The Tigers were beaten 2-1 at Bramall Lane in a game which provided plenty of talking points
SHEFFIELD, ENGLAND – APRIL 11: Oliver McBurnie of Hull City battles for possession with Jairo Riedewald of Sheffield United during the Sky Bet Championship match between Sheffield United and Hull City at Bramall Lane on April 11, 2026 in Sheffield, England. (Photo by Mark Sutton/Getty Images)
Hull City missed the opportunity to move seven points clear in the play-off race on Saturday as they were beaten by Sheffield United at Bramall Lane.
The Tigers led for much of the game through Oli McBurnie’s early opener, but John Lundstram’s red card opened the door for the Blades to hit back with an equaliser coming through a controversial penalty before Danny Ings scored the winner with just a couple of minutes remaining.
Here’s a look at a few talking points to emerge from the contest.
Penalty issues
There’s a debate to had here, with City conceding a penalty late on due to wrestling in the box as a corner came in. Kyle Joseph is the man who has been credited with making the foul after bringing down Jairo Riedewald, but it must be said that the set piece was particularly messy with players from both clubs hitting the deck as the ball came in.
Few would argue against the idea that a player being pulled to the ground inside the box should result in a penalty. And, had those moments been cracked down on by referees universally in the Championship over the course of the season, City would have been more accepting of their punishment.
The issue is that lack of consistency shown from referees in these moments. Referees in the Championship almost never give penalties in such instances, but John Brooks saw enough on this occasion.
His apparent lack of explanation to players after the decision was made didn’t help issues either, with Oli McBurnie claiming Brooks said, ‘I don’t know, go away’, when asked who he had penalised.
City have the right to feel somewhat aggrieved then, but they can do little about it now.
A missed opportunity
The Tigers looked good value for their lead for much of the game and before John Lundstram’s sending off, they had restricted Sheff United to scraps in front of goal. As such, they looked more than capable of cruising to the finish line and picking up another three points on the road.
Those three points would have given Wrexham and the chasing pack beneath the play-offs a mountain to climb over the final few weeks.
As it is though, City collapsed to a defeat late on and Wrexham now have the opportunity to close that gap to just one point this afternoon when they take on Birmingham City at St Andrew’s.
City will be watching that game closely, hoping and praying the Blues do a job on Phil Parkinson’s side.
More injury woes
Sergej Jakirovic has more injuries to check on in the coming days as he turns his attention to the visit of Birmingham on Saturday. The hope is that Toby Collyer will be ready to start that game after the decision was made to leave him out this week for his own good following a torrid run of injuries.
Lewis Koumas has a hamstring issue though, and it remains to be seen whether he will be involved after pulling up in training. And, City will be examining the quad problem that Cody Drameh was forced off with in the first half of Saturday’s game.
The good news is that Ryan Giles is due to return to training on Monday and all being well, that could give City an alternative full-back option should Drameh be ruled out.
Acun’s message
John Lundstram posted a message online after the game to apologise to the City fans after picking up a red card that he felt cost his side the game at Bramall Lane. However, the midfielder, who was having a solid afternoon before the sending off, also mentioned how he was disappointed with the reception he received from the Sheffield United fans on his return to South Yorkshire.
Chairman Acun Ilicali posted a public response to Lundstram in which he appears to question why his reception was so important to him after such a frustrating loss. The owner took a swipe at some of the refereeing calls in his post, but he seems to take aim at the midfielder while also sending out a resilient message to the City fans.
“Dear Lunny,” he wrote on X.
“We are still feeling the pain of the three points stolen from us today. We believe that the most important thing today that we need to talk about is losing three points by terrible referee decisions. On an afternoon filled with disappointment for us, as I read your statement, I would expect it to be more about the injustice on the pitch and less about the disappointment you felt from the fans of your former club.
“We are a big family, we have one dream. We have a great team, strong coach and the best fans fully focused on reaching the playoffs. I hope you’ll feel better in the future with the genuine love and support from our Hull City (with capital H) fans.”