Hull City star Charlie Hughes admits it was Matt Crooks’ celebrations that rubber-stamped the Tigers’ survival at Portsmouth last Saturday as the youngster revels in a special week.
Hughes starred at Fratton Park as Ruben Selles’ side battled to secure the result they needed to secure their Championship status, and he says a huge weight has been lifted off the club after a season of real struggle.
Crooks, who arrived at the club in January along with Joe Gelhardt, scored what proved to be the crucial goal in the Fratton Park sunshine. Once the referee blew the full-time whistle after eight added minutes of extra anxiety, the former Middlesbrough star ripped off his shirt and soared towards a delirious away following. It was a moment that signalled to Hughes and skipper Lewie Coyle that the job was done.
“I’ll be honest with you, I didn’t have a scooby. When the final whistle went, Coyley and I looked at each other and said, ‘have we done it?’,'” joked the Wigan-born City ace in conversation with Hull Live.
“The next minute, we looked over and Crooksy already had his top off, going over to the fans. I said I guess we’ve done it because Crooksy’s already in with the crowd.
“It’s an unbelievable feeling because it just feels like so much weight’s been taken off your shoulders. For me I think it’s something that we deserve because people don’t see what’s going on behind closed doors, day in, day out. The hard work that’s getting put in to make sure every week that we go and get the three points.
“It’s even harder not to go and get the three points. Then you dig deep and you do it again Monday to Friday, and keep digging deep to go and put it right in the following game. It’s what the lads deserve, because I think that this team stayed together and dug deep and got the job done.
“I think fans or anyone that’s looking at the Championship table for next season, Hull City are still in the Championship table, so that’s all that matters.”
As Hughes reflects back on the game itself, he admits Selles’ side were below-par in the second half after going in front early on through Crooks’ clever finish. Christian Saydee levelled it up 10 minutes into the second period, just seconds after Joe Gelhardt passed up a glorious chance following a mazy run.
“The word for me was relieved, I was over the moon. The scenes were unbelievable after the game,” he continued. “After the Derby game, it wasn’t what we wanted, but then Monday to Friday, it was having the confidence in the building of what we had in the room. People were saying that there’s a lot of stress on it, but me and the lads looked at it like another game. It was in our hands to go and perform and win. Our aim was to go there and win. When we knew a draw was enough, we were over the moon that it happened.
“If we reflect on the game, we know in the second half we weren’t good enough, but at the end of the day, we got the job done. In the first half, we were on top, we managed the game, we handled it, we handled the fans, and like I said, in the second half, we knew coming out and being at Portsmouth away, it’d be tough with the crowd that they’ve got.
“Our fans were amazing because they kept us going, kept us in the game. It wasn’t the perfect finish to the game, but for the last whistle to go and celebrate with the fans, that’s just what we wanted.
“That is football for you. You back ‘Joffy’ to go and score them. The one that he doesn’t go and score, they go and punish us down the other end.
“What players like Joe and Crooksy have done for us this season is just amazing. For what Crooksy did for us on Saturday was unbelievable for us and for him, and what he deserved. When we got punished at the other end and they scored, it was just a fact of staying calm and trusting our ability to go and win the game.
“Our aim from then on was to go and get the winner and get the three points to finish the season strong. When the final whistle went and we knew a draw was enough, we were just over the moon.”