Sam Clucas sure Hull City will hold concentration

The Tigers were held to a goalless draw by Sheffield Wednesday at the KC Stadium on Friday night.

That, together with Burnley’s victory at Bolton Wanderers, meant Steve Bruce’s men fell a place to second. Middlesbrough are third following their own win at Fulham.

Hull will slip out of the automatic promotion places tomorrow night if Aitor Karanka’s Boro avoid defeat at Blackburn Rovers, but would then reclaim top spot on Thursday if they beat Birmingham City at St Andrews.

“It isn’t where you are at the start of March,” said Clucas when asked about the possibility of slipping out of the top two this week. “It is what happens in May that matters. There are 14 games left, that is a lot of points to play for. We have the majority of them at home, which is where our form has been brilliant.

“Personally, I felt disappointed not to win against Sheffield Wednesday. I had probably the best chance for our team. I should have scored to make it 1-0.

“But it was still a good week. We would probably have taken four points from the two games we had (Hull won at Ipswich Town last Tuesday). It put a little bit more pressure on the other teams when they played on Saturday. They knew they had to get the points on board.

“Having said that, had we got the three points against Sheffield Wednesday then that would have made them that bit more desperate. But there are so many games left, starting with Birmingham (live on Sky).

“Playing Thursday is unusual but I would play any day. I’d have played on Saturday, even after playing Sheffield Wednesday. I love football.

“The games come thick and fast but if we concentrate on ourselv,es then we will get where we want to be.”

Wednesday head coach Carlos Carvalhal, meanwhile, has launched an impassioned defence of Fernando Forestieri after the Italian was sent off for the second time in as many games in Friday’s goalless draw.

Referee Tim Robinson adjudged Forestieri to have dived under a challenge from Michael Dawson that brought a second booking of the night and now he must sit out the next two games through suspension.

“He didn’t dive,” said Carvalhal. “It was a bad decision. You must look at the reaction of the defender.”

Asked if Forestieri could do anything to avoid being accused of diving – as had happened at Preston a week earlier when he was also dismissed – Carvalhal added: “He can do nothing. He must work the same. Maybe what he must do is when players go to break a leg, he must break a leg. Then he does not get a yellow card but he is out for four or five months.”