Hull City have to shake off play-off jitters or risk blowing their golden chance

Just as they did last week at Sheffield United, City were a goal up going into the closing stages before conceding to fail to win for a fourth game in a row, the longest spell under Sergej Jakirovic.

City remain in the box seat for a play-off place with only three games remaining, but what was once a seven-point cushion has since become just two.

Here, Tigers reporter Barry Cooper reflects on a disappointing display in their penultimate home outing of the season...

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One win in seven, and that was against Sheffield Wednesday. Two wins in 11 at home show how City have seen the wheels come off at the wrong time.

They were well short of where they needed to be in the second half, and never looked like pushing ahead and making the game safe, which allowed the visitors a chance to get back into it.

City need a result from somewhere before they gift Wrexham and Derby County the chance to overtake them. Time is running out for them to make the most of their opportunity. It's still in their hands, but based on current form, they look hugely vulnerable. They need to get back to the grinding out we saw in wins at Millwall, Boro and Southampton, coupled with lady luck shining on their side.

Derby won't go away with four wins in their last six, and Wrexham have responded to a couple of setbacks by being a Stoke City side in freefall. The gap is now two points, and it's looking dicey. They need a win to lift their confidence and just settle everybody down.

Toby Collyer has suffered another major setback, which brings a cruel end to a campaign decimated by injury for the 22-year-old. Just when things looked to be easing, City go on and lose Cody Drameh and now Collyer.

At least Regan Slater is nearing a return, but injuries have provided the backdrop for the season, and sadly, it looks like Jakirovic will continue to be robbed of some key players.

On the plus side, the bench looked a lot stronger on Saturday. Going into the final three games and possibly at least two more play-off games, having some of those key figures available again and getting up to speed will be crucial. Getting Ryan Giles, Yu Hirakawa and Lewis Koumas on the pitch was a positive.

Given the news about Collyer, Lundstram's return from a one-match ban in time for Tuesday night at Leicester is a timely boost. His experience will be vital in this final flurry of matches.

Lundstram had begun to get his form back before his sending off at Bramall Lane, but hopefully he comes back with the bit between his teeth and determined to make an impact.

Having missed so many games this season through injury, no doubt there will have been an element of frustration on his part at how it's played out. There is time, though, for his impact on the pitch to be felt.

Midfield has been an issue all season, and it was again against the Blues, who dominated. Having Lundstram back will help, but they'll hope Regan Slater can come through.

Attention now turns to Tuesday night's visit to the struggling Foxes, who were beaten in a game they could ill-afford to lose at Portsmouth in Saturday's early kick-off.

Leicester look doomed, but may yet cling to the hope of West Brom being docked points to drag them closer, but the Foxes are in serious trouble.

They seem to be paralysed by fear, and City really have to take advantage of that and the crowd's anger at the King Power because that's a huge opportunity to get a precious three points, but they have to ignore the noise surrounding the Foxes' slide towards League One once again.

That's now 21 points they've dropped from winning positions. Five in the past two games alone, and that's costing them. In reality, bar the odd moment, rarely did City ever look going on and killing the game off.

It's another game where they've failed to score more than once, with that game against Wednesday the last time they managed to do that, and that one feels a long, long time ago.

Fortunately, it's still in their hands, despite what is now a really worrying slump in form. City have three games to ensure they get more points than both Wrexham and Derby.

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