New Hull manager Sergej Jakirovic highlighted Oli McBurnie’s “experience and quality” after his goal earned his side a dramatic 3-2 win at home to Oxford.
McBurnie, who signed for the Tigers as a free agent two weeks ago, put the gloss on a fine individual performance when he calmly found the bottom-left corner in second-half stoppage time.
Jakirovic said: “That was his second goal in his second game and two assists, I think.
“He was from the beginning our first wish (in the transfer window). He was not with us at the first weeks this summer, but he can run and knows the very league very well.
“He is massive for us. He has experience and quality and it’s very promising for us.”
Hull, still awaiting news from an appeal against a transfer embargo which means they are unable to pay a fee for a player until January 2027, charged into the lead through Joe Gelhardt’s crafty near-post strike after two minutes.
But they were pegged back soon afterwards when Will Lankshear hit a fine half-volley past an unsighted Ivor Pandur.
Hull restored their advantage after 20 minutes when Matt Crooks cashed in on McBurnie’s wise assist from inside the penalty box.
Oxford once again equalised when Cameron Brannagan let fly with a volley six minutes later before McBurnie emerged the matchwinner in stoppage time.
Jakirovic said: “I’m very happy because of the three points. I think we played a very, very good game.
“We started the game very well and had a very good chance to make it 2-0. But their goals, I was very angry – they were very cheap goals.
“After that I think we controlled everything – even though they changed the system.
“We believed to the end. We tried everything (to score a winning goal), so this is a very big win for us.”
Oxford have lost their first two Championship games of the season, but manager Gary Rowett was more deflated by such a late concession.
Rowett said: “It’s always going to sting a little more when you get into that position.
“Maybe we didn’t deserve to go in level at half-time as they could have perhaps scored more goals before the break.
“After the break I felt we weathered the storm after we made a change of formation.
“But, overall, certainly in the first half, Hull were much better than us and probably deserved to win the game.
“I would have expected us to have seen the game out for a scruffy draw.
“We felt maybe Hull’s frustration would allow us to create a few moments, but to concede like that so late is a bit sickening.
“Hull caused us a lot of problems with their moments but when you get a bit more stability as a team it will help.
“This division is about those little moments of quality which can win you tight games.”
