Championship - final day: George Boyd denies tension has engulfed Hull City

Automatic promotion remains in the Tigers' hands

Rory Dollard
Friday 03 May 2013 06:46 EDT
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Steve Bruce can’t believe his eyes
Steve Bruce can’t believe his eyes (Getty Images)

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Hull have one final chance to book an automatic place in the Barclays Premier League tomorrow, with George Boyd denying there is any tension around the KC Stadium.

The Tigers were odds on to grab second place in the npower Championship just a couple of weeks ago but a return of just one point from matches against three relegation strugglers in Wolves, Bristol City and Barnsley has left their hopes on a knife edge.

Tomorrow they face champions Cardiff at home and, with Watford still a point behind them, victory will see them into the top flight.

Short of that, matching the Hornets' result against Leeds would still be enough.

And Boyd is enthused by the challenge.

"It's definitely a feeling of excitement," Boyd told the club's official website.

"We're one win away from the Premier League and that isn't something to be scared of. We'll be looking to go out there and play our game on Saturday.

"It's disappointing that we haven't got there already and we've let ourselves down in the last three games, but we've got to put that out of our minds.

"We've still got a great opportunity and I'd rather be in our position than Watford's."

Watford striker Troy Deeney feels equally at ease though.

He is glad the pressure is off his side, who must go out with the simple objective of beating Leeds and hoping for the best.

"Nobody's nervous or tense or anything, everyone's quite relaxed about the situation," he told watfordfc.com.

"Obviously it's still not in our hands but all we can do is win our game, and hopefully Cardiff do a job for us.

"We want to go and take care of it.

"To be fair the way that we've played all season is always to go and win games, so I don't think we'll start looking for draws now."

In terms of the play-offs, Bolton and Crystal Palace are the sides in possession of fifth and sixth in the table.

The Trotters face Blackpool sitting level on 67 points with Nottingham Forest but ahead by three on goal difference.

Ian Holloway's Palace look all but home in fifth but if they fail to win and results elsewhere conspire against them they could still miss out.

Leicester remain just about in the hunt for a top-six finish, but would need to defeat Forest to stand a chance.

At the bottom of the table, the fight is on to avoid joining Bristol City in League One next term.

Wolves are favourites for a second consecutive relegation and head into the final round three points adrift of Barnsley and Peterborough.

For Dean Saunders' side, only an away win at Brighton gives any chance of an unlikely escape.

Barnsley, though, harbour more realistic hopes, knowing a win over fellow candidates Huddersfield keeps them up.

Tykes boss David Flitcroft has scored some big wins since taking charge of a struggling side earlier this season and has called for one final effort.

"I've been relaxed all the way through," he added.

"I'm delighted we're in this position and delighted that the lads have given themselves a shot to stay in this division.

"Everyone up and down the land have done their predictions and everyone will be wrong again."

Sheffield Wednesday, who host Middlesbrough, and Millwall, who go to Derby, are the other vulnerable sides.

Elsewhere, Birmingham host Blackburn, Ipswich head to Burnley and Charlton see off Bristol City.

PA

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