Middlesbrough 0-1 Hull City: Keane Lewis-Potter's goal dents Boro's play-off hopes
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Keane Lewis-Potter scored for the first time in six games for Hull City
Middlesbrough missed the chance to move into the Championship play-offs as they went down 1-0 at home to Hull City.
Boro controlled the first half but failed to create any decent chances as Hull's George Honeyman had an effort cleared off the line.
Aaron Connolly had a goal ruled out for offside for Boro midway through the second half.
Keane Lewis-Potter proved to be the match-winner as he beat Marcus Tavernier, cut in from the left and fired an excellent right-footed shot into the bottom corner.
The loss sees Boro drop to eighth in the Championship after Blackburn's draw with Blackpool saw Rovers move above them, while Hull remain 20th, 15 points above the relegation places after ending a two-game losing streak.
With Boro manager Chris Wilder's former side Sheffield United drawing 0-0 at home to Bournemouth in the early kick-off, the hosts knew a victory would take them above the Blades into sixth place.
Boro controlled the opening period but struggled to create any clear-cut chances - Aaron Connolly went close early on but was offside while Marc Bola and Riley McGree went close and Connolly had a 33rd-minute penalty appeal waved away.
It was Hull who surprisingly almost went in front two minutes before the break when Marcus Tavernier cleared after Honeyman dinked the ball over Joe Lumley in the Boro goal.
Connolly's disallowed goal was as close as his side would get, though, as Hull went ahead within 10 minutes.
Boro pushed to try and get an equaliser and almost found it in the 90th minute, but Connolly headed Jonny Howson's free-kick just wide of the far post.
Middlesbrough manager Chris Wilder told BBC Radio Tees:
"Today we were way off of it, it was a really poor performance, it's a really disappointing afternoon because it was an opportunity to get back on the winning trail.
"For 15 or 20 minutes it was OK