Ahmed Elmohamady and Mohamed Diame earn Hull victory over MK Dons
Ahmed Elmohamady and Mohamed Diame scored as Sky Bet Championship high-flyers Hull beat struggling MK Dons 2-0.
Elmohamady had put Steve Bruce's side ahead inside 20 minutes before Diame came off the bench in the second half to make sure of the points at the death.
The visitors went ahead with their first meaningful attack of the game, despite appeals from the Dons for an offside in the build-up to Elmohamady eventually poking home inside the six-yard box.
It was Abel Hernandez who cleverly created space for himself on the edge of the Dons' penalty area, before drilling a low cross into the path of Elmohamady who coolly tapped into an empty net for his second of the campaign.
The hosts eventually fired their first shot on target 10 minutes before the break, as Dean Lewington's loose pass towards the edge of the visitors' box was met by the onrushing Carl Baker, but the former Coventry man's tame effort was easily saved by City keeper Allan McGregor.
The Tigers almost pinched themselves a second just before the break as Elmohamady beat the offside trap again and rounded Dons keeper David Martin before firing well over an unmanned target.
Bruce's side came out from the half-time break on the front foot as Hernandez went close with a well-worked curling effort from the edge of the Dons' box, but Martin was equal to it and smothered the danger.
Karl Robinson's side had lacked any real creativity in the final third throughout the match, but did start to come to life with the introduction of Nicky Maynard and Daniel Powell midway through the second half.
The substitutions provided the Dons with some much-needed pace and power in their attacks for the first time and it did, at times, have the Tigers' defence on the back foot.
The visitors responded well though, and had the ball in the back of the net through Sam Clucas after Diame had slotted the winger through on goal, but his effort was ruled out for an offside.
Robinson's substitutes linked-up again five minutes before time as the hosts pushed for a late leveller.
Maynard did excellently to control a long ball on the edge of the Hull box before laying off an inviting pass into the path of the onrushing Powell, but his half-volley bounced just wide of McGregor's goal.
Then it was Josh Murphy's turn to go close again for the Dons just minutes later after shrugging off the challenges of a number of opposing defenders and smashing a 25-yard effort just over the bar.
But Diame made sure of the points at the death with a well-taken curling strike into Martin's far corner.
Source: PA
