Hull City in treacherous waters following defeat to Nottingham Forest in Sky Bet Championship

A 2-1 defeat against Nottingham Forest at the City Ground saw Hull City extend their winless streak to three matches. It was Hull's 12th defeat of the season so far which sees them plummet to 19th in the table, two places off relegation.

Forest too strong for Hull City

Despite being outplayed in the first half, Hull managed to get the lead when Lewis-Potter slammed an eight-yard shot past the Nottingham Forest goalkeeper. Lewis-Potter could even have grabbed a second goal when he rose to a corner but headed just wide of the near post.

Nottingham upped the tempo in the second half and dominated possession. They were rewarded soon after. A run into the box by Alex Mighten was halted by George Honeyman's lunge and referee John Busby pointed to the spot. Forest successfully converted from the spot.

Finally, the pressure from Forest was too much for the Tigers to deal with. An aimless shot from Lewis Potter at the Forest goal was quickly converted into a counter-attack which was slammed home by Brennan Johnson.

Hull failed to muster a comeback and conceded the contest 2-1.

Hull's weak mentality

Hull City's three-at-the-back formula often turns into a 5-4-1 at the sense of slightest attack from the opposition. Despite playing with two forwards, Mallik Wilks often drops down as a false nine.

The wingbacks had to spend the majority of the game in their half as Hull's back-three are vulnerable. Young Jacob Greaves seems to be overwhelmed by the standard of the Championship. Sean McLoughlin has had a season to forget so far.

Early season defeats piling more misery

Hull City took nine league games to register their first victory of the season - a 2-0 win against Middlesbrough in October. Since then, they have registered four more victories in thrice many matches. However, losing five out of their opening nine games means they continue to struggle in the bottom half of the table.

This has been further compounded by their recent run of results. Since their 1-0 victory over Cardiff City a month ago, they have suffered two draws and a defeat this month.

What lies ahead

Hull City have the toughest run of fixtures in January among all the teams fighting the relegation battle. Sheffield United hosts them on New Years' Eve, followed by games against Stoke City, Bournemouth and Swansea early next month.