City laboured to a draw against mid-table Birmingham City as their advantage in the play-offs was cut to just two points with three to play
Barry Cooper Hull City correspondent
17:01, 18 Apr 2026
Birmingham City’s Tomoki Iwata scores(Image: PA)
Hull City’s stuttering play-off campaign saw them make it four games without a win for the first time under Sergej Jakirovic, after being held to a disappointing 1-1 draw by Birmingham City, throwing away a winning position for the second consecutive weekend.
On a day where City knew they needed to win, a nervy start gave way to Joe Gelhardt’s 14th league goal of the season when he fired in after 24 minutes.
City rarely looked like adding to that, labouring for much of the second period, and the much livelier visitors got on terms with just over 10 minutes to go when Tomoki Iwata slammed in from distance.
The manner of their second-half performance will give concern to Jakirovic, who made changes in a bid to breathe life into what was a laboured display, despite leading at the interval.
Sergej Jairovic made two changes from the controversial loss at Sheffield United a week ago, with Paddy McNair and Joe Gelhardt returning to the starting XI. McNair came in at left-back, replacing the injured Cody Drameh, with Gelhardt taking the place of the suspended John Lundstram. That saw a tactical shift with Lewie Coyle moving to right-back, Matt Crooks dropping back into midfield, and Gelhardt playing behind Oli McBurnie.
There were returns to the matchday squad for Ryan Giles, Eliot Matazo and Yu Hirakawa, though Toby Collyer was sidelined with an ankle injury which is expected to keep him out for the remaining weeks of the season.
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The away side started brightly, pinning the Tigers back. Tomoki Iwata volleyed well over after a free-kick was cleared. City were in when McNair cleared to free Mo Belloumi with City two-on-one, but his ball looking for Gelhardt was cut out.
It took the best part of 20 minutes for City to really threaten, with Belloumi cutting inside and forcing a good save from James Beadlie to beat away.
The Tigers were toiling, struggling with the movement through midfield and in attack of the Blues, but out of nothing, Jakirovic’s men hit the front after 23 minutes. Liam Millar’s run saw a touch off Vicente into the path of Gelhardt to run on and slam a first-time shot across Beadle and into the net, via a deflection. Just what they needed to ease the growing tension, his first goal since that belter of a free-kick at Wrexham.
Less than five minutes into the second half, Ethan Laird replaced Bright Osayi-Samuel, after he looked to have tweaked a muscle following a cross into the Tigers box.
Ajayi and Jay Stansfield were both booked for a flashpoint early in the second half. A rare moment in what had been a remarkably low-key event to that point.
The visitors made a double change just after the hour, with Demarai Grey and Marvin Ducksch replacing Stansfield and Grey in a bid to liven up their display. While they lacked a threat, City’s one-goal lead felt precarious.
Kieran Dowell and Lewis Koumas. Two ex-Bluenoses were on for Gelhardt and Millar, with the hosts labouring 15 minutes from the end, and looking like they were struggling.
It was no great surprise when the visitors levelled through a fine strike from Tomoki Iwata, who slammed in from the edge of the box to level it up.
McNair and Belloumi were replaced by the returning duo of Giles and Hirakawa in the final 10 minutes, before Kyle Joseph came on for Amir.
City should have won it three minutes from time, but Ajayi slammed wide from eight yards when he really should have done better. Vicente was replaced by Seung-ho, and Cochrane was on for Priske deep into seven minutes of added time.
Crooks headed well over in the final second, and there went the full-time whistle. Two points dropped.
Attention now for the Tigers turns to Tuesday night’s trip to the King Power Stadium to face a stricken Leicester City, who slipped closer to League One once again on Saturday with a 1-0 loss at Portsmouth. Victory for the away side could potentially relegate the Foxes, who won the Premier League just a decade ago.
Hull City: Pandur, McNair, Egan, Ajayi, Coyle ©, Amir, Crooks, Millar, Belloumi, Gelhardt, McBurnie: Subs: Phillips, Giles, Matazo, Joseph, Koumas, Famewo, Hughes, Hirakawa, Dowell.
Birmingham City: Beadle; Osayi-Samuel, Neumann, Klarer, Wagner; Iwata, Solis; Vicente, Stansfield, Osman; Priske. Subs: Allsop, Laird, Robinson, Cochrane, Doyle, Paik, Roberts, Gray, Ducksch.
Referee: Stephen Martin
Attendance: 22,706 (2,346 from Birmingham)
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