Hull City 1 Nottingham Forest 1: Nerves costing Tigers dear, says Bruce
Hull manager Steve Bruce has called on his players to step up and get his side's automatic promotion bid back on track.
Bruce had watched his side fail to win for a fourth successive Sky Bet Championship game after being held 1-1 by Nottingham Forest at the KC Stadium.
Following a 1-1 home draw with MK Dons on Saturday, this latest under-par performance saw the Tigers slip to fourth in the table and miss the chance to move into the automatic promotion places.
Bruce said: “I expect us to handle the situation better than we have.
“We are trying too hard, trying to do the ridiculous when the simple way in football is always the right way.
“It’s disappointing - it’s a bit of a deja vu the last two games at home. We’ve got to get over the anxious bit and get settled down. We’ve huffed and puffed and been a bit nervous.
“It’s disappointing because our home form is the reason why we are sitting where we are. We have had enough chances - we’ve got to be clinical to take them.”
Forest midfielder Gary Gardner showed Hull how to finish after 27 minutes, hitting a rising right-foot shot from 30 yards which found the top corner and gave Allan McGregor no chance.
The Tigers, who had earlier hit the post through Abel Hernandez’s shot, did not draw level until 18 minutes from time when a shot from Tom Huddlestone deflected off a defender and found its way through to substitute Sone Aluko.
The forward had timed his run and composed himself before sliding the ball past Forest goalkeeper Dorus De Vries.
But just as against MK Dons on Saturday, the Tigers could not fashion a winner against determined opponents who were satisfied with their return.
Forest had sacked manager Dougie Freedman on Sunday and his replacement Paul Williams celebrated his first game in charge with a point which kept his team in 14th.
Williams made his name as a cultured centre back at Derby, Coventry and Southampton and the draw at Hull set him up for his next game, an east midlands derby with the Rams.
On that game Williams said: “My job is to prepare the team for a spicy local derby and that is what I will do.
“There are so many permutations, players who have played for both teams. The game isn’t going to be about me.”
The Forest head coach felt his side earned their draw with Hull.
“I don’t think anyone gave us a chance tonight,” he added.
“Credit to the players that we took the game to Hull, especially early on.”
Williams said he did not feel the game was about his players wanting to play for him as their new boss, adding: “I asked every player to be themselves and be the best they could.
“Don’t think it’s about me and playing for me, just play for yourselves.”
Hull: McGregor, Odubajo, Dawson, Davies, Robertson, Elmohamady, Huddlestone, Clucas, Snodgrass, Diame, Hernandez. Subs: Bruce, Maguire, Jakupovic, Akpom, Hayden, Aluko, Diomande.
Nottm Forest: De Vries, Lichaj, Mills, Mancienne, Jokic, Mendes, Vaughan, Gardner, Cohen, Osborn, Macheda. Subs: Wilson, Blackstock, Evtimov, Tesche, Walker, Burke, Grant.
Referee: Andy Davies (Hampshire)