Why Hull City's run-in gives them an advantage over their play-off chasing rivals

Theirs has been an up-and-down last 10 games – won four, lost four, drawn both Easter matches.

In local cricketing parlance, Coventry was a "winning draw", Oxford a losing one. And that pointed to a wider pattern.

Ipswich Town are the only one of the Championship’s top eight sides to have beaten Hull home and away this season. As Friday’s 1-1 draw at the Kassam Stadium reminded everyone, life against the stragglers has sometimes been tougher.

Hull are a counter-attacking team who fare best when the other side have more of the ball. It is why they, like Middlesbrough, have won the same number of points home and away this season.

"Coventry is the best team in this league, they will be promoted," said Hull coach Sergej Jakirovic after his side's second 0-0 draw against them. He was hardly sticking his neck out given the Sky Blues need a maximum four points from their last five games to seal the deal.

For a first clean sheet in seven matches to have come against the only side to have outscored Hull in this season’s Championship – and comfortably – was something else to take pride from.

"It's not easy to keep clean sheets but it's the effort of all the team," continued Jakirovic.

"This (all-round performance) is a great message for us.

"There is no reason to not show these performances in the next games.

"Maybe this is our problem sometimes but there are also opponents (to consider). Sometimes against teams who are in the relegation battle it's not easy to play because they're fighting for their lives.

"Sometimes you have more space against these (better) teams because they want to play as well.

"Oxford were a tough opponent because in the last (five) games they'd taken 10 points and they're fighting for their lives to stay in the league. It's never simple to play these teams."

The bad news for Hull City is they have no more fixtures against the current top eight.

The good news is Leicester City are the only side in serious relegation danger they still have to play – away on April 21.

The rest – Sheffield United away on Saturday, Birmingham City at home the following week, Charlton Athletic away on the penultimate weekend and Norwich City at home to finish – are in mid-table.

It can work one of two ways. The Canaries are flying – third in the form table over 10 matches but having swapped Liam Manning for Philippe Clement too late to realistically gatecrash the play-offs.

With their promotion hopes having slipped away from them, the Blades and Birmingham have gone in the opposite direction.

The Blades have not won any of their last six matches, and are one of only three teams to have picked up fewer points than the Blues in that time. If they start well in these games, Hull's opponents will have a freedom to go out and play. But if they have to dig deep, how much will realistically be there?

Four teams are competing for positions five and six, and after playing at Wrexham on Tuesday night, Southampton are at Derby County on Saturday. Their final home game is at Ipswich days after their FA Cup semi-final.

Wrexham's last three games are at Oxford on April 21, a Coventry side who should have the title wrapped up by the 26th, and a home game against Middlesbrough, who at this rate probably hope they are still scrambling for second on May 2.

Derby's game at home to Oxford on 18th is their last against a side with something to play for.

But theories are all well and good, league run-ins have a habit of trashing them.

The key for Hull is to play less like they did at Oxford, much more like they did at home to Coventry.

"We started very strongly – (on the) front foot, aggression, in possession, out of possession we were very good," was Jakirovic's view of Monday's second 0-0 of the season against Coventry. "We allowed almost nothing all game.

"We created some chances – okay, maybe in the last third we lacked a better pass or better decision, a better shot.

"I'm very happy because they put a lot of energy in. We were tactically very strong, organised.

"We have to continue like this. It is five games to go.

"We need to just look at ourselves and take as many points as we can.

"Every game we are approaching the same with full analysis, a tactical plan and if you cannot win the game, don't lose the game because every point now is counting. There are not too many games to fix things.

"We have to be ready and continue like this. Then everything, I think, will be okay."