Sergej Jakirovic says taking Hull to play-off final is pinnacle of career

By Andy Sims, Press Association

Jubilant Sergej Jakirovic said guiding Hull to the Championship play-off final is his best achievement in his management career.

Bosnian Jakirovic, who led Dinamo Zagreb to a league and cup double and into the Champions League, saw substitutes Mohamed Belloumi and Joe Gelhardt end Millwall’s Premier League dream.

The duo climbed off the bench to secure a 2-0 win in south London to book a Wembley date with either Middlesbrough or Southampton a week on Saturday.

Hull only sneaked into the play-offs on the final day in sixth place and looked like big underdogs to get through after Friday’s goalless home leg.

But now they will bid to emulate the Dean Windass-inspired side of 2008 and Mohamed Diame’s class of 2016, by sealing a return to the top flight for the first time in nine years.

“It’s a great, Millwall are very difficult and demanding – we knew they would be a threat,” said Jakirovic .”But we are going to Wembley.

“I had great success as a coach, and this might be number one for me, the best thing that has happened in football in my life.”

Captain Lewie Coyle feels City may be destined to go all the way.

“Incredible,” he told Sky Sports. “It’s something we all believed we could do when we finalised the play-off spot on the last day in such dramatic fashion.

“And then we said, ‘why shouldn’t it be us’?”

The Premier League will have to wait to experience a sold-out, snarling Den, which is a unique, intimidating place – and this was its biggest game since they fell at the same stage in 2002.

But Hull stood up well to the air of menace and scored the first goal of the tie after 64 minutes.

Matt Crooks found Belloumi, who had replaced the injured Kyle Joseph just before half-time, in acres of space out on the right.

The Algerian had time to cut inside on his right foot before curling a superb effort around the dive of Patterson and inside the far post.

The tie was wrapped up, and the Wembley coaches booked, when Belloumi fed Gelhardt, who had only been on for two minutes but held his nerve to beat Patterson and send the away end wild.

For Millwall fans, the only consolation is that their historic rivals West Ham look increasingly like joining them in the Championship next season.

“We didn’t do enough,” said devastated Lions boss Alex Neil.

“Honestly until the first goal I didn’t think either team had done enough.

“You have to give Hull credit for defending well but as an attacking force we didn’t have enough across the 90 minutes.”