Steve Bruce: "The players were magnificent"

Hull City boss Steve Bruce has said that his players produced a brilliant performance in their 1-1 draw with Stoke City on Sunday.

The Tigers were reduced to 10 men within the first 15 minutes of the game when James Chester was dismissed, but the home side went in at half time ahead courtesy of a strike from Nikica Jelavic.

However, Bruce's men couldn't hold out for the three points as Stoke scored a controversial late equaliser through Ryan Shawcross.

He told the club's official website: "How could I not take positives from it? The players were magnificent. We changed shape [after the red card] and the players settled into it.

"The determination and will-power to see it through was manful and we got a goal to hang on to.

"We made it so difficult for Stoke that in my opinion we deserved to hang on for three points because Stoke didn't really carve us open."

Hull are next in action against Lokeren in the second leg of their Europa League clash on Thursday.