Lewie Coyle was full of praise for the battling qualities shown by Hull City in their 1-1 draw at Bristol City on Saturday. He said it answers any questions about their mentality and he has given his backing to Joao Pedro following his early red card, which completely changed the complexion of an absorbing contest.

Coyle delivered a skipper’s performance to help the Tigers earn a deserved point in the Ashton Gate sunshine, having played almost 90 minutes with 10 men after Pedro’s red card inside 15 minutes, just seconds after his brilliant goal had given the visitors a deserved lead.

The Hull-born defender has come in for some criticism at times this season. But he’s never been found wanting for effort or a willingness to put his body on the line for cause, as was proven again when he took a heavy kick from Cameron Pring, with the Robins man perhaps fortunate to collect only a yellow card.

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"That's exactly what it is (a battling point)," Coyle told Hull Live. "The way the lads applied themselves, fantastic, I'm so, so proud of the lads. I feel like it's a fully earned point. Obviously, we went ahead in the game, started the game really brightly, in my opinion, similar to Tuesday night (against Plymouth Argyle), and went ahead again, deservedly and then the game changed very quickly after that when we went down to 10 men. The way in which the lads responded to that and reacted speaks volumes of what's inside that dressing room.

"I've not seen it back; it's on the other side of the pitch, on the other side, to where I was, though the referee had a decision to make it. It is what it is. He's made the decision, and it changes the game and the dynamic of the game. It gives them a big lift, gives the crowd a lift after a difficult start to the game they had, in my opinion, but I'm really, really pleased with the way in which the lads reacted to the sending-off.

"That's a given for me in any match, defend your box well, do the basics well, put your body on the line, the rest of it takes care of itself, but you, you've got to do that in a game of football anyway, especially when you go down to 10 men for such a long period of time. Not just the back four and Ivor (Pandur), I thought the full team defended brilliantly; even the lads that came on towards the end of the game ran themselves into the ground, and that's what it takes a real group effort, and that's the really pleasing thing for me.

"I think in recent weeks, that's something that's been questioned whether the togetherness is there, the spirit and all the rest of it, and I think for me, actions speak louder than words, and I think a performance like that falling out in the manner in which it did, I think, that maybe gives everybody the answer they were looking for."

City's influential skipper also had words of support for Pedro, who was left to watch the rest of the game in the dressing room following his early dismissal.

"Yes, he will be; of course, he'll be gutted, but Joao's been fantastic for us," he said. "We'll all get around Joao. He's a massive part of our squad, both on and off the pitch. It's not something that he would ever have meant to do intentionally. These things happen in football and we'll be fully behind him and waiting for him to be back.

"He plays with that edge. He's very, very tenacious in attack and in defence, helping out the team, and he does that so well for us. He gets back in, he gets goal side of their midfield players and tries to win the ball back for us, so I'd much rather have a player like that who wants to give his all for the team and get back in. It's unfortunate the sending off, but it is what it is, we move on and like he has done for us, the lads have his back."