Hull City start showing necessary character to give Ruben Selles confidence over escaping trouble

Frustration and disappointment reigned for three quarters of the game then suddenly Hull scored twice to turn the game against Oxford United on its head and claim victory.

It has been a similar tale in the bigger picture, too, with the Tigers winning just twice on home soil in the first 75 per cent of the campaign, only to then win twice in eight days.

That sudden burst, sandwiching a valiant point at Bristol City when for much of the game they played with 10 men, has helped move Hull above Oxford and three other teams outside the relegation zone, to enjoy a buffer of five points with nine games remaining.

More importantly, they are showing the requisite character needed at this stage of a season to win a fight against relegation.

"We are developing that competitiveness we have been talking about and on Wednesday we got the victory and the performance to go with it,” said their head coach Ruben Selles, who inch by inch has improved Hull from the disastrous days of Tim Walter’s reign.

"I’m happy about the character we showed, but I’m not surprised. What we did last week (the 1-1 draw at Bristol City with 10 men) showed us where we are as a team right now.

“We managed to come back and do it in a proper way. And when you do that, the points come when you are ready to go and take them.

“The important thing is the feeling and sensation to show that we can compete against anybody.”

Wednesday against Oxford saw Hull pass another big test of their character.

After generating a smattering of chances, they could have shrunk once Michal Helik – no stranger to scoring goals in Yorkshire after two successful spells at Barnsley and Huddersfield – had volleyed Oxford into the lead.

But Joe Gelhardt, playing in a more free-roaming central role these past three games and clearly enjoying his football along the M62 from Leeds, finally got the better of Jamie Cumming in the Oxford goal by latching on to Kasey Palmer’s measured through ball to equalise.

“I love playing with Kasey,” said Gelhardt. “He made it so easy for him I just had to tap it in.”

Three minutes later, Gelhardt was in a position to score again had Gustavo Puerta cut the ball back to him after wriggling along the byline, but instead the 21-year-old Colombian surprised everyone especially Cumming by shooting, the ball ricocheting off the unsuspecting goalkeeper and over the line.

Deep into stoppage time, Puerta was sent off after referee Josh Smith perceived him to have dived and gave the Bayer Leverkusen loanee a second yellow card.

“I was right behind it and it looked like there was a bit of contact,” said Gelhardt. “But I thought the referee had a good game, he was constantly explaining decisions to us, and everyone makes mistakes.”

Hull are making fewer of those at the moment, and although Puerta will be suspended along with Joao Pedro for the trip to West Brom on Saturday, the Tigers have their tails up.

Hull City's game at home to Championship play-off chasers will now be played on Monday April 14 at 8pm so it can be shown live on Sky Sports. The match had originally been due to be played on the Saturday.