Hull City 6-0 Fulham

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Ahmed ElmohamadyImage source, PA
Image caption,

Ahmed Elmohamady

Hull scored six second-half goals to thrash Fulham and go seven points clear of the Premier League relegation zone.

It was the Tigers' biggest-ever victory in the Premier League.

Ahmed Elmohamady started the rout with a 15-yard shot before Robert Koren swept in from Yannick Sagbo's cross and George Boyd drove in a third.

Tom Huddlestone thumped in his first goal since April 2011, Matty Fryatt tapped in a fifth and Koren prodded in the sixth from close range.

Huddlestone had promised not to cut his hair until he ended his goal drought. His long-delayed trim started within seconds of him scoring as he ran to the touchline so a member of Hull's backroom staff could snip off a lock of the midfielder's hair.

It was only the fourth occasion this season that Steve Bruce's side have managed more than one goal in a game and it doubled their previous best Premier League win, a 3-0 victory over West Brom, external in October 2008.

After a five-match winless run, and with games against Liverpool and Chelsea to follow, it could be a pivotal result for the buoyant Tigers.

Fulham prepare for key matches against West Ham and Sunderland in an altogether different mood after a fourth defeat in six matches under new manager Rene Meulensteen.

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'Unbelievable day' for Hull - Bruce

Any optimism derived from their 2-1 win at Norwich on Thursday was extinguished in a hapless second 45 minutes at the KC Stadium and they have now conceded 15 goals in their last four games and 41 this season.

Meulensteen made six changes and Fulham were actually the first to threaten when a sweeping passing move ended with Ashkan Dejagah feeding John Arne Riise for the Norwegian to force a save from Allan McGregor, who had been passed fit after a scan on a knee injury.

But the Tigers quickly began to dominate and Huddlestone had one free-kick from a tight angle pushed away by Fulham keeper David Stockdale, who was on loan at Hull during their run to promotion last season, and was then denied by the post from a similar effort.

As the Tigers pressed, Stockdale pushed over the bar after Boyd met Elmohamady's cross with a stab at goal before Sagbo just missed with a curling shot.

After the interval Stockdale was forced into action again when he pushed away a powerful effort from Sagbo and blocked Koren's follow-up, but four minutes after the break the pressure finally told.

Huddlestone's corner was only cleared to the edge of the area by Bryan Ruiz and Elmohamady took a touch before finding the top corner.

Media caption,

Meulensteen 'shocked' by thrashing

Just before the hour Sagbo clipped a cross behind Aaron Hughes for Koren to guide in a second and the hosts added a third when Jake Livermore slipped a pass through for Boyd, the Fulham defenders backed away and the winger found the net from the edge of the area.

Stockdale saved from Figueroa but Huddlestone thumped in to the bottom corner from 25 yards to make it four and when the Cottagers goalkeeper pushed Huddlestone's free-kick on to the bar, Fryatt reacted first to touch in from a couple of yards.

The sixth came when Stockdale, who impressed despite conceding half a dozen goals, produced a scrambled save to deny Danny Graham only for Koren to poke the rebound into an empty net.

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