Ruben Selles felt Hull City had 'done enough' before Derby County landed massive blow

They did not, losing 1-0 to Nat Phillips' 84th-minute header, and falling into the bottom three with only one game to play.

The only positive is that because Derby's final match is at home to a Stoke City side who are not safe themselves, a Hull victory at Portsmouth will keep them in the Championship next season regardless of results elsewhere.

The Tigers will go into that game without loanee Louie Barry, who has suffered a setback in his planned return from injury, most probably Regan Slater, who turned his ankle, and perhaps John Egan, who went off with back spasms.

"I'm very disappointed with the result today," said a downbeat Hull coach.

"I think we did a lot of things we wanted to do, we didn't find that situation in the final third to score a goal and then in one action, one set piece, we lost it.

"It's difficult to take because I think this team has done enough but we have no other to go than analyse, accept it and go in with the target that if we win the last game of the season we will be where we want to."

Hull were never better than in the opening stages but a long spell of treatment to Regan Slater which saw him substituted in the 14th minute disrupted their momentum. They were able to regain control, but never to the same extent.

"I think we started the game well, we were on top of the opposition and keeping them in their own half, their own box,” said Selles.

"It's not because Steven (Alzate) came on, I think he did his job, but the pause, those three or four minutes is always changing the dynamic.

"It's not necessarily an excuse but inside the game you have some different games and it just calmed things a little bit down. But I still think after that we were competing.

One notable aspect of the game was that Selles resisted making any attacking substitutions until his side went behind, bringing Matty Crooks, Joao Pedro and Mason Burstow on quickly after that to no effect.

"If you analyse the game after that goal in minute 84 you probably say you needed to do it," acknowledged Selles, "but we were playing the game in the proper way.

"We needed that final situation but the boys on the pitch were doing a lot of good things.

"We used the plan when we went 1-0 down, the plan to go direct into two strikers.

"For me it will be too easy to say that I should have done the substitutions. I didn't think the team needed those substitutions during the game."

On centre-back Egan's substitution after an hour, Selles explained: "During the first half he felt a spasm in his back and he kept going through it but after 60 minutes he felt he just could not carry on any more and cope with the pain and he needed to come off."

Selles was unsure yet if Egan will be available at Fratton Park.

It was Egan's replacement, Alfie Jones, who conceded the free-kick Derby scored from after being dragged out to the touchline, though Selles was more unhappy with how his team defended it.

"We need to defend the situation better and arrive better into that situation. We defended a couple of free-kicks we should not and the of course we need to defend them better."

Hull are a point behind the pack ahead of the final games, which all kick off at 12.30pm on Saturday.

Upwardly mobile Luton Town are at managerless West Bromwich Albion, and sliding Preston North End are at a Bristol City side who still need to sign of their place in the promotion play-offs.

Derby are at home to a Stoke City side one more point ahead but still within range after losing to Leeds United and Sheffield United after reaching 50 points.