Hull's hopes of reaching the Sky Bet Championship play‑offs suffered a serious setback when Jayden Fevrier's second‑half strike gave Charlton a 2‑1 win at The Valley. The Addicks, who had taken the lead thanks to Charlie Kelman's seventh goal of the season, snapped a seven‑match winless streak and mathematically ensured their safety in the division. John Egan managed to level the scores with a header just before the interval, but Hull have now endured six games without a win, collecting only four points from a possible eighteen. That poor run has seen them slip behind Wrexham and out of the top six, leaving their play‑off dreams hanging by a thread.
Hull were forced into an early substitution when Eliot Matazo, making his first appearance since suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury in February 2025, was forced off in the 11th minute. The early change disrupted Hull's rhythm and forced manager Sergej Jakirovic to reshuffle his midfield.
Charlton opened the scoring in the 20th minute with a brilliant finish from Kelman. After receiving a through ball from Conor Coady, Kelman cut inside the defending midfielder Semi Ajayi and unleashed a low, curling shot that found the top‑right corner of Thomas Kaminski's net from the edge of the penalty area. The goal gave the Addicks a valuable cushion and allowed them to settle into the game. Hull began to probe forward in the closing stages of the first half, but it was not until the fifth minute of added time that they truly threatened Kaminski.
Top scorer Joe Gelhardt saw a cross from Liam Millar and struck a powerful effort that scraped the post, narrowly missing the equaliser. A defensive lapse by Harry Clarke in the dying moments of the half allowed the Tigers to equalise. Clarke's mis‑directed header fell out for a corner, and substitute Paddy McNair delivered a deep ball into the box. John Egan rose to meet it and nodded home from a tight angle, with goal‑line technology confirming that the ball had crossed the line before being cleared.
The second half saw Charlton extend their lead when Fevrier, on loan from Stockport, produced a dazzling dribble before slotting a low left‑footed finish from about 20 yards past Ivor Pandur. It was the first occasion since 31 January that Charlton had scored twice in a Championship fixture, and the goal re‑asserted their dominance.
Hull responded quickly, with Mohamed Belloumi forcing a fingertip save from Pandur, while Lyndon Dykes also tested the Charlton keeper. Despite a series of attempts, Hull could not find a way through, and the Charlton defense held firm. In stoppage time Fevrier had an opportunity to add a third, but a timely clearance off the line preserved the 2‑1 scoreline.
The match ended with Charlton confirming their safety and Hull seeing their play‑off hopes dwindle further. After the final whistle, Charlton manager Nathan Jones reflected on the result: "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 captain 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 highlighted Hull's long‑standing away‑game woes, as they have now failed to win their final away league fixture for nineteen consecutive seasons.
Charlton, meanwhile, will look to build on this momentum as they aim to finish the campaign on a high note, while Hull must regroup quickly if they hope to keep any slim play‑off hopes alive. The £250,000 Super 6 prize remains up for grabs, and as always entry is free of charge.
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