Hull City v Doncaster Rovers: Tigers must turn home form around against Rovers

WITH just 15 goals to their name on home soil and six victories, Hull City’s main problem this season is clear for all to see.

Nigel Pearson, however, insists three games out of the remaining five being at the KC Stadium need not be a barrier to the Tigers finishing the season in the play-off places.

Ahead of today’s derby with Doncaster Rovers, the Hull manager said: “We have not scored enough goals at home, and that has been our Achilles heel all season.

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“Doncaster will be aware of how we have performed at home and I am sure they will be looking to keep it tight to try and frustrate us.

“We have got to make sure our level of performance is right to try and win the game. It is about trying to get three points and nothing else.”

Hull’s struggles in the East Riding are in stark contrast to their form on the road, the midweek draw at promotion-chasing Swansea City stretching the club’s unbeaten away run to 16 games.

It is a scintillating stretch of form that has kept Hull on the coat-tails of the top six, meaning a strong finish could yet thrust Pearson’s side into the play-off places.

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The Tigers chief said: “We have got ourselves in a position that, halfway through the season, we would have taken.

“We are in touch and we have got an outside chance still. These are three games at home (Middlesbrough and Crystal Palace visit the KC Stadium on April 23 and 30, respectively) that we have got to try and win them all.

“Whatever happens in the next few weeks, in terms of our results, I still think there is going to be a little bit of reliance on what other teams do. But, first and foremost, we have got to try and win our next game.”

Today’s game marks a personal milestone for Doncaster’s Sean O’Driscoll as it will be his 500th league game as a manager in professional football.

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O’Driscoll said: “I don’t see it as any sort of milestone. You live from day-to-day as a manager and, if you take anything for granted, this industry will chew you up and spit you out. Hopefully, I can stay in this job for another 500 games.”

Rovers ended a run of three consecutive defeats with a midweek draw against Preston and sit eight points clear of the relegation zone with five to play. “We would have liked to have sprinted past the finishing line some time ago,” said O’Driscoll. “It now looks like we’ll have to inch our way over.”