Hull City boss Phil Brown admits the pressure of the relegation battle is getting to his players after their defeat to Middlesbrough.

Brown said: "We asked for a lot but delivered little. We asked for a good start and to get our noses in front but we gifted them a goal and found ourselves on the back foot.

"We scored a good equaliser but then committed a cardinal sin at a set-piece. They had a free man [Bates] in our six-yard box.

"We threatened in the second half but with not enough quality and obviously the third goal killed us off.

"It was not great play by Middlesbrough, but poor play by us.

"The pressure is being cranked up. It looked as though Middlesbrough responded to that as opposed to us.

"I'm not saying players make mistakes deliberately but the pressure got to the players collectively and consequently the three goals we conceded were mistakes by ourselves."