Brown bullish after promotion blow

PHIL BROWN insisted Hull are play-off favourites after their automatic promotion hopes were dashed yesterday.

The third-placed Tigers now face Watford over two legs after Stoke beat them into second place, with this tame defeat — secured by Alan Lee’s 70th-minute header — ultimately proving irrelevant thanks to the Potters’ draw with Leicester.

“It’s a lottery now, as every manager will tell you,” Brown said. “We’re in the semi-final of a cup. Watford are not the form team at this moment in time so probably, going into the game, we’ll be favourites. We’ll be well-equipped for it.”

Brown admitted it may have been a “bridge too far” for his team, who needed to win and hope Stoke lost.

“It was always going to be a good game of football,” said Brown. “They played in an attacking formation; we played in an attacking formation. We disappointed in the final third.

“Over the 46 games, the players have been superb. Obviously we’re disappointed we are just in the play -offs. Then again, to be disappointed at finishing third is testament to how far we’ve come this year.”

Ipswich went into the game needing results involving Crystal Palace, Wolves and Watford to go their way, but manager Jim Magilton said: “At the end of the day, we just needed to win our game, which we did. It gives the players something to think about over the summer. It was that close.”

IPSWICH (4-4-2): Bywater 7, Simpson 6, De Vos 6, Bruce 7, Wright 7, Walters 7, Garvan 7, Miller 6, Quinn 5 (Lee 69, 7), Kuqi 5 (Haynes 52, 6), Counago 6 (Sumulikoski 80, 6).

Subs Not Used: Colgan, Sito.

HULL (4-4-2): Myhill 6, Ricketts 6, Turner 7, Brown 6, Dawson 6, Folan 5 (Barmby 64, 5), Ashbee 7, Marney 6, Hughes 5 (Fagan 61, 5), Campbell 6, Windass 6.

Subs Not Used: Duke, Doyle, Walton.

REFEREE: Andre Marriner (West Midlands) 7: Nothing to concern him unduly here.

MATCH RATING: *** Tense because of the occasion, but Hull choked.