Andy Dawson tells Hull City players to put first away win of the season to bed as he ponders another difficult selection

But the caretaker coach insists it will do nothing to change his players’ mindset for Saturday's Yorkshire derby at Rotherham United, and will not make telling anyone they are left out any easier.

Championship top-scorer Oscar Estupinan, marquee summer signing Ozan Tufan and fellow Turkish international Dogukan Sinik were on the bench at Bloomfield Road. Sheffielder Regan Slater got the glamour job at No 10, Greg Docherty played on the right wing and Ryan Longman centre-forward. And it worked.

But Dawson is adamant the decisions were no harder than those he has to make every time he writes out a teamsheet.

"It's difficult most weeks," he said. "There's not one or two players it's difficult leaving out, it's all of them because you want to create an environment where training every day makes it difficult.

"It's a lot more difficult when you win because you have to weigh everything up in terms of physical stats and mentality."

And Dawson has been telling his players the win will count for nothing against the Millers, who have had consecutive morale-boosting victories themselves.

"It gives them all that belief and confidence but we've said we have to put that to bed now," he said.

"I get you guys look at records, positive or negative, but we can't work like that because to perform you have to be in the best shape mentally and physically.

"We don't talk about form we just have to get them to a place where they know what they're doing, give them confidence and belief because that's what we've got in them."