With Hull City already mathematically safe in the Championship, they travelled to Ashton Gate with their pride on the line, whilst Bristol City still had an outside chance of the play-offs. What unfolded was a bizarre encounter packed with defensive mistakes, superb strikes and mesmerising attacking play.
On this day in 2018, the sun shined down on Ashton Gate and so did the goals, Hull twice fought back from two goals down to inflict a fatal blow on Bristol City’s Championship play-off hopes in an amazing 5-5 draw at Ashton Gate.
Whilst the two managers wouldn’t have been pleased with their sides defensive performance, the attacking aspect was faultless, with the two sets of supporters in the ground being treat to a feast of goalscoring action.
Fraizer Campbell slid home an 87th-minute goal from a cross by substitute Kamil Grosicki to put the visitors ahead 5-4 after they had trailed 3-1 and 4-2.
The Tigers took the lead through Harry Wilson in the 16th minute when he hammered a left-footed shot into the top corner before the hosts equalised. Marlon Pack struck a low right-footed effort from 25 yards out and beyond the clutches of Allan McGregor.
Bristol City then continued to hammer home their dominance, Famara Diedhou held off a challenge from Michael Dawson when the ball dropped to him in the box, before hammering home a left-footed shot.
Diedhou then added his second shortly after the break when he planted his header past the out-stretched Allan McGregor.
Then, when it seemed as though time was running out for a Hull fight back, they closed the deficit through what looked like a Fikayo Tomori diving header at first, but replays showed that the ball deflected off Fielding for an own goal.
Reid then restored Bristol’s two-goal deficit when capitalising on some slack defending, whilst Hull refused to buckle under pressure, as Harry Wilson produced a piece of brilliance from 30 yards out with a superbly taken set-piece.
Hull then completed their comeback when Abel Hernandez slotted home a cross from fellow substitute Kamil Grosicki. The game was played like a basketball match as both teams looked to settle the scoring with every attack, however, it was Hull who looked to have won it in the 87th minute through Fraizer Campbell, sparking pandemonium in the away end.
Though it was the hosts who had the last laugh when Joe Bryan equalised the scoring deep into stoppage time to cap off a game that will live long in the memory of the Bristol City and Hull supporters.
