Sergej Jakirovic urges Hull to hold nerve as race for play-off intensifies

Head coach Sergej Jakirovic urged Hull to hold their nerve in the Championship play-off race after they were forced to settle for a point in a 1-1 draw against Birmingham at the MKM Stadium.

The promotion-chasing Tigers were on course for victory thanks to Joe Gelhardt’s 14th goal of the season midway through the first half, until they were pegged back by a stunning late equaliser from Blues midfielder Tomoki Iwata.

A fourth game without a win represents sixth-placed Hull’s worst run of the season. It leaves them two points ahead of seventh-placed Wrexham and three better-off than Derby in eighth. Each club has three games left to play.

It’s now 21 points dropped from winning positions this season for Jakirovic’s side, who have won one of the last six games.

The Hull boss said: “We’re aware of dropping those 21 points. We didn’t play our best game today which makes everything very tight. We have to be brave.

“There are three games to go and we’ll try to win the points. All three of us (Wrexham and Derby) have two away games so we’ll see who will be the most successful.

“We have a lot of problems with team selection in terms of injuries but we have to try everything to take three points in each of those games.”

Hull return to action on Tuesday with a trip to relegation-threatened Leicester and Jakirovic added: “It’s been difficult for Leicester with the points deduction, but we have to focus on ourselves. Every team is fighting for something so it will not be easy.”

Liam Millar launched the deadlock-breaking move down the Tigers’ left for Gelhardt’s opener.

When the Canadian winger was dispossessed by Carlos Vicente in the Birmingham penalty area, the ball fell kindly for Gelhardt to turn and fire home from 15 yards with the help of a deflection off defender Phil Neumann.

After struggling in the first-half, Birmingham grew into the contest and levelled with 13 minutes left when Japan international Iwata found the top corner from 25 yards for a spectacular third goal of the season.

Hull defender Semi Ajayi blazed wide from close range and James Beadle kept out Oli McBurnie’s long-range free kick in stoppage-time as Birmingham snapped a four-game losing streak on the road.

Chris Davies’ side are 14th, one of five clubs on 57 points, in their bid to secure a top-half finish.

The Blues boss said: “We deserved a point and if anyone could have won it then it was us. I was encouraged by our performance.

“The commitment from the team was there and we showed resilience and character to stay in the game after going behind. We got in some good positions early on without capitalising on those. From our point of view there was a lot more good than bad from the performance.

“To concede their goal was disappointing because there was nothing in it. Our pressing game was good to limit their possession and we deserved our goal when it came. It was a game of few chances for strikers on both sides.

“The pitch was dry and wasn’t conducive to slick passing football. Tomoki did ever so well for the goal, he sprinted into position and earned his luck when it dropped for him. He faded it into the top corner with pace and that shot must have been travelling at about 100 miles an hour!”