STEVE Bruce says Hull City begin "judgment week" in their promotion bid at Ipswich Town today, targeting 10 points from the last five games to seal a Premier League return.
Having restored a three-point advantage over closest challengers Watford last weekend, a testing trip to Portman Road this afternoon starts a demanding sequence of three games inside seven days for the Tigers.
Avoiding defeat at Ipswich would guarantee City travel to Wolves on Tuesday still holding down second spot, before a televised date with Bristol City next Friday completes a defining week in the promotion race.
Bruce is well aware the time of reckoning has arrived, but still has every faith City will be one of the clubs taking a direct path to the top flight in three weeks.
"This week beginning at Ipswich is huge, this is the biggest part of the season yet," Bruce told the Mail.
"Three games in seven days will be judgment week for us. I wouldn't be surprised if we knew a lot more about what the future's got in store at the end of that week."
City have encouragingly made second spot their own in the last month and a point or three against an in-form Ipswich would be enough to keep Watford, who visit Peterborough today, at bay once more.
Bruce added: "Over the last month or six weeks, we've clung on to our form when other teams haven't. We might suffer a bad result but we've shown that resilience to come back.
"I'm not taking anything for granted, though. I know that any team in the Championship is capable of going and winning three games on the spin, while another one loses three. That's the type of division it is.
"So long as we do what we've done all season, I'm confident we'll pick up the points we need. Can we go out there and pick up nine or 10 points from the last five games? I think that will be sufficient."
A 24th win of the season would bring a significant landmark for the Tigers this afternoon. In overtaking the final tally of 75 points amassed by Phil Brown's 2007-08 promotion winners, Bruce's men would set a new club record points total in the second tier.
It would also bring up the club's best away haul since 1982-83, when promotion was won out of Division Four under Colin Appleton. However, nothing can be taken for granted against a resurgent Ipswich side unbeaten in their last five.
Mick McCarthy's men have not conceded in almost eight hours of football in a climb away from the relegation scrap, but Bruce knows his side have conquered similar challenges already this season.
"We know it will be tough at Ipswich, but in terms of form we've held on as well as any side in the top six over the last month," he added.
"You can't look at any side and say that's a given. We've been there to be shot at for months and we've managed to hold on."
