DETERMINED Town ground out a goalless draw at Hull to further boost their battle against relegation from the original Division II.

Steve Smith's side stayed sixth from the bottom, a place above Hull, in what is now the Championship, after frustrating both the home team and their fans at Boothferry Park.

Home supporters in a 5,872 turn-out were hoping to see their side - bossed by future Town chief Brian Horton and including future Town players Tony Norman and Alex Dyer - build on a 1-0 midweek win at Sunderland.

"Brian has got his lads working extremely hard for each other and they are keeping things pretty tight," reported Smith, whose side had drawn 2-2 at home to Birmingham on the Tuesday.

"But they haven't been scoring many goals, and it's crucial we keep a clean sheet."

Smith had left-back David Burke and left winger Dave Cowling available after suspension, and was relieved when his experienced Welsh international Joey Jones passed a fitness test on a hamstring injury.

Town achieved their clean-sheet target with a dogged display, but were unable to make a breakthrough themselves, despite playing the better football in conditions made tricky by a biting wind blowing in from the North Sea.

The nearest they came to a goal was during their brightest spell of play, early in the second half.

Impressive defender Simon Webster drilled the ball low through a posse of players, only to watch as Billy Askew cleared off the line.

The busy Webster had earlier gone close with a header.

And midfielder Ian Banks was a tireless worker for Town, twice testing goalkeeper Norman with stinging long rangers.

Hull's best chances fell to Dyer, freshly signed for £35,000 from Blackpool, who shot wide when well placed, and Andy Saville, who was denied by the diving Brian Cox.

Horton admitted: "We should have been flying after Sunderland, but we never got going."

Smith said: "If you can win at home and draw away, then things aren't too bad.

"I don't think it would have been an injustice had we won, because Hull never caused us any real problems, but were satisfied with the point.

"I was a bit disappointed we didn't get more balls into the danger area because we looked quite good up to the box.

"But our organisation was better than against Birmingham, particularly in midfield, and it was encouraging we gave nothing away at the back.

"We've let ourselves down in that regard in recent matches, but they didn't have any genuine chances until Brian's save right at the end."