Nigel Adkins savours ‘brilliant’ night as Hull win at Rotherham

Posted Wednesday, August 22, 2018 by PA

Hull boss Nigel Adkins praised the unity in his side after they won for the first time this season with a 3-2 triumph at Rotherham.

The Tigers had taken just a point from their opening three games of the season, and were booed off after a 1-0 loss to Blackburn at the weekend, but put that right at the New York Stadium thanks to Jackson Irvine’s double and Fraizer Campbell’s effort.

They had fallen behind to Richard Wood’s header, and then Jamie Proctor’s late goal made a game of it for the hosts, but Hull saw it out for an important victory.

“We have responded in the right manner, we kept playing football,” Adkins said. “We were 3-1 up, could have gone 4-1 up and then we have had to show the different side of our game, the grit and determination that is required and responded from Saturday.

“It’s progress, we are a young and new side. In the last 10 minutes we were all together, the fans were getting behind us. That’s how we want it, that is what football is all about.

“We have got a group of players that from day one of pre-season have worked really hard. Sometimes things go against you, but that’s what’s it’s all about, we want that togetherness.

“Rotherham haven’t been beaten here since March, so this was always going to be a tough game.

“The players have grown in stature today as a team, which is really, really pleasing. It was brilliant tonight so we have to make sure we don’t go from one extreme to the other.”

Millers boss Paul Warne was left to rue defensive slips either side of the interval.

Campbell put the Tigers ahead for the first time when he rolled home in first-half injury time and then two minutes after the restart Irvine made it 3-1.

“I’m hugely disappointed with the goals we conceded,” Warne said.

“The two minutes either side of half-time decided the game really. Both goals were avoidable, I’m not disrespecting Hull, they played well, it wasn’t like they were cutting us open every time. It was a competitive game.

“(I’m) just disappointed with the goals, I have got an honest bunch in there, they stick their hands up they know when they have done wrong.

“We need to eradicate that because we can’t gift teams goals in this league.

“We changed the system and chased the game and if one would have dropped for us it would have been nice and it would have been a great celebration.”