Phil Brown hopes the unpredictable nature of the Championship can aid his side's bid for automatic promotion to the Premier League.

The Tigers go into tomorrow's game against Crystal Palace at the KC Stadium knowing that three points will take the race for the top two down to the final weekend of the season.

However, a defeat for Stoke at already relegated Colchester on Saturday combined with three points for City would put Brown's side back in the driving seat.

Although the bookmakers are offering long odds on a Colchester victory, Brown isn't so sure.

"All week, my message to our players has been to make sure the promotion issue goes down to the final weekend," said Brown.

"To do that, we need a win on Saturday. If we get it, anything can happen in 90 minutes of football next weekend.

"People are talking about Stoke's run-in being easier than ours, yet all season we've been saying that anybody can beat anybody in this division, so that issue doesn't sit with me.

"There's two games to go and we have to make sure we win on Saturday. Firstly, we want to send 24,000 Hull City fans home happy and secondly, we want to be in a position that puts us potentially 90 minutes away from the Premier League, which would be a fantastic achievement."

Although the visit of Palace means City will be coming up against the form side in the division, Brown is keen to remind people that his side currently sit third in the form guide.

"This game sees two of the form teams going head-to-head. Everybody keeps telling me that Palace are the form team and that Sheffield United were the form team last week.

"But given the run we had in March, surely we are a form team as well. Okay, we drew against QPR when everybody expected us to win and we didn't perform in the second half against Sheffield United when they had ten men. But in between we had a fabulous win at Barnsley.

"Hull City are on the map now and people are doing a little bit more homework on us to try and frustrate us.

"But we know that if we roll our sleeves up on Saturday and put a shift in, we've got enough quality players to cause Crystal Palace problems.

"I know their system, I know their manager and the way they will play. We have to make sure we're set when they have the ball and it won't be an easy game.

"It's our final home game of the regular season and I think we feel as though we owe the fans one for the thousands that went to Bramall Lane last weekend.

"Both sides are quick going forward, but I don't expect an end-to-end game because I'm not into open games.

"I want to see what we've aimed for all season and that is 'we play, they don't'. That means we have to be organised defensively and have the right attitude. Attacking-wise, we need to have the right players in the right positions at the right time to cause them problems."

City could recall Wayne Brown to their starting line-up following the defender's recovery from a calf problem. Meanwhile, Nick Barmby completed 45 minutes in the Reserves' 2-1 win at Rotherham on Tuesday night and could be in contention for a place on the bench.

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