Middlesbrough ran riot on a wet, windy night in Hull, beating the Tigers 4-1 to extend their perfect start under new head coach Kim Hellberg and strengthen their hold on second place in the Sky Bet Championship.
David Strelec opened the scoring in the ninth minute after Morgan Whittaker’s low cross was flicked on and the ball fell kindly for the Slovak to turn and rifle high into the net, despite Hull appeals for offside. Strelec came close again just after the half-hour when he hammered a shot wide following Semi Ajayi’s momentary slip, and a sloppy restart shortly afterwards handed Middlesbrough another opportunity.
Alex Gilbert made Hull pay in the 32nd minute, cutting in from the edge of the box and drilling a low, first-time finish past Ivor Pandur after a neat lay-off from Tommy Conway. Three minutes later Gilbert’s pressure forced Regan Slater into a mistake; the ball found Whittaker, who switched onto his left foot and curled home to score for the fourth consecutive game. Riley McGree completed a ruthless first-half display in stoppage time when Alex Bangura’s left-wing run created a cut-back and McGree recovered from a heavy first touch to slot past Pandur.
Hull were jeered after the fourth goal and at half-time, with many supporters leaving early. They showed more intent after the break and pulled a goal back in the 62nd minute when a loose back pass released Joe Gelhardt, who was brought down by goalkeeper Sol Brynn and coolly converted the penalty — his eighth in 10 games. That strike gave Hull hope, but they created little else and were booed off at full-time as Middlesbrough, seven points behind leaders Coventry, cruised to victory and moved five points clear of third-placed Millwall.
Hull manager Sergej Jakirovic conceded his side were poor in the first half, welcoming the improved second-half display but saying errors and a lack of composure in possession made the deficit too big to recover from. Hellberg praised his players’ attitude and calmness on the ball, singled out Gilbert for special mention, and said he was proud of how quickly and fluidly the team performed. The manager says attention now turns to the next match at Charlton.