The Tigers had gone into yesterday's final day of the regular season still harbouring hopes of winning automatic promotion only for Stoke City to seal second place with a goalless draw at home to Leicester City.

That point meant City's 1-0 defeat at Ipswich Town was academic with Phil Brow's men having guaranteed third spot the previous weekend with a win over Crystal Palace.

Hull now face Watford over two legs with the prize being a place in the Wembley final on Saturday May 24 where the winners will face either Bristol City or Palace.

Brown said: "The play-offs are a lottery, as every manager will tell you. We are effectively in the semi-final of the Cup and have two legs to get to the final.

"It is all about holding our nerve. Watford are not the form team so we will probably be the favourites but, as I said before, it is a lottery."

The Hornets limped into the play-offs with a 1-1 draw at Blackpool, a result that means Ady Boothroyd's one-time pace-setters have finished the regular campaign with just one win in their final 14 games.

Included in that woeful run was a 3-0 thrashing at the KC Stadium when Boothroyd admitted his side had been completely out-played.

Brown added: "We have our style and Watford have theirs. In the (regular) season, we lost 1-0 at Vicarage Road but won 3-0 at the KC Stadium.

"But any system will mean nothing if we give the ball away like we did against Ipswich at the weekend.

"Hopefully, we can take a better passing game in the first leg. We lost 1-0 down there in the league but had two or three great chances at the end and could have got something.

"At the KC, the game was memorable because we played them off the park."

Brown's men are one of three Yorkshire sides who will be involved in the play-offs with both Doncaster Rovers and Leeds United hoping to win a trip to Wembley in the League One final.

City have never played at the national stadium in their history and play-off fever seems certain to descend on the East Riding in the coming week.

Brown plans to give his players as much rest as possible to prepare for next weekend's first leg after admitting his players had looked tired in the defeat to Ipswich.

A 70th-minute goal from Alan Lee settled the game, though on chances created there is little doubt that the home side were worthy winners.

Brown added: "It was a poor performance from us.

"We went with an attacking formation, so did Ipswich, but we were disappointing in the final third.

"It is ironic that the lad who scored the winner (Lee) is a player we tried to sign last summer. Maybe it is testament to our scouting system and that it works."

Looking ahead to the play-offs, the Tigers chief said: "We go in with a positive frame of mind. Over 46 games, we have been superb.

"I appreciate we have lost our last two away games (to Ipswich and Sheffield United) but I am not really concerned about that because, overall, if you look at the last five matches then we have won three.

"The players have faced every challenge and more than climbed the mountain.

"Maybe Ipswich was a bridge too far. But we dust ourselves down and get on with it."

"If someone had offered me third place at the start of the season, I would have taken it.

"To be disappointed only to finish third after being fourth- bottom last season, then that is an indication of how far we have come.

"Our defence has been key. The acquisition of Wayne Brown (from Colchester United last summer for £425,000) was a big one for us.

"He is our organiser and it is because of Wayne that Boaz Myhill, Michael Turner, Sam Ricketts and Andy Dawson have all come on."

Hull's disappointment at missing out on automatic promotion was matched by the mood of Sheffield United after their late charge for the play-offs also ended in frustration.

Needing to win at Southampton to maintain any hope of sneaking into the top six, Kevin Blackwell's side lost 3-2 to finish ninth.

That defeat at St Mary's could have spelled danger for city rivals Wednesday who had started the final day in relegation trouble. However, a convincing 4-1 win at home to Norwich City was enough to dispel any fears over a return to League One and leave Leicester City as the unfortunate side to go down with 52 points – a tally that is usually sufficient to guarantee survival.