Jimmy Bullard had scored all four of his previous penalties for Hull

By Sam Sheringham

Hull are all but relegated after a home defeat by Sunderland in which Jimmy Bullard missed a first-half penalty.

Darren Bent turned in a header from Kenwyne Jones at the far post to give the visitors an early lead.

Bullard's penalty struck the outside of the post before Hull's Jozy Altidore and Sunderland's Alan Hutton were dismissed for a touchline spat.

Hull failed to muster a clear opening in the second half and West Ham's win over Wigan leaves them facing the drop.

If the Tigers win both their remaining games, they could still match West Ham's current points total of 36 - but their vastly inferior goal difference means they are effectively down.

And the future looks bleak for the club, with chairman Adam Pearson claiming in the build-up to the match that relegation would be a "doomsday scenario" for the club.

Pearson expressed serious concerns about their financial plight in the Championship and criticised his predecessor Paul Duffen, whom he said had allowed the club's wage bill to spiral.

But despite the backdrop to the match, at no stage did Hull's performance suggest they could beat the drop. They enjoyed plenty of possession in the second half but lacked craft and imagination and were restricted to shots from distance.

Sunderland made a bright start and should have taken the lead inside five minutes when Jordan Henderson pulled the ball back for Steed Malbranque, who fired wastefully over the bar from close range.

Two minutes later, the visitors were ahead as Jones met Hutton's cross with a far-post header and Bent was on hand to tap home his 25th goal of the season from close range.

606: DEBATE The majority may not have been glorious, but I think all us Tigers can agree that our time in the Premier League was some of the best times of our football-supporting life Alex

The same players combined again as a low cross from Jones found Bent in space but the striker, who still harbours hopes of making England's World Cup squad, drilled his half-volley wide.

After struggling for fluency in the early stages, Hull began to find their feet and came close to equalizing when Nick Barmby's cut-back struck Turner and flew into the side netting with Craig Gordon wrong-footed.

Midway through the half, Anthony Gardner rose to head Bullard's corner towards goal and Gordon saved with his chest.

A brisk counter-attack from the home side provided their next opportunity as Caleb Folan's shot deflected off Hutton, forcing Gordon into a sharp one-handed save.

Then came the moment that could have changed the complexion of the game. Former Hull defender Turner upended Geovanni in the box, winning a penalty for the home side.

But Bullard, who had scored all four of his previous spot-kick's for the club, dragged his effort on to the outside of the post.

The plot took another twist in first-half stoppage time when Altidore and Hutton clashed on the touchline. Hutton picked the ball up and threw it gently against Altidore, who rose to his feet and charged into the Scot with his head.

Referee Lee Probert brandished the red card at Altidore while Hutton received treatment for a facial injury. But when the former Spurs defender got up, he was also dismissed to the obvious fury of Sunderland boss Steve Bruce.

Hull dominated the start of the second half without really threatening to score. Their desperation for an equaliser was illustrated in an obvious dive by Geovanni in the box, which earned him a yellow card.

Sunderland captain Lorik Cana came off the bench midway through the half and fired a long-range shot which was tipped around the post by Matt Duke at full stretch.

Moments later, Andy Dawson tried his luck from a similar distance and his deflected shot was parried by Gordon.

Bruce, seemingly still angered by Hutton's sending off, repeatedly vented his spleen at the fourth official and was eventually sent to the stands by referee.

Hull showed plenty of spirit but very little creativity as the game petered out, with Bernard Mendy's shot straight at Gordon the closest they came to scoring.

Hull's fans applauded their players from the field, and many were in tears as the reality began to sink in that their two-year stay in the Premier League appears set to come to an end.

Hull manager Iain Dowie:
"It's not a decision for me. I've never walked away from a challenge in my life.

"It is a huge challenge here but it's one the powers that be will have a decision to make.

"I know my CV stands up to scrutiny in terms of play-offs and what I've done with different clubs."

Sunderland boss Steve Bruce:
"We all do things in the heat of the moment on a football pitch. Alan Hutton was arguably a bit silly to have thrown the ball at his back but it's not going to do any real damage to him.

"The incident after that is totally ridiculous. Hutton's got a cut eye, a smashed nose and a chipped tooth so he's close to having really serious facial injuries.

"That for me doesn't warrant the same punishment but the letter of the law is if you throw the ball I do believe it's a red card.

"It's GBH, not a sending-off. I like Altidore but you don't want to see that."

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