Frustrated Chris Wilder blamed individual errors from his Middlesbrough players after seeing their play-off hopes hit by a 1-0 defeat to Hull at the Riverside.
Wilder claimed goalkeeper Joe Lumley should have kept out Keane Lewis-Potter’s curling effort 16 minutes from time which condemned Boro to a second home loss in four days.
The hosts tried to hit back, Aaron Connolly missing the target and Hull goalkeeper Matt Ingram turning over Marcus Tavernier’s long-range drive, but Hull held on to leave their opponents in eighth place, three points shy of sixth-placed Sheffield United with a game in hand.
Chris Wilder, whose side travel to second-placed Bournemouth on Good Friday, said: “This is the business end of the season, we have missed an opportunity. That is the disappointing aspect of it.
“But there are quite a few teams who would swap positions with us. We want to keep going and adding to the points tally.
“I am disappointed. That’s what happens if you’re not at it and your standards aren’t very good.
“For 20 minutes we were OK, but it deteriorated in to a poor performance individually. We gave the ball away too cheaply. There were individual errors and you could see that result coming.
“It was that kind of performance. That is one of our poorest performances of the season at home.
“The goalkeeper should have done better. I have protected him for long enough and it was another poor goal. He should have done better.
“It wasn’t going to be a walkover. They have really good young players. They aren’t just seeing the season out and their reaction at the end is not a reaction from a team seeing the season out.”
Lewis-Potter’s goal was his 10th of an eye-catching season.
The Tigers sit 20th and are now almost guaranteed Championship football again next season.
Hull boss Shota Arveladze said: “It is why we should keep him (Lewis-Potter) always. He is our best player and nobody will want to see him go. He can get the extra when you need it.
“I thanked him in previous games. When he is there, he can go and nobody really gets him. He can run and run and bring the whole team down, which makes sense again. He can do that in a second like he did, which he does so easily.
“He has done great this year, great goals.
“This was a really important and massive three points after losing the last two. Coming here we see the statistics, the results Boro have at home.
“This was a massive three points for us towards the end of the season. I am really pleased to see them get these important points and win.
“If you don’t score you don’t get points here. They beat Tottenham here and did well against Chelsea, this is a club who has done an unbelievable job in home games.
“You have to come here and score goals. We did that and we have won a big three points.”
