Chris won’t go Wild after Hornets get stung again

CHRIS WILDER refused to criticise his players after Watford’s latest defeat left them with just two wins in nine since he took charge.

The former Sheffield United and Middlesbrough boss, 55, has struggled to stop the rot since he arrived in early March.

A 25th-minute penalty from Ozan Tufan, after Ryan Andrews fouled Regan Slater, gave Hull back-to-back home wins.

But Wilder said: “I thought we deserved something from the game as the attitude was good.

“I’ve got no complaints about their penalty, it was a rash challenge by a young man who wanted to win the ball. But we did whatever we could to get back in the game and that was a positive for me.”

The Hornets pushed for an equaliser as Jean Michael Seri escaped unpunished for an apparent handball inside the penalty area and Karl Darlow superbly tipped over Ismaila Sarr’s effort.

After Liam Rosenior’s side held on for victory, Wilder said: “How we haven’t got a penalty I’ll never know. There were nine players around the referee straight away and it was a definite penalty.

“They will look at it as maybe having dodged a bullet.”

Tigers boss Rosenior said: “That’s seven clean sheets in eight games. There’s a real mentality from one to eleven to defend and fight for the team.”

HULL: Darlow 7; Coyle 6, Mcloughlin 6, Greaves 6, Elder 7; Seri 6 (Simons (77) 6), Slater 6; Sayyadmanesh 6 (Ebiowei (69) 6), Tufan 7 (Pelkas (77) 6), Vaughan 7 (Woods (86) 6); Traore 6 (Docherty (69) 6) WATFORD: Bachmann 6; Andrews 5, Porteous 6, Kabasele 6, Kamara 6; Bacuna 6 (Davis (54) 6); Sarr 6, Louza 6, Kone 6 (Asprilla (74) 6), Sema 6; Joao Pedro 6 STAR MAN: Harry Vaughan – Showed touches of class and worked tirelessly all afternoon. REF: Oliver Langford 6