very strange. Maybe it was stranger for Hull. It was very quiet.”

Asked if it affected Swansea’s intensity, the former Bayern Munich coach added: “I do. There wasn’t much tempo to the game.”

Both managers watched a first half when their teams failed to ignite. Silva named a relatively strong side, including Robert Snodgrass, making four changes compared to Swansea’s six.

Silva deployed a 4-4-2 formation, with Snodgrass playing up front off Adama Diomandé, but it was Sam Clucas who had Hull’s best scoring opportunity in the first half. David Meyler swung a deep ball in from the right and it eventually fell to Clucas, whose low shot across goal was saved well by Kristoffer Nordfeldt.

Ki Sung-yeung did almost find a way through with a poke towards goal in the seventh minute, which was heading in before Jakupovic stretched to tip it away.

In the second half, Snodgrass almost gave Hull the lead in the 53rd minute, when he headed Robertson’s cross narrowly wide and, seconds later, Nathan Dyer was denied for Swansea. The left-back, Stephen Kingsley, drove into the opposition area and pulled the ball across goal for Dyer, but his first-time effort was palmed away by Jakupovic.

Silva introduced Hernández for his first appearance for two months and he made a quick impact. With 12 minutes remaining, the substitute Shaun Maloney jinked to the byline and pulled the ball across goal for the Uruguayan to finish from close range.

Things improved even further for Hull in injury time, with Tymon receiving the ball on the left edge of the Swansea penalty area before finishing with a shot that went in off the post.