Pearson pleased with his troops

Pearson, installed as Phil Brown's permanent successor in June, struggled to cajole his new team out of their relegation hangover but, following an influx of recent signings, the Tigers have lost only once in 15 games since a 1-0 home defeat to Humber rivals Scunthorpe in November.

Pearson, whose side exacted revenge with a 5-1 win at Scunthorpe on Saturday, said: "It was a great result for us.

"On the back of three very tough games that we worked exceptionally hard to get draws out of, it was always going to be important to pick a win up.

"But the players deserved a reward for their hard work and it was great for the fans as well because they came here in massive numbers. I'm delighted that they went home a lot happier than they were when we played Scunthorpe at home in November."

Source: PA

Source: PA