Hull City's Play-off Hopes Dented by Birmingham's Late Equalizer

Hull City's chances of making the Championship play-offs have taken a hit after a stunning late equalizer from Birmingham's Tomoki Iwata secured a 1-1 draw at the MKM Stadium. The hosts had taken the lead through Joe Gelhardt's 14th goal of the season, but Iwata's long-range strike 13 minutes from time earned the visitors a valuable point. The result means Hull have now gone four league games without a win, their worst run of the season, and leaves them just two points ahead of seventh-placed Wrexham with three games remaining. Gelhardt's 24th-minute strike had given Hull hope of sealing a league double over Birmingham, but the visitors' resilience and determination paid off as they fought back to claim a deserved point. The draw also ended Birmingham's four-game losing streak on the road, and manager Chris Davies was encouraged by his team's performance, praising their commitment, resilience, and character. Hull manager Sergej Jakirovic, meanwhile, acknowledged that his team had dropped valuable points from winning positions and urged his players to be brave in their pursuit of a play-off spot.