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Pelach, who watched from the stands in midweek as the hosts laboured past Fleetwood Town to reach the fourth round of the Carabao Cup, said he was pleased with his side's first-half performance, but rued missed chances and a controversial Hull penalty.

Ben Wilmot powered home a header from a corner to put the hosts ahead on the half-hour mark But the Tigers found their roar in the second period.

Kasey Palmer equalised not long after the hour from a the spot after the referee awarded a controversial penalty, with an offside not spotted by the assistant referee before the spot-kick was awarded.

With 13 minutes remaining, Hull took the lead when Regan Slater fired home a fine finsh, and Palmer caused more havoc in the box two minutes later, cutting the ball back into Wilmot's path, the defender unable to stop it  deflecting into his own net as the Potters cracked.

Pelach remained optimistic despite the defeat.

"I was happy with the first half hour. We scored a nice goal from a set play," he said.

"But we have to make the most of our chances and then we made mistakes. The first goal should not have been allowed. It was offside before the penalty was given. The second goal was our mistake.

"But I did not think it was that bad. Our heads went down after the third goal went in."

For Hull boss Tim Walter, the result was a relief after overseeing seven matches without a win since taking charge of the team.

"After conceding the goal, we stayed bright and showed a lot of courage and found better solutions," he said.

"[The result] has helped the feeling in the group but we have always believed in ourselves. It’s all about mentality – and having the confidence."

The result saw Hull jump into 13th on the table, one above Stoke, but both sides are on six points as they continue to search for more consistency.