AJAYI’S HULL MAINTAIN PERFECT START AS AWONIYI’S COVENTRY SUFFER DEFEAT

Semi Ajayi came out on top in the battle between two Nigerian internationals as Hull City secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Taiwo Awoniyi’s Coventry City in their Premier League encounter at the CBS Arena.

The match was decided by a late goal from Canadian winger Liam Millar, who struck in the 82nd minute to hand Hull another important victory following their impressive opening-weekend win over Manchester United.

Ajayi played his part in a disciplined defensive performance from the visitors, with Hull successfully frustrating Coventry for long periods and keeping the home side from finding a way through.

Awoniyi, who recently joined Coventry from Nottingham Forest, led the line for the hosts and came closest to breaking the deadlock in the first half.

The Nigerian striker produced a close-range effort that appeared to have a chance of finding the net, but Hull goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis reacted quickly to keep the attempt out.

Coventry controlled significant portions of the match and showed plenty of attacking intent, but their finishing proved insufficient. The home side managed 11 attempts, with only three finding the target.

Hull, meanwhile, remained organised at the back before taking advantage of an opportunity late in the contest.

Millar was played through by Mohamed Belloumi in the 82nd minute and calmly fired past goalkeeper Carl Rushworth to give Hull the lead.

Coventry were unable to find an equaliser during the remaining minutes, leaving Ajayi and his teammates celebrating another valuable three points away from home.

The victory means Hull have made an outstanding start to their return to the Premier League, securing maximum points from their opening two matches.

The Tigers had already stunned Manchester United on the opening weekend and have now followed that result with another victory, putting them level on points with Manchester City at the top of the early standings.

For Coventry, the defeat represents a setback after their promotion back to the top flight. The club invested heavily in their squad during the transfer window, spending more than £100 million on 10 players as they prepare for their first Premier League campaign in 25 years.

Awoniyi will now hope to open his Coventry scoring account in the coming matches after making an encouraging effort against Hull despite being unable to find the breakthrough.

Frank Onyeka, another Nigerian at Coventry, was unavailable for the encounter after being ruled out with a knock.

The result provided Ajayi with bragging rights over his fellow Nigerian international, while Hull's perfect start has given the newly promoted club early confidence that they can compete effectively in the Premier League.