Hull City have been held to a 0-0 half-time draw with Lokeren in the first leg of their Europa League playoff in Belgium tonight.

The Tigers started brightly and perhaps should have taken a seventh-minute lead through striker Yannick Sagbo.

Sagbo, spearheading the Hull attack alongside Sone Aluko, scuffed wide of the mark from inside the area as the visitors failed to get off to a dream start.

The hosts slowly grew into the encounter but it took the best part of half an hour for them to threaten Allan McGregor's goal.

James Chester's hashed clearance from a free kick fell to Nill De Pauw at the edge of the area, but the Belgian's angled effort sailed narrowly over the bar as both sides cancelled each other out.