Darren Moore defended Huddersfield’s cautious approach after Hull left it late to win 1-0 at the MKM Stadium.
Town rarely threatened inside the final third and were seemingly content to leave East Yorkshire with a point.
But their gameplan backfired in stoppage time when Liam Delap scored the winning goal two minutes in.
Moore, whose side are one place above the Sky Bet Championship relegation zone, said: “There’s always an emotional element to a result and I can understand that.
“You have to strike the balance right and we are working towards that.
“But as a group we were working extremely hard to correct those wrongs to make them right.
“We created two or three half-opportunities on counter-attacks.
“When the chances came our way, could we have used the ball more effectively and get bodies up the pitch?
“I thought we did that really well; it was just that the opportunities that we created just didn’t come our way.”
Huddersfield at least defensively improved upon their last two away games, in which they conceded a total of eight goals.
They also had Hull at arm’s length for most of the game – even though the hosts dominated possession.
The Tigers might have lacked attacking nous, but the mood inside the stadium changed once Delap struck the crossbar after 81 minutes.
Hull then scored the goal their efforts deserved when Delap’s low strike hit the inside of the right post and squirmed into the net.
Moore, whose side have won just once in 10 games, said: “It’s a tough one to swallow in terms of going that long into the game (without conceding).
“In terms of the performance, it was another team performance in the right direction.
“As a group we are looking at the positives – you have to look at the overall performance.
“We have to accept what’s happened and move forward.
“The gameplan was to nullify them in spaces we know they can hit you on the break – I thought we did that on the balance of the game.
“I thought apart from a couple of incidents, we limited to them to long-range efforts.”
Counterpart Liam Rosenior was adamant Hull were good value for the victory – even if it was achieved so late in the game.
He said: “I’m really proud because sometimes teams can lose faith in what they are doing.
“This method of (possession-based) play ties the opposition up – I think we had about 80 per cent of the ball – and, normally, chances to come towards the end of the game.
‘I think from minute one to minute 100 we showed our quality and were dominant all game.
“My team, with his group of players, have not lost two games in a row. They are learning as they go which is exciting for me.
“There wasn’t anyone in the stadium who would argue we didn’t deserve three points.”
Hull struggled at home earlier in the season, but they have now won back-to-back games at the MKM Stadium and are only outside the top six on goal difference.
Rosenior added: “Liam got his just rewards – he probably could have scored three or four.
“I’m very proud of the group, but I just want to see more goals. The intent is there – I think everyone can see that.
“But when you have that much control you can be a little bit more risky and make positive changes.
“Fair play to Darren. His side were so resilient and difficult to break down and, in time, he will get the results the club needs.
“For us to break them down in the manner that we did gives us a lot of confidence.”
Chicago Fire v Charlotte FC: Smith shrugs off road-trip worries
Charlotte FC boss Dean Smith believes “mentality” is the main issue for sides daunted by away trips.
Smith takes his team to face the Chicago Fire on Wednesday, with Charlotte having taken just one point from their five away games in MLS so far this season.
But Smith struggles to see why there is such a difference in confidence between home and away fixtures.
“Mentality,” said Smith when asked what the issue was.
“I believe some people, before they even leave, have accepted it’s going to be tougher. The only reason it’s tougher is because that’s in your head. Yes, you’ve got to travel, you haven’t got home fans or home advantage, but the pitches are still the same size, you’ve still got to get into your box and score a goal, and they’ve got to get in yours and you’ve got to defend your box.
“I don’t think there’s too much in it other than you have your fans behind you and home comforts. We should have had more points on the road, our performances merited more points but we’ve not taken chances on the road so far.”
Charlotte have won their last two games, both at home, while the Fire are on a five-game winless run.
“I’ve just been watching clips of them. It’s going to be a tough game, as everyone keeps telling me, it’s tough on the road,” Smith said.
“We’ll try to change that. They got beat at the weekend so it’s a bit of a tough time for them but we have to concentrate on ourselves.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Chicago Fire – Hugo Cuypers
The Fire have failed to score in three straight regular-season home games for the third time in club history. Cuypers is their top scorer, with three goals this term, and the onus will be on him to get firing again.
