Steve Bruce revelled in Hull City s 3-1 win at Sunderland and backed his side to surpass the 16th-place finish they managed last season.
Hull travelled to the Stadium of Light in the Premier League relegation zone and seeking a first victory in 11 top-flight games.
That run had put pressure on Bruce, who was up against the team he managed between 2009-11, and despite falling behind just 29 seconds into the contest, goals from Gaston Ramirez, James Chester and substitute Nikica Jelavic secured a deserved win.
We could have buckled after conceding an early goal, but the players have showed great spirit, Bruce said. Our second-half display was arguably as good as we ve seen this season.
We re a newly promoted team that s been in the Premier League for 18 months.
It s always nice to win here – with the stick I get it s a little bit sweeter than if you get beat – so it s a sweet Boxing Day.
Bruce attributed Hull s disappointing recent run to absentees, but expects the result on Wearside to get their season going.
We ve been blighted by a little bit of lost form and injuries, he said. Some of the injuries are long-term but hopefully this result will give us a huge lift.
We ve got a huge game up next against Leicester City. I still believe we ll finish above where we did last year.
