AHMED ELMOHAMADY has likened tomorrow’s game against his former club, Sunderland, to a “cup final”, and expressed hope that Hull City will extend their fantastic recent record against the Black Cats.

Tomorrow’s opponents at the KC Stadium are separated by just a single point, with Hull occupying 15th position after last weekend’s 1-0 defeat at Stoke City and Sunderland sitting a place below them in the table.

The sides have occupied bottom-half positions for the majority of the campaign, but tomorrow’s head-to-head offers both clubs an opportunity to put some much-needed daylight between themselves and the relegation zone.

Hull were insipid at the Britannia Stadium on Saturday, failing to record a single shot on target, and former Sunderland boss Steve Bruce has been at pains to make sure his players are fully aware of the importance of a much-improved performance tomorrow.

“We went to Stoke determined to take something from the game, but it wasn’t meant to be,” said Elmohamady, who made 59 senior appearances for Sunderland prior to moving to Hull in the summer of 2012. “It was disappointing as, with the other teams losing, it was a missed opportunity.

“The day was not easy with the wind and rain, but now we have to look our next game and a game that I consider to be a cup final for us. It is a massive game.

“The gaffer had a word with us afterwards, and it was him who said it was like a cup final. He is right. Sunderland is what you call a six-pointer game.”

Hull have won their last four matches against Sunderland, with Elmohamady starting in all four of the games, and the Egyptian is determined the Tigers will not be relinquishing the Indian sign they appear to hold over his former employers.

“We have a good record against Sunderland,” he said. “We have won three times in the league and also beat them in the FA Cup last year. But in football anything can happen so we must keep our focus and concentrate.”