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Preview: Town – Hull
By Aston May 3 2008
Town can sneak into the top six tomorrow and clinch a play-off place, but only if they beat Hull at Portman Road and other results go their way.
For Town to take one of the two play places up for grabs they need either Watford or Crystal to lose, Wolves to get no more then a point against Plymouth and Sheffield United can beat Southampton but they have to do it with out winning by two more goals then Town do against Hull.

Town are missing just David Norris and Richard Naylor for the crunch game, Velice Sumulikoski is fit back in the squad after being told he won't need surgery to correct a broken artery in his shin.

Possible Town squad: Bywater, Colgan, Simpson, Sito, Wright, Harding, Bruce, De Vos, Williams, Garvan, Miller, Sumulikoski, Trotter, Haynes, Quinn, Walters, Lee, Kuqi, Counago.

Town manager Jim Magilton: "Every manager and player will go into the game wanting to win. How the game pans out is another matter with those teams with nothing to play for go a goal down and the disappointment kicks in and the mind wanders to the beach and that is something we have to be aware of.

"We have not been very lucky in last day of the season games. Certainly as a player I can remember situations when we have missed out on automatic promotion and play-offs, so I hope we get a bit of the rub of the green this time.

"We have an opportunity to get into the play-offs against Hull who have a dream of going into the Premier League

"This really is a must win game.

"We thought Preston was but a draw was enough. At 2-1 down we looked dead and buried but we showed great character and Jon (Walters) scored a goal that could have massive repercussions for us.

"Against Hull we have to play a high tempo game and start brightly. There is a lot riding on the game so there will be a lot of nerves and it will be the team that settles quickest and gets into their rhythm and stride.

"I hope with the crowd behind us it is us and we can dominate the game."

Hull can clinch an automatic promotion place and even the title if they turn around 12 goal deficit they currently have on West Brom and the Baggies lose QPR, for Hull to finish second they need to beat Town and hope Stoke lose to Leicester City.

Hull's main doubt for tomorrows game is Henrik Pedersen who didn't train yesterday but Dean Windass, Andy Dawson, Richard Garcia and Jay-Jay Okocha all trained but tomorrow might come too soon for Garcia and Okocha.

Possible Hull City squad: Myhill, Ricketts, Brown, Turner, Dawson; Fagan, Ashbee, Marney, Hughes, Folan, Campbell, Duke, Windass, Walton, Barmby, Doyle, France.

Hull boss Phil Brown: "The only thing we can concentrate on is winning our game, if we do that, we'll have a look at how Stoke and Leicester have done. But this is a massive game for us and we know that Portman Road has been a fortress all season.

"Ipswich have played in two different ways at home and away. Their home form suggests they are a good footballing side and I'm sure there will be a great surface.

"They have always had a certain style of play and I think Jim Magilton has gone along with that.

"It will be a good game of football and that is a strange thing to have on the final day of the season.

"You would expect nerves to play a part, but I think we will see a good game of football on Sunday.

"I'm hoping that will suit us. We have a game plan with and without the ball. We have to make sure that when we have the ball, we play it properly and when we don't, we have to make sure we're right in their faces.

I haven't felt the pressure increase in recent weeks. I've fed off my players and the group is very focussed, relaxed and experienced.

"They are enjoying their work and they are enjoying the moment. I've been feeding off that.

"If I'd arrived at training this morning and seen a few nervous faces, I might have become nervous but that hasn't been the case.

"Nerves on the day might be a different ball game. Every game, be it the first of the season or the last, has something riding on it.

"But having gone through what we did last season, to be in this situation is a far better way of managing a football team."

Match odds:
Town: 6/4
Draw: 13/5
Hull: 15/8

Officials:
Referee: Andre Marriner
Assistants: P Keane and S Tincknell
Fourth Official: G Hegley

Sources: Hull City - the official website and the EADT

Got a prediction for tomorrow? Leave it below.

 (C'mon Town!)

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1 week ago Report
ITFC LEGGI (IP Logged)
The King
Date Joined: Apr, 2007
Location: Leeds,Leeds,Leeds
Posts: 2300
Re: Preview: Town – Hull
I think its gonna be a cracker of a game, both teams going allout for goals, I predict we'll nick it 3-2, but other results wont go our way.
It will be a day of 'if only's'(Sm18)

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1 week ago Report
MK-Tractor-Boy (IP Logged)
Registered User
Date Joined: Sep, 2006
Location:
Posts: 646
Re: Preview: Town – Hull
Just like our season then (Sm17)

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