Dowie took the positives from defeat in his first game in charge of the Tigers at Fratton Park but he now concedes a crazy few minutes could have ultimately condemned his players. The Tigers were leading 2-1 heading into the 88th minute and looking set to record their first away victory of the season but instead goals from Jamie O'Hara and Kanu gave Pompey the three points. Six games later, and with Hull having picked up only four points under Dowie, a 1-0 defeat by Sunderland last weekend all but sealed their relegation. And Dowie looked back to that day at Fratton Park, as well as recent moments like Kevin Kilbane's miss against Aston Villa and Jimmy Bullard's wayward penalty last Saturday, as he pondered Hull's fate. He said: "You get what you deserve. The table doesn't lie and we've been found wanting in the goals return. But we've had crucial moments and maybe, looking back, Portsmouth away. "It can bite you on the backside very quickly. We grabbed defeat from the jaws of victory and probably that naivety in not smashing it in the corner for the last three minutes has hurt us." Dowie's appointment following Phil Brown's departure was not universally welcomed by the Hull fans and he has been criticised in some quarters for his tactics and team selection. But veteran midfielder George Boateng last week praised Dowie's impact during an outspoken interview in which he blamed Brown for the club's plight. "Anytime international players like George Boateng, Nicky Barmby or Kevin Kilbane say things like that it's nice to hear," continued Dowie. "There's good people around the place and we've made sure it's very professional. "Man-management's a very important part of modern day Premier League football and we concentrate on that a lot. "I'm very proud of the work we've done here, we just haven't been able to get enough goals. When we came here they hadn't won a game without (Stephen) Hunt this season and we managed to do that." Dowie, though, kept his thoughts to himself on the rest of Boateng's comments, adding: "I wasn't privy to what went on before and I've made a point of making sure I've never commented about Phil. "He got them promoted and kept them in the Premier League and he deserves a great deal of credit for that." Boateng's contract with Hull comes to an end after the final game of the season and he has already declared his intention to look for another Premier League club. But the Tigers have a ready-made replacement in the shape of club captain Ian Ashbee, who has been out of the game for nearly a year following knee surgery. The 33-year-old, who led Hull from the bottom of the Football League to the top flight, is back in full training but Dowie is not tempted to give him a run-out in the final two games of the season against Wigan on Monday or Liverpool next weekend. "Ian Ashbee's allowed full contact but because of the situation I'm not going to risk him before the end of the season because that would be foolish," said Dowie. But the Hull boss has no doubts Ashbee will be a key figure for the Tigers in the second tier next season. He said: "I don't think Ian Ashbee receives enough credit for the type of player he is. He's trained with me for three or four weeks and the last two weeks at full tilt. "He can see a pass, he plays the right ball at the right times, he's a cajoler, he's a leader on the pitch and that's very important. He's been a huge loss. "Ash, I think, will be looking forward to next year. He'll be a big player for us in that division. When he puts the shirt on and goes out there, Ian Ashbee gives you absolute 100% commitment."
