Hull's hopes of reaching the Sky Bet Championship play‑offs took a heavy blow when Jayden Fevrier found the net in the second half, giving Charlton a 2‑1 win at The Valley. The Addicks, who had taken the lead thanks to Charlie Kelman's seventh goal of the campaign, snapped a seven‑match winless streak and mathematically ensured their safety in the division. John Egan headed the Tigers level just before the break, but Hull have now endured six games without a win, collecting only four points from a possible eighteen and slipping back behind Wrexham, out of the top six.
An early substitution forced Hull's manager to act when Eliot Matazo, making his first appearance since an ACL injury suffered in February 2025, was forced off in the 11th minute. Charlton opened the scoring in the 20th minute with a brilliant finish from Kelman. After a swift run onto a through ball from Conor Coady, Kelman cut inside past Semi Ajayi and curled a shot into the top‑right corner from the edge of the penalty area. The early lead gave the Addicks a valuable cushion and set the tone for the rest of the match.
Hull began to assert themselves in the closing stages of the first half, but it was not until the fifth minute of added time that they truly threatened Thomas Kaminski's goal. Top scorer Joe Gelhardt struck a powerful shot that glanced past the post after a cross from Liam Millar. A defensive lapse by Harry Clarke allowed the Tigers to equalise just before the interval. Clarke's misdirected header fell out for a corner, and substitute Paddy McNair delivered a deep ball that John Egan met with a tight‑angle header.
Goal‑line technology confirmed the ball had crossed the line before being cleared, giving Hull a lifeline at the break. In the second half, Fevrier produced a quality cross that slipped past Harvey Knibbs, but Gelhardt could only manage a wide effort after Millar's earlier attempt was blocked. The turning point arrived in the 68th minute when Fevrier, on loan from Stockport, dribbled past several defenders and unleashed a low left‑footed strike from about 20 yards that beat Ivor Pandur. This marked the first occasion Charlton had scored twice in a Championship match since 31 January.
Hull responded with a series of attempts, including a saved shot from Mohamed Belloumi that Kaminski managed to parry. The Tigers also saw a chance when Charlton keeper Paddy McNair's punch fell short, but the Irish forward failed to connect cleanly on the ensuing volley. Lyndon Dykes later forced Pandur into a fingertip save as Hull's defensive shape began to show gaps.
Fevrier had another opportunity to make it 3‑1 in stoppage time, but the ball was cleared off the line, preserving the 2‑1 result. After the final whistle, Charlton manager Nathan Jones reflected on the achievement: "It's as good an achievement as I've ever had, but there is also a touch of disappointment. I think we should be higher than we are. We never do it easy.
We have missed chances from five or six yards in all our home games and then we score two absolute bangers. The amount of pressure is immense.
They were under pressure, because they want to get promoted. But the pressure of going down is totally different. We get individual clips of every team. If you looked at that in isolation then you'd never sleep because everyone has massive threats.
We are evolving and haven't quite got there yet. It's real relief - it's not euphoria. If you asked me at the beginning of the season if I would have taken this, I probably wouldn't.
But as the season has gone on, staying up is the first stage for us to move forward and do what we want to do, the first part is for us to be a Championship side. I'm proud of the group, the club and all my staff.
What a day. This group finds a way to do enough when it is needed." Hull's Sergej Jakirovic expressed his frustration: "For me it is unbelievable we cannot win one game in this part of the season. Every team in this league had those moments in their season, unfortunately we have that moment now.
We have a very small chance (of reaching the play‑offs) because if Wrexham take one point it is over. It is over but it still isn't mathematically over.
You have hope but first we have to win our game. It is now a very big problem for us.
Now it is not in our hands. We played much better in the second half than the first.
In the first half we needed to be brave on the ball and take some risks. The goal is perfect but we can stop this, defend it better.
We equalised from a corner, which was very good because we didn't show anything in the first half. Their second goal is unacceptable - the guy dribbles through three players. We tried everything but this is football - we missed our chances. Congratulations to Charlton." The match also featured promotional material for the Super 6 competition, with a £250,000 prize pool available to entrants who submit their predictions by 3 pm on Saturday.
The competition remains free to play, offering fans an extra layer of engagement alongside the on‑field drama.