Abel Hernandez and Mohamed Diame take Hull top of Championship
Two goals in the space of 10 second-half minutes saw Hull saunter to a deserved 2-0 win at Blackburn which moved them to the top of the Sky Bet Championship.
After being in control for large spells, Hull got their rewards in the second period as Abel Hernandez and Mohamed Diame laid on goals for each other after beating the Blackburn offside trap.
First, Diame found Hernandez who rounded Jason Steele before stroking home his 17th of the season.
Blackburn's new signing Elliott Ward had one cleared off the line moments later but that would have been unfair overall and Hull put the result beyond doubt in the 63rd minute when Hernandez squared to give Diame his easiest finish of the season.
It is Hull's seventh win in their last eight outings and is their first Ewood Park triumph since 1986.
Rovers showed plenty of effort but ultimately lacked the quality of their visitors and their winless run in the league is now at nine games, with only three goals scored in that time.
Steve Bruce brought back Tom Huddlestone for Isaac Hayden in the only change from last week. Blackburn, meanwhile, gave home debuts to new trio Ward, Jordi Gomez and Tony Watt.
Paul Lambert made two changes, with Grant Hanley missing and Hope Akpan withdrawing through illness shortly before the game. Craig Conway replaced him.
Hull bossed the quiet opening exchanges but could have been behind but for Allan McGregor saving well from the long-range efforts of Ben Marshall and Conway.
Diame's superb weaving run on the half-hour saw him nutmeg two Rovers players en route to goal before firing over when well placed.
Blackburn were game in the first half and Conway's lung-busting run eventually found Darragh Lenihan, whose goalbound effort was superbly blocked by Moses Odubajo.
The visitors moved up a gear after the break as Hernandez lashed wide and Sam Clucas drove one just past the far post.
But they got their rewards in the 53rd minute when Diame punished Blackburn conceding possession by threading a ball perfectly to Hernandez and he rounded the goalkeeper to slot home his eighth in the last eight league games.
Ward should have marked his home debut with a goal moments later when a corner found him free but his weak effort was cleared by Andrew Robertson.
And Hull hammered home their advantage in the 63rd minute as Huddlestone's superb ball beat the Blackburn backline and Hernandez rolled to Diame to slot his fifth of the season into an empty net.
Another breakaway 11 minutes from time presented Chuba Akpom with a glorious chance but Steele's astonishing point-blank save denied him.
Nevertheless, though Marshall's powerful shot saw McGregor called into action, Hull's ascension to the summit was complete.
Source: PA
