Hull to keep up Championship momentum with Reading win

Matt Haynes | December 15, 2015

Hull v Reading

Head-to-head record reads well for Reading

The visitors to the KC Stadium should not be expecting a royal welcome. Hull have only won one of their last nine matches against Reading, a record they will hope extends on their most recent trip to Humberside.

This is the first of five Championship fixtures over a busy festive period, which will give punters an idea of how the league might shape up going into the second half of the season.

Hull’s form has been indifferent of late. They bounced back from a defeat to Leeds with a home victory over Bolton last time out and the Tigers are odds-on with Coral at 20/23 to beat Reading.

Two league defeats on the spin has seen Steve Bruce’s side slip out of an automatic promotion place in the Championship, something that he will be hoping his side can put right against the Berkshire outfit.

Akpom “working hard”

Tigers striker Chuba Akpom, who is on loan at the club from Arsenal, found the net in the win over Bolton and is well priced at 6/4 to dispatch anytime against Reading, while strike partner Abel Hernandez (Hull’s top scorer this term with eight) is 4/1 to break the deadlock.

Speaking following the game, Akpom said: “I love scoring goals and have been practising as hard as I could in training to look at different ways of scoring goals.

“I have been practising with the coaches every day and the main thing is to work hard and don’t worry about the last game, but the next game.

“Being in and out of the team doesn’t affect me as you have to stay on your toes and keep working hard and be hungry. If I am not playing, there’s another good player who is going to fill in for me,” continued.

“It’s good for me to get that competitive streak in me and show the gaffer why I should be playing every week and work hard in training to show him that.

“There’s three good forwards and spots up for grabs. No-one is comfortable and it’s good for the team, fans and everyone to see all the strikers working as hard as they can to get that starting spot.”

Reading response needed

The away side have lost three consecutive clashes in the league, though have a task on their hands against a tough Tigers team, with attacker Nick Blackman offered at 6/4 in the anytime market.

Currently without a manager, they lack clear direction and Matej Vydra is the only player to have scored in their last three matches. The on loan Watford striker is 3/1 in the anytime market, while prior to that Lucas Piazon opened the scoring in their 2-1 win over Bolton and is 9/1 to repeat that.

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Coral’s top tip: Akpom to continue recent scoring form @ 6/4 with Coral to net anytime.