ROBBIE Brady believes Hull City are carrying the hallmarks of promotion winners after ending a testing week still gripping on to second spot in the Championship table.
Brady was the Tigers' match-winner on Saturday as his third goal of the season was enough to earn a tight 1-0 victory over Middlesbrough at the KC Stadium.
At the tail-end of a week that had seen promotion rivals Watford threaten to derail City's bandwagon with a midweek win in East Yorkshire, the strong response of Steve Bruce's side has rebuilt a three-point lead with five games of the season remaining.
"There was obviously a bit more pressure on us as we needed to win with Watford getting so tight to us," said Brady.
"It was a great three points. It was no good moping around and feeling sorry for ourselves with the first and second spots to aim for. We showed it doesn't matter how you play and we won ugly.
"I think that's the sign of winners. The manager says he wants to be associated with winners and we have been good all season. I think we deserve to go up."
City's 23rd win of the season leaves them needing another 13 points from the last five games to guarantee automatic promotion ahead of Watford.
A 0-0 draw for Crystal Palace at home to Barnsley leaves Ian Holloway's men eight points adrift in fourth and points towards either City or Watford joining league-leaders Cardiff in the final top two. The Bluebirds can all but clinch promotion if they win their game in hand to Barnsley tomorrow.
City's fate is also their own to shape in the final weeks and Brady said: "We are feeling confident and excited, everything rolled into one.
"It's excitement more than anything. We are looking forward to the next five games and, hopefully, we can take 15 points and go up.
"Everyone went out with the right mentality on Saturday, although it was tough at times.
"I'd take results like that for the rest of the season if we could go up. We just need to stay strong with five games left."
City's weekend win was far from vintage as they were forced to withstand late Middlesbrough pressure to cling on for three points.
Brady's winner also required good fortune following a poor mistake from keeper Jason Steele. A seemingly routine save from the Irishman's free-kick was badly handled and gave the Tigers an all-important cushion they refused to relinquish.
Asked if it was the most important goal of his career, Brady said: "Probably, yes in terms of us wanting to go up and what it means. I wasn't one of my best ones, but definitely one of the most important."
"It was unlucky for the goalie, who I thought had done alright all game.
"I just tried to hit the target after ballooning one in the first half. When you hit the target, anything can happen and luckily for me, it hit a bobble and went over the keeper.
"It was a massive moment in my career to get a goal like that. I don't want it to stop there and hopefully, I can get a few more in the next five games."
