Bolton Wanderers 1-0 Hull City
- Published
Gary Madine has scored in five of Bolton's six Championship wins to date this season
Gary Madine lifted Bolton out of the Championship relegation places with the winner against fellow strugglers Hull.
Striker Madine beat goalkeeper Allan McGregor at his left-hand post with a fine free-kick from 25 yards, the game's first effort on goal.
Jarrod Bowen should have levelled immediately after the break, but hit the post with an empty goal to aim at.
Both sides had chances late on, but the Trotters did enough to hold on and move above Hull into 20th spot.
Defeat saw Hull City slip two places to 21st, leaving them just above the bottom three on goal difference.
Nigel Adkins' side are now winless in five matches, with the Tigers failing to triumph at Bolton in 21 games dating back to 1935.
Bolton, who have won back-to-back matches for the first time since winning promotion from League One, have now picked up nine points from a possible 12 in the past 10 days.
While Madine gave the home fans reason to rejoice before the break, it was an otherwise worrying half with midfielders Karl Henry and Darren Pratley both forced off injured.
Bolton goalkeeper Ben Alnwick marked his 31st birthday by making a number of vital saves, foiling Jon Toral, Bowen and Ola Aina in the first-half before crucially denying Markus Henriksen after the interval.
Bowen squandered Hull's clearest chance of the game after meeting a Nouha Dicko pass across the face of goal and also had a late effort blocked, while Hull's Evandro and match-winner Madine both went close in a tense finish.
Bolton boss Phil Parkinson:
"Gaz (Gary Madine) came to us one day and said he wanted to take free-kicks, I wish he'd let us know sooner. Gaz has been out there practising and he can hit them all sorts of ways. I didn't realise how good he actually was.
"His all-round performance, heading the ball out of the six yard box at the end, was absolutely incredible. This is a player who is starting to fulfil his potential, and I emphasise starting to because I think there is a lot more to come from him.
"I keep saying about the spirit in this squad but anyone who watched that game can see what there is out there on the pitch."
Hull City boss Nigel Adkins told BBC Radio Humberside:
"It was a disappointing result. We came here in a confident mood but I wasn't happy with how we played for the first hour.
"We knew the way Bolton were going to play and be direct but if we could have just got the ball down and passed it brightly we could have presented them with a lot of problems.
"I think if we just passed the ball quicker and calmer and looked to go and penetrate then we could have won the game today because we had chances.
"What I have now is an opportunity in the transfer window and to do some work on the training ground after a run of games in quick succession."