Sergej Jakirovic admits Hull’s play-off hopes all but over after Charlton loss

Hull manager Sergej Jakirovic admitted their play-off chances are “very small” after their stuttering finish to the Sky Bet Championship season continued with a 2-1 defeat at Charlton.

The 2025 League One play-off winners celebrated staying in the division as goals by Charlie Kelman and Jayden Fevrier made them mathematically certain of survival.

City’s play-off challenge has faltered after taking four points out of a possible 18.

John Egan’s header in the seventh minute of first-half stoppage time had levelled for the Tigers, who had been in the play-off zone since December before dropping out after a 2-2 draw at Leicester in midweek.

Jakirovic said: “For me it is unbelievable we cannot win one game in this part of the season. Every team in this league had those moments in their season, unfortunately we have that moment now.

“We have a very small chance (of reaching the play-offs) because if Wrexham take one point it is over. It is over but it still isn’t mathematically over. You have hope but first we have to win our game. It is now a very big problem for us. Now it is not in our hands.

“We played much better in the second half than the first. In the first half we needed to be brave on the ball and take some risks.

“The goal is perfect but we can stop this, defend it better. We equalised from a corner, which was very good because we didn’t show anything in the first half.

“Their second goal is unacceptable – the guy dribbles through three players. We tried everything but this is football – we missed our chances. Congratulations to Charlton.”

The Addicks had made hard work of clinching survival and came into this match on a seven-game winless run.

Kelman produced a terrific finish from just outside the penalty area to put the hosts ahead in the 20th minute, his seventh goal since joining from QPR in the summer.

Fevrier, on loan from Stockport, made it 2-1 in the 68th minute with another accurate strike from range.

“It’s as good an achievement as I’ve ever had, but there is also a touch of disappointment. I think we should be higher than we are,” said Charlton boss Nathan Jones.

“We never do it easy. We have missed chances from five or six yards in all our home games and then we score two absolute bangers.

“The amount of pressure is immense. They were under pressure, because they want to get promoted. But the pressure of going down is totally different.

“We get individual clips of every team. If you looked at that in isolation then you’d never sleep because everyone has massive threats. We are evolving and haven’t quite got there yet.

“It’s real relief – it’s not euphoria.

“If you asked me at the beginning of the season if I would have taken this, I probably wouldn’t. But as the season has gone on, staying up is the first stage for us to move forward and do what we want to do, the first part is for us to be a Championship side.

“I’m proud of the group, the club and all my staff. What a day. This group finds a way to do enough when it is needed.”