Derby County vs. Hull: Score, Reaction from 2016 Championship Play-Off, Leg 1

Hull City took a giant step toward Wembley Stadium and the Premier League by beating Derby County 3-0 in their Sky Bet Championship play-off semi-final first leg at the iPro Stadium on Saturday.

A strike from Abel Hernandez and an own goal from Derby defender Jason Shackell gave Hull a two-goal, first-half lead, while Andrew Robertson struck deep into injury time to give the Tiger’s a comfortable advantage ahead of next week’s second leg.

The win was testament to Hull boss Steve Bruce’s counter-attacking strategy. His players sat deep, let Derby play in midfield and routinely pinched possession before breaking with pace out wide.

It was a smart approach from an experienced manager bidding for an instant return to the Premier League.

Bruce had to make a late change to his starting lineup when goalkeeper Allan McGregor was ruled out injured, per Philip Buckingham of the Hull Daily Mail.

Eldin Jakupovic replaced McGregor in an XI also featuring Mohamed Diame supporting Hernandez in attack. Meanwhile, the Rams relied on a front three of Chris Martin, Johnny Russell and Tom Ince, per Sky Sports Football League:

Here we go on Sky Sports 1. It’s @dcfcofficial vs @HullCity.BLOG: https://t.co/x8e7BJmjQ1 #FL72 pic.twitter.com/4RRTdj7Jet

— Football League (@SkySportsFL) May 14, 2016

Russell’s direct running threatened to stretch the Hull defence early on, while Bradley Johnson’s movement from midfield and aerial prowess also caused a few problems.

At the other end, an early snap shot from Hernandez offered a sign of Hull’s intent. But it was Derby winning most of the 50-50 challenges during the early exchanges, even if the final pass consistently let the home side down.

Hull were dangerous on the break, and it took a brave last-ditch block from Craig Bryson to deny a shot from Robert Snodgrass. Then Tom Huddlestone thrashed wide.

But it was Derby playing the more ambitious and eye-pleasing football. A fantastic pass-and-go move involving playmaker Will …

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