‘Effervescent’ Mclean gives Hull City boss Bruce headache

Aaron Mclean has developed a liking for scoring against Yorkshire rivals – but Hull City manager Steve Bruce is just hoping for some peace and quiet this week.

For substitute McLean – only on the field for two minutes after Jay Simpson picked up a knee injury – out-jumped Miguel Llera, then raced away to score a 77th-minute winner at Hillsborough.

It was his third goal of the campaign – the others also coming against White Rose opposition in Rotherham United and Doncaster Rovers in the League Cup – and brought all three points for an injury-hit Tigers outfit.

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Such was the lengthy list of absentees, that Bruce was only able to name six substitutes, but it took just one – the 29-year-old former Peterborough striker – to settle Saturday’s contest.

“It was an easy substitution because Jay was injured,” said Bruce. “I don’t want to take any pats on the back for that one.

“I’m pleased for Aaron (Mclean). He’s had to wait patiently – as has my big German striker (Nick Proschwitz) – because Aluko and Jay Simpson have played very well. It helps when you’ve got somebody like him (Mclean) sitting on the bench.

“He’s played wide on the right and I know he doesn’t really enjoy that, but he is always in your thoughts because he is lively and effervescent – what a good word that is for me – and he is a larger than life character.

“I am delighted for him as he has had to wait patiently.

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“He has been knocking my door down for weeks, so I will now have a peaceful week and have a rest from him.”

Bruce said the Tigers may have been fortunate to escape a second-half penalty when Andy Dawson brought down Michail Antonio inside the box, but inisisted Hull deserved all three points.

“I thought the better side won. It wasn’t a game of many chances, but for the football we played and the chances we did create I thought we were the ones who edged it.

“We have to stop the silly mistakes. the only one we really made was Dawson’s where – I haven’t seen it on the replay, whether we got away with one, but it didn’t look like a penalty from where I was – it was the only mistake we did make all game.

“The international break has come at a good time for us. It enables us to get people fit again.”