Hull 1 Middlesbrough 0: Tigers get helping hand as top flight beckons

You suspect a much younger chap by the same surname will be fondly remembered across East Yorkshire if Hull City are popping the champagne corks and toasting automatic promotion back to the Premier League later on this Spring.

It was Middlesbrough custodian Jason, no relation to unlikely mid-70s cricketing hero David – the bank clerk who went to Ashes war with the Aussies – who played the decisive hand to giftwrap three points for the Tigers on a day when they were the only side in the top seven to triumph.

It is moments like the 62nd minute of Saturday’s contest, which was as dull as an east coast sea fret, upon which promotion can hinge.

Probably no one appreciates that more than Tigers chief Steve Bruce, almost exactly 20 years on from his fateful intervention in netting two late, late goals in Manchester United’s famous 2-1 victory over Sheffield Wednesday, which was cited as the key moment in ending years of title pain for the Red Devils.

Somehow, inexplicably, Steele parried a routine curling free-kick from Tigers’ wing-back Robbie Brady into the roof of the net. The goalkeeper may have pleaded in mitigation that the bouncing ball struck a divot, but it did not wash with Boro chief Tony Mowbray or the 1,086 Teessiders present.

Not that Brady was complaining, with the Irishman acknowledging that the seventh goal of his professional career was his most important.

He said: “It is probably my most important, yes, in terms of us wanting to go up and what it means.

“It was a massive moment in my career to get a goal like that. I do not want it to stop there and, hopefully, I can get a few more in the next five games.

“It was unlucky for the goalie, who I thought had done all right all game.

“It was not one of my best, but all goals count, especially vital goals.”

Brady’s strike ensured a 10th Championship away game without a win and 12th loss in 16 league games for beleaguered Boro. While they might be just about safe this season, 2013-14 already looks a seriously unpalatable prospect if a summer overhaul does not occur.

In contrast, the ‘Promised Land’ of the top flight is on the horizon for second-placed Tigers, who having done their side of the bargain, albeit with a bit of help from Steele, then watched on intently as automatic promotion rivals Watford played out a 0-0 draw with leaders Cardiff.

The upshot is that Hull are three points clear of the Hornets, who had reduced the gap to one after beating them in midweek, and eight in front of fourth-placed Crystal Palace, who played out a goalless stalemate with Barnsley, with five games to go.

The phrase ‘in a good place’ springs to mind.

Bruce, whose side responded straightaway, following a defeat with a win for the sixth successive occasion, said: “Overall, after the disappointment of Tuesday, we showed tenacity to come and do it again. That was terrific.

“There is a great spirit and a good bit of character in this group. At times, you have to dig deep and we have done it time and again this season.”

That resolve may be needed in the coming weeks, with Bruce mindful of a mounting injury list, particularly at the back.

Son Alex came off on the stroke of half-time with a calf injury which he expects will sideline him for the rest of the campaign.

With Jack Hobbs and Paul McShane also on injured list, it leaves Bruce, who switched to a 4-4-2 in the second half, short of defensive options and seriously worried about his side’s injury count, with Egyptian striker Gedo’s substitution with a foot injury in the second period adding to his chagrin.

Bruce, who took a swipe at the league’s fixture scheduling after a run of three games in a week, added: “The big thing will be whether we can keep handling the number of injuries we are collecting.

“The average football fan will think because they are getting paid so much money, players can play every game. But if you keep asking a player to play at this intensity, you will collect injuries.

“The whole situation is difficult, but we will cope and look to Ipswich next weekend.”

In contrast to Hull, an increasingly tortuous season is pretty much over, competitively, for Boro, who are now 19 points and seven places behind the Tigers after trailing them by one point and one place at the start of 2013 when they were third and firmly in the automatic promotion picture.

Truth be told, if it was not for Steele’s damaging error, Boro would have been good value for a point, although that mistake could not legislate for a lack of cutting edge from the Teessiders, who might float like a butterfly on occasions and play neat stuff, but, unfortunately, also sting like one.

It took until the 78th minute for them to force David Stockdale’s first meaningful save, when the loan goalkeeper sharply turned away Scott McDonald’s effort at his near post with Corry Evans clearing a header from fellow substitute Andre Bikey off the line soon after.

Mowbray, whose side failed to score for the fourth time in five matches, said: “Statistics are quite damning of how many games we have been winning.

“We can look back on a lot, like Saturday, and think we did not get what we deserved. But you have to put the ball in the net when you have opportunities. We have not done that consistently enough.”

On Brady’s winning goal, the Boro chief rued: “Whether it took a bobble off the pitch or bounced high, the shot was straight at him (Steele) and went into the roof of the net.

“But that is football and the way it is going for us at the minute.”

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