The Tigers host Portsmouth on Saturday in an early kick-off at the MKM Stadium
Barry Cooper Hull City correspondent
05:00, 07 Nov 2025
Joel Ndala celebrates his equaliser at Pride Park(Image: Gareth Copley/Getty Images)
Joel Ndala says Hull City cannot afford to dwell on their dramatic defeat at Derby County on Tuesday night, which ended a run of six games without a defeat.
City remain firmly entrenched in the play-off race at this early stage of the season, but that loss at Pride Park has allowed the chasing pack to close in.
Ndala’s equaliser five minutes into the second half in the East Midlands was his first Championship goal since arriving on loan from Manchester City, and it looked to have secured the Tigers at least a point, until Ivor Pandur and Semi Ajayi’s miscommunication allowed the Rams to snatch an unlikely winner.
Fortunately for City, they have an opportunity to bounce back and claim a fifth home win of the season when they host struggling Portsmouth on Saturday lunchtime in the final outing before the November international break.
“The lads know that we’ve got a game on Saturday, so it’s gonna be a tough game, but we know that we need to get the job done,” the 21-year-old told Hull Live. “The international break is going to come and we’re going to have to work on what we need to work on, have a little think and try and get on another run because that’s all we can do really.”
Should City be able to overcome a Pompey side that ended a three-game losing run with a goalless draw at home to Wrexham on Wednesday, they’d still end a three-game week with six points having kicked it off with victory at Norwich City, and Ndala agrees that would still be a very good return for a side still finding their feet, and with a host of players out.
“It’s still a very good return,” he suggested, if City can claim victory. “We can’t dwell on this one too much because we’ve done well. We were unbeaten, obviously, it’s not a nice feeling to lose it in that manner, but we know we’re a good team, we know we can bounce back, and that’s all we can do.”
Ndala’s bundled finish from Regan Slater’s cross was his first in the league, but second for City after opening his account in the crazy 3-3 draw at Wrexham in the EFL Cup back in early August, and the England youngster is hoping for more.It
“It feels like every time I score, we lose,” he said, breaking out into wry laughter. “It was a nice moment for me to get off the mark and, hopefully, I can keep going in this manner.”
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