Hull City 0 Milwall 1: Hobbs continues to chase lottery dream with Tigers

The central defender figured in both play-off semi-final legs for Leicester City against Cardiff City last season when the Foxes went out on penalties.

The task of getting there this time with Hull has been made much harder following the Tigers’ tame display against Millwall on Saturday.

Hull and parent club Leicester remain four points shy of the play-offs and Hobbs said: “We all know it needs to be a lot better if we are going to reach the play-offs over the last seven games but we have to move on.

“It’s another game gone and it’s a slight dent but it’s still all to play for although we must start winning at home. It’s going to be tough but there’s no reason why we can’t get that sixth place.

“We have a lot of quality in the squad. The team spirit and atmosphere in the camp is great and there is a real unity. It’s good to be playing for a play-off spot and the pressure of playing for one is a good one. I’m really enjoying it here.”

Hobbs, one of the few Hull players to put in anything like a decent performance, will not finalise his future until the summer and is not looking that far ahead.

It is the play-offs which occupy his thoughts and he said: “Last season at Leicester, we were in the top six for a little while before the end of the season but Blackpoool arrived really late, last day wasn’t it, and look where they are now. The play-offs are a lottery. It’s just a case of getting there to be involved really.

“My loan here runs out after the semi-final – I obviously couldn’t play against Leicester if they got there – so it would be disappointing to miss the final but it would be fantastic to get the lads there.”

Hull have won more games away than at home and Hobbs was at a loss to pinpoint the reason, although Millwall did exactly what the Tigers have done on the road by grabbing a goal, defending deep and looking a threat on the counter.

“It’s just a bit frustrating all round really. We did not get going. It was all a bit flat. It was one of those days. Their goal came from our goal-kick and we then made a couple of errors and, although it was a good finish, it was a sloppy goal from our point. It gave Millwall the chance to sit back and stay narrow,” said Hobbs of Steve Morison’s 33rd-minute winner.

The Welsh striker spotted Brad Guzan off his line and struck a dipping left-foot volley from the edge of the area after Liam Trotter had held off James Harper and knocked the ball down the left channel.

It roused everyone from the slumbers a 1pm kick-off had seemed to have induced and which had been attacked by Hull’s head of football operations Adam Pearson.

The kick-off had been brought forward on police advice to help prevent a repeat of the last time the Lions arrived in 2009 and ripped out seating during an FA Cup tie but Pearson stated: “Perhaps they think it will reduce any chance of trouble but my view is that if people want to cause trouble they will.

“Moving the kick-off by two hours is hardly going to makie them think ‘oh we won’t bother, it’s too early for trouble’.

“So, once again, everybody’s weekend football tradition is ruined and we are faced with trying to get a real atmosphere going at the stadium at some unnatural kick-off slot when everyone else is having lunch.

“I know trouble is a possibility in this fixture but does everyone have to suffer for it these days?”

Only around 400 Millwall fans, accompanied by Met police, made the journey and the attendance was under 20,000 for the first time for a Saturday game at the KC this season.

Ironically, when Millwall entertain Leeds United on Saturday, the kick-off will be 3pm.

Manager Nigel Pearson refused to excuse Hull’s performance on the early start or a surface which had been cut up by the previous night’s Super League game or the two-week international break.

“It was very disappointing, we never showed enough craft today. They will be delighted because it was a very good away performance but for us it wasn’t a very good day. Our service to the front two wasn’t good enough and we didn’t create enough chances, it’s as simple as that,” was his summary.

Pearson had been without illness victim Tom Crainey and replacement Jamie Devitt was sacrificed at half-time as Jay Simpson was given a free role behind Matty Fryatt and Aaron Mclean.

Other substitutions were also made but to no avail as Millwall employed Trotter and Tamika Mkandawire as buffers in front of their powerful defence.

The visitors also had ample opportunities to make the game safe on the break but constantly wasted the final pass, Andros Townsend being the chief culprit after continually getting the better of James Chester.

Victory, however, was enough to take them above Hull into eighth place and just three points adrift of the top six ahead of what promises to be a feisty battle with fifth-placed Leeds.