Under pressure Preston boss Darren Ferguson revealed his players called a meeting to show their support for him after the 2-0 home defeat to Hull. This means if Crystal Palace avoid defeat against Coventry on Saturday the Lilywhites will be propping up the division after a run of one win in their last eight games.

North End fans gathered near the entrance of the players' tunnel to remonstrate with Ferguson at the final whistle, while Hull's travelling supporters mocked the son of Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson with chants of "You're getting sacked in the morning" and "Your dad's ashamed of you".

The win lifts Hull out of the relegation zone and is Preston's second loss to fellow strugglers at Deepdale in a week following Tuesday's 2-1 reverse against Barnsley.

"The players are 100% behind me and they've told me that," said Ferguson.

"They called a meeting because they are worried about the situation. We're all determined to do something about it."

Asked whether he feared for his future at North End, Ferguson responded: "You're asking the wrong person. I don't make those decisions." "This week was an opportunity to move up the table with two home games against teams around us. They've both gone against us so it's been a hugely disappointing week."