Nottingham Forest 0-1 Hull City

Forest were convinced Hernandez's goal came from an unfairly taken corner

A first-half strike from Abel Hernandez gave Hull City victory at Nottingham Forest to keep them in fifth place.

Both sides had gone close with long range efforts before the visitors were awarded a penalty as Shaun Maloney went down under a challenge from Matt Mills.

Hernandez saw a weak spot-kick kept out by Dorus De Vries but soon made amends, tapping in following a quick corner.

In an ill-tempered finale Mills was shown a straight red card for a late challenge on Chuba Akpom.

It was a third successive home defeat for Forest but they enjoyed plenty of possession in an entertaining opening, Nelson Oliveira having a 25-yard effort tipped around the post by Hull goalkeeper Allan McGregor at full stretch.

Mohamed Diame rattled the bar with a left-footed attempt from a similar distance, while Chris O'Grady spurned a fine chance for Forest when he elected to go alone with Ryan Mendes better placed and his shot was saved by McGregor.

Referee Nigel Miller adjudged that Mills had clipped Maloney when the striker nipped in on the blind side but the resulting penalty was neither well struck or placed.

However Maloney's quick thinking caught Forest napping and the set piece was flicked on for Hernandez to slide in at the far post, De Vries booked for his protestations that the corner had been unfairly taken.

Oliveira tested McGregor in a scrappier second half, while De Vries needed a smart save at his near post to deny former Forest favourite Michael Dawson and Mendes fizzed a shot across the face of goal for the home side.

A scuffle involving a group of players resulted in yellow cards for Eric Lichaj and Sam Clucas before Mills was dismissed for a crude lunging challenge as Hull recorded a fourth successive league victory at the City Ground, which left them one of four sides in the play-off places on 18 points.

Forest boss Dougie Freedman:

"It was an outstanding performance, we were excellent. We played at a really high tempo. We created a lot of opportunities and we felt we deserved more.

"We were disappointed with the goal, it was a bad goal to give away, with Maloney taking a quick corner to catch us out, the first goal was so, so crucial. That has never been as important in football as it is now. It changed the whole course of the game."

(On the red card for Mills)"I have not seen a replay of it, but it looked reckless at the time. I have no complaints about the referee."

Hull manager Steve Bruce told BBC Radio Humberside:

"All of a sudden we're unbeaten in five and showing a bit of resilience which for me, away from home, was missing.

"Certainly today, we can improve - I thought we gave the ball away too cheaply especially in the first half

"I'm always demanding better I suppose. We give the ball away in bad areas too often for me and that clouded all the good stuff what we had."

Tempers frayed in the closing stages at the City Ground

Mills had already been booked for an earlier foul but was shown a straight red card