Hull’s new darling can break fresh scoring ground against Saints

There’s no way to endear yourself to fans of your new club quite like banging in a couple of goals on your first two appearances.

This textbook piece of endearment-building belongs to Shane Long, one half of Hull’s budding strike partnership in tandem with Nikica Jelavic.

Snaring the pair for a combined £13m was universally considered among the finest business of the January transfer window and it’s since been proven with three goals between them in just two games.

Interestingly, the Ireland international striker has never scored in three successive Premier League games in a row, but as the Tigers entertain Southampton, Long can put that stat to bed.

Long is a cracking price at 7/1 to break the deadlock on Humberside as he has done in his first two league outings in amber stripes.

Meanwhile, the 11/5 on Long finding the net within the entirety of the match is value enough, for a man who is snapping up his chances like Donald Trump acquiring real estate.

West Brom’s loss is very much Hull’s gain on the early evidence and the same could be said for Everton, who have suffered since letting Jelavic leave Goodison Park, with no other viable alternative to lead their line in Romelu Lukaku’s absence.

Although Jelavic’s debut smacked of a striker short of confidence in front of the onion bag, the Croat’s towering header at Sunderland just days before this one means he is also a decent pick at 11/5 to add to his first Hull goal.

Hull best hope their new duo continues firing too, as Southampton have notched at least twice in their last five in all comps and, armed with this info punters may wish to grab them at 37/20 to carry that trend on at the KC Stadium.

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.

Fancy a flutter? Sign up today to claim up to £50 in free bets.