Charlotte FC – Patrick Agyemang
Patrick Agyemang scored Charlotte’s winner against Nashville SC last time out, making him the team’s leading scorer in MLS in 2024, with three goals to his name.
MATCH PREDICTION: CHICAGO WIN
While Chicago are made the favourites by Opta’s model, Charlotte have recorded back-to-back shutout wins. Charlotte have never won three straight regular-season matches without conceding a goal, something no team has managed to do in MLS in 2024.
Chicago are winless in five straight games and has just 10 points through their first 12 this season (W2 D4 L6). The Fire have had fewer points at this stage of a season only once before, taking nine points through 12 matches in 2020.
Charlotte have won three straight matches against the Fire after Chicago won the first meeting, 3-2. Charlotte have never won four straight meetings with a single opponent, though.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Chicago Fire – 41.1%
Charlotte – 29.9%
Draw – 29%
JFF appoints Omar McFarlane U-17 Reggae Boyz Ambassador ahead of World Cup qualifiers
The Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) has appointed distinguished businessman and philanthropist, Omar McFarlane as the official Ambassador for the Under-17 Reggae Boyz, as they prepare for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers scheduled to begin next year.
McFarlane has strong ties to Jamaica and Florida, where he founded the renowned Champion Football Club in South Florida. Champion is a non-profit travel football club that focuses on providing Jamaican youth players with opportunities to showcase their talent by competing in the Florida travel league.
In his role as Ambassador, McFarlane will play a critical part in helping to secure the necessary funding and support required for the Under-17 Reggae Boyz to excel and qualify for the age group World Cup, scheduled for 2025 in Qatar. His dedication to youth development and football excellence makes him an ideal candidate to support the young talents representing Jamaica on the international stage.
McFarlane shared his enthusiasm for the role.
"I am honoured to be appointed as the Ambassador for the U17 Reggae Boyz. I am committed to leveraging my connections and resources to ensure that our young players have the best opportunities to succeed and make Jamaica proud on the world stage,” he said.
The President of the Jamaica Football Federation, Michael Ricketts expressed gratitude for McFarlane's willingness to support the Under-17 Reggae Boyz.
"We are thrilled to have Omar on board as our Ambassador for the U17 team. His passion for football and dedication to youth development align perfectly with our goals for the national youth programme. We look forward to working together to achieve great success,” Ricketts stated.
The JFF and the Under-17 Reggae Boyz are excited about the prospects of the upcoming World Cup qualifiers and are confident that with McFarlane's support and sports loving fans, the team will reach new heights in international football.
Klopp's assistant Lijnders to take charge at Salzburg
Jurgen Klopp's long-time assistant Pep Lijnders has agreed to take over at Salzburg, the Austrian club and Liverpool have confirmed.
Lijnders joined the Reds in 2014 as under-16s coach, before he became first-team development coach a year later.
Initially working under Brendan Rodgers, Lijnders has played a key role in Klopp's staff since the German took over at Anfield in October 2015.
It was confirmed in January that Lijnders would join Klopp in leaving Liverpool, and the Dutchman will now take a step into management, having agreed a three-year deal with Salzburg.
"I am very proud to become the new head coach of Salzburg," said Lijnders.
"This is a real privilege for me. After PSV, Porto and Liverpool, I am now moving to another exceptional club with a really good structure and a particular focus on youth development.
"I want to develop a mentality with the team that places a lot of emphasis on an attacking style of play and where passion and hunger for success are the basis of everything.
"My family has visited the city before and was overwhelmed by its beauty and the friendliness of the people. That was the last and important step for me in choosing Salzburg."
This is Lijnders' second managerial position, after a brief spell at NEC Nijmegen.
Lijnders will be joined by another of Liverpool's backroom staff, Vitor Matos, who will serve as his assistant. They are replacing Gerhard Struber, who was dismissed in April by 17-time Austrian champions Salzburg.
The duo, along with Klopp and the rest of his staff, will celebrate the end of their glorious Liverpool tenure when the Reds take on Wolves at Anfield on Sunday.
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