Brown stays grounded as Tigers take flight

IT is a measure of the gloom which has enveloped Hull City for much of 2009 that even a rare victory on Saturday could not spark a smile from Phil Brown.

This was a rare highlight for the embattled City manager, as goals from Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink and Geovanni saw off Wigan and earned just a third league win in this calendar year.

But Brown, having become wearily accustomed to dealing with bad news, accepts scrutiny of his own position may not go away.