Hull1 Crystal Palace 1: Tigers hero Dawson relishing new quest for Premier return

From head of football operations Adam Pearson to manager Nigel Pearson and ever-present left-back Andy Dawson, the statement was the same:

Hull City were fortunate to even be playing in 2011 never mind making a late surge to join the Championship’s top six.

They signed off their home campaign with a whimper as Crystal Palace deservedly gained the point they required to guarantee safety but that should not detract from the huge strides made since the Allam family rescued the club from oblivion.

Dawson has been through it all as Hull have risen through the divisions to the Premier League and back down to the second tier and he took a measured view on the season.

“I don’t want to be negative and talk about today’s game. I think now we have to be positive and see how far we can go next season,” said Dawson.

“It has been a positive season. We all know the situation the club was in. We read the reports and heard things and we all know where we were in November. If anyone had said then that we would still have a chance of the play-offs with two games to go I think you would have said ‘Are you having me on?’

“So, as players, we can take positives. Our away form has been second to none. We all want to believe we are going to be promoted and finish as champions and go round the pitch with a trophy but you have to remember we got relegated last season, the whole club has had an overhaul and in November we looked as though we would be fighting a relegation battle.

“All the figures were there and the table did not lie so obviously you sit back and reflect now and it can only be a positive thing where we have come from.

“Without a shadow of a doubt we will be better equipped next season. We will have to start well – the run we have had is probably a play-off run but the problem is that we were just above the bottom three when it began.”

Dawson found it hard to explain why Hull have picked up seven fewer points at home than away.

He said: “It’s a hard question. I don’t think we won away for around 18 months but we put in some hard work on the training ground, there was a lot of work from the manager and his staff, players learned how to win away and we have been on an unbelievable run of 18 unbeaten away.

“At any level, to go away from home and do that is exceptional but we are realistic and know we have to improve our home form next time.”

At 32, Dawson is relishing the challenges ahead – one, of which, is likely to come from Manchester United’s Joe Dudgeon, who was watching from the stands and who manager Pearson is hopeful of signing in the summer.

The futures of loanee central defenders Anthony Gerrard (Cardiff City) and Jack Hobbs (Leicester City), who were on top form against Palace, remains unclear and Dawson said of his defensive partners: “They have done fantastic jobs but it is unfair to single anyone out.”

Gerrard and Hobbs showed opposite numbers Claude Davis and Pat McCarthy how it should be done in Saturday’s game, which produced mirror-image halfs.

Palace stormed all over the Tigers after Hull suffered an early blow when Richard Garcia, who has also been offered a new contract, departed with a recurrence of his left knee problem and David Amoo replaced him.

Palace went close as Davis hooked over a volley after McCarthy headed a free-kick back into his path.

Darren Ambrose then hit a low free-kick which Matt Duke could only palm into the air for Jermaine Easter to somehow head wide from two yards.

Palace were made to pay as Hobbs headed down a deep free-kick from Robert Koren for Gerrard to force home from close range in the 31st minute.

Palace surged forward again and there were brave blocks from Gerrard and Hobbs before Duke beat away a 30-yarder from Kemy Agustien before the break.

Palace’s fire abated after the interval as Hull generally forced the pace, loanee Amoo cutting inside and firing inches wide and Julian Speroni going full length to his left to tip away a curling drive from Koren.

David Wright made a great block on James Harper but Hull’s strike trio of Matty Fryatt, Aaron Mclean and Jay Simpson made little impression and even a double substitution failed to spark a second goal.

Hull still looked as though they would hold on until 18-year-old Ibra Sekajja was introduced in the 87th minute and he was soon cartwheeling away in joy after scoring with his first touch in senior football, tapping the ball home from close range after a header from Davis had been blocked.

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Hull City: Duke, Chester, Hobbs, Gerrard, Dawson; Garcia (Amoo 14), Harper, Koren, Simpson (Belaid 65); Mclean (Devitt 65), Fryatt. Unused substitutes: Oxley, Cairney, Solano, Akpan.

Crystal Palace: Speroni, Clyne, Davis, McCarthy, Moxey; Ambrose, Wright, Agustien, Garvan (Cadogan 75); Easter (Sekajja 87), Zaha (Dorman 80). Unused substitutes: Price, O’Keefe, Wynter, Mahon.

Referee: K A Woolmer (Northants).