Hull 1-1 Blackburn: Steve Bruce and Gary Bowyer reaction
Saturday 26 September 2015 22:56, UK
Hull manager Steve Bruce has told his players they must start performing to the best of their ability after watching them surrender a late goal in a 1-1 draw with Blackburn in the Sky Bet Championship.
Hull had looked on course to take all three points at the KC Stadium after Abel Hernandez gave them the lead in the second half but Jordan Rhodes snatched an equaliser in stoppage time.
Bruce believes his side are just starting to take shape after a difficult transfer window and he expects them to improve now that he has the quality of summer signing Shaun Maloney and returning midfielder Jake Livermore coming into the team.
Bruce admitted it had been a dull game until his side took the lead after he brought on Maloney and Livermore, the latter making his first league appearance since May after testing positive for cocaine.
"Too many (of my players) are not playing well enough to what we know they are capable of," said Bruce.
"We urgently players to start performing the way we know they can. It has been a difficult (transfer window) with not knowing who was staying and who was going.
"It wasn't until we added Maloney and Livermore that we added that bit of quality the game needed."
Bruce bemoaned the late Blackburn equaliser which saw Rhodes escape his marker at a corner.
"It's what football is and the difficult one is two giants of centre-backs who are my centre-backs have to pick up and we're left with a full-back picking him (Rhodes) up.
"I don't think we deserved to lose it but we will get better. We will perform better."
Blackburn manager Gary Bowyer praised his side's battling qualities and also the predatory instincts of striker Rhodes.
But the Blackburn boss was disappointed with referee Andy Haines who he felt should have penalised Hull defender Curtis Davies just before the home side took the lead.
Bowyer said: "It was no more than we deserved. We came to a strong Premiership outfit and took the game to them.
"We have always got that belief and confidence we can create a chance. Jordan has got the opportunity. He has done brilliant for the goal."
Bowyer felt the referee could have even shown Davies a red card as Hull broke out to claim the game's opening goal.
"He has got to send Curtis Davies off and he didn't fancy doing that in front of 16,000 fans," said Bowyer.
"It is a foul all day long. To go down the other end of the pitch and to concede a goal is a hammer blow for us."
The draw keeps Hull fourth in the table but Rovers drop to 18th.
