Ipswich Town 1 Hull City 2: Bruce wary of Wolves backlash after Koren keeps Tigers on course

The second-placed Tigers have opened a six-point gap over Watford following their dramatic victory at Ipswich.

Substitute Robert Koren netted the winner seven minutes from time after Anthony Wordsworth had cancelled out Robbie Brady’s penalty.

“We’ve given ourselves a wonderful opportunity, but you only have to look at the division’s results (on Saturday) to realise how crazy it is,” said Bruce.

“We’re in a fantastic position, but that’s all it is and we’ve got another tough game on Tuesday at Wolves.

“They had a horrible result today and they’ll be bang under pressure.

“We’ve seen before how teams at the bottom have beaten the teams at the top, because the division is so even, but it’s a good position to be in.

“We can’t get carried away, though. We’re within touching distance, but we’re still got a job to do. We haven’t got there yet and we’ve got to see it through.”

Bruce was full of praise for Koren, who nodded home from close range after a cross from Brady.

“Sometimes Robert has his critics, which I find a bit baffling because he’s scored 10 goals from midfield,” he said.

“He got a similar number last season and not many can do that from a midfield area.

“He’s got his faults like everyone else, but he’s always capable of scoring a goal and you can’t take that away from the kid.”

Hull deserved their interval lead, given to them just before the half-hour mark by Brady.

The Tigers were awarded a penalty after a clumsy challenge by Guirane N’Daw on David Meyler.

Brady coolly slotted home from the spot, drilling a low effort past Scott Loach.

Ipswich made a much brighter start to the second half and equalised when Luke Chambers’s deep cross was headed home by substitute Wordsworth.

But the Tigers grabbed their winner when Brady’s corner was not properly cleared by Wordsworth. Brady had another opportunity to cross and substitute Koren nodded home from close range.

Ipswich chief Mick McCarthy said: “We endured a tough first half and I had to change things round to try and stop them.”

Ipswich Town: Loach, Stearman, Chambers, Smith, Cresswell, Edwards, Hyam, N’Daw, Tabb (Wordsworth 45), Chopra (Nouble 79), Murphy (Emmanuel-Thomas 86). Unused substitutes: Lee-Barrett, Hewitt, Kisnorbo, Drury.

Hull City: Stockdale, Hobbs, Chester, Faye, Elmohamady, Meyler, Evans (Fathi 69), Quinn, Brady, Boyd (Fryatt 89), Simpson (Koren 74). Unused substitutes: Jakupovic, Rosenior, Cairney, Proschwitz.

Referee: O Langford (W Midlands).

Man of the match: Rob Brady.