Liam Millar’s comeback strike has Dean Holden purring

Dean Holden was full of praise for returning hero Liam Millar as the Canada international starred in Hull’s 2-1 Sky Bet Championship win over Leicester.

Millar marked his first start in 12 months with a stunning sixth-minute goal and was involved in Joe Gelhardt’s ultimately decisive 31st-minute strike.

Leicester, beaten for the first time in nine games, pulled a goal back through substitute Aaron Ramsey, Harry Winks hit the crossbar in stoppage time and the Foxes had a penalty appeal waved away.

But they could not spoil Millar’s fairytale comeback from an anterior cruciate ligament injury, nor deny Hull a third straight win which took them seventh in the table, a point above the Foxes.

“What a moment for anyone in the stadium seeing that goal,” enthused assistant head coach Holden, speaking to the media due to Sergej Jakirovic’s touchline ban.

“(Millar) gets you up the pitch and puts the opposition on the back foot. You certainly wouldn’t want to play against him.

“That started us off on the front foot and we scored an outstanding second goal. That was right up there with anything we have scored recently.

“It was an outstanding performance against a good opponent who are one of the favourites for promotion.

“We could have put the game to bed at half-time. They made changes at half-time and we knew we would come under it.

“They are going to have chances with the qualities they have got one-v-one. But overall, we nullified a really good team and our fans must be enjoying coming to this stadium.

“We don’t fear any team and we want to show we are a team to be reckoned with. It’s been a good three games for us.”

Leicester boss Marti Cifuentes blasted his team’s first-half performance.

“It was bad, I cannot say anything else. How we conceded two goals early in the first half, it was far from the standards and the vision I have for my team and for the club,” he said.

“We conceded far too many transitions and the positioning was bad in the first half.

“We had to change our initial plan after 15-20 minutes but it didn’t get better. At half-time, it was important to correct that.

“In the second half we tried and got the chances to get at least a draw if not more. But I wouldn’t have been satisfied even had we scored a second goal.

“We are not consistent enough. But I need to look at myself, take responsibility and make things simple.”