Hull City 3 Southend United 1

Last updated : 25 August 2009 By Footymad Previewer
Hull City progressed through to the third round of the Carling Cup after a deserved 3-1 win over Southend United at the KC Stadium.

Tigers boss Phil Brown fielded an entirely different team to the one that overcame Bolton at the weekend with youngster Tom Cairney and new boy Jozy Altidore making the most of their first full appearances with a goal a piece in the first half.

Southend grabbed one back on the stroke of half-time, but Geovanni made sure of the win for City with a strike 15 minutes from the end.

Hull opened the scoring on seven minutes as youngster Cairney hit a superb left-footed strike from 20 yards leaving keeper Steve Mildenhall with no chance in the Southend goal.

The home side then doubled the lead just before the break as they were awarded a close range free-kick after defender Matt Heath brought down Altidore 20 yards from goal.

The USA international took the set-piece himself and made no mistake with a right-footed piledriver into the bottom left-hand corner of the net to register his first goal in a Hull shirt.

Southend did grab one back just before half time, however, as a loose ball landed at the feet of midfielder Franck Moussa, who had the time and space inside the box to fire in a right-footed shot past keeper Tony Warner to make in 2-1.

Altidore tried his luck again early in the second half but his low right-footed shot from 20 yards was comfortably saved by Mildenhall.

Southend had a chance to level the scores on the hour-mark as Anthony Grant slipped a clever ball through to Alex Revell, but the Southend frontman failed to get enough on his sliding shot allowing keeper Warner to rush out and smother.

Grant then had a chance himself for the visitors but his right-footed shot at the back post was well saved by the legs of Warner.

Substitute Geovanni made it 3-1 to Phil Brown's men on 75 minutes as the Brazilian pounced on a loose ball on the edge of the area to fire in a superb volley into the bottom right-hand corner of the net.