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Marco Silva: Hull players were too tense in Sunderland defeat

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Marco Silva insists his Hull players were too tense as they went down 2-0 against Sunderland at home on Saturday.

Marco Silva insists his Hull players were too tense as they went down 2-0 against Sunderland at home on Saturday.

Goals from Billy Jones and Jermain Defoe in the second half gave relegated Sunderland the three points in a game full of chances at the KCOM Stadium.

Relegation-threatened Hull are still fighting for their lives with two games remaining, and Silva said they looked too anxious and did things "too quickly" on Saturday.

Sunderland's Billy Jones (left centre) celebrates with his team-mates after scoring his side's first goal during the Premier League match at the KCOM Stadi
Image: Goals from Billy Jones and Jermain Defoe sealed the win for Sunderland

"Of course I believe and think we didn't deserve this result but we didn't play well, we tried to do everything too fast, and fast and well is not easy," Silva said.

"In a balanced game with more possession, more of the ball in the middle, who knows. I felt our players had a bit of tension, too much anxiety, and you need to be calm in the game to play with shape and energy.

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"We had chances to score, and also gave Sunderland good chances for counter attacks.

"After, with this tension, and all of this tension in our team, we conceded two goals from set pieces. Of course the second goal is offside, but the first is from a set piece."

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Highlights: Hull 0-2 Sunderland

The defeat means Silva lost for the first time in a home league game since March 2014, 42 games ago, but the Portuguese boss says that record does not matter.

"Of course I'm unhappy because we don't win the game, not because it's 41, 42 or whatever, this number is not important to me, what is important is my work," he said.

"The guys show commitment again, but we played with pressure, and the other team didn't. We need to come again and play with confidence, not like we did today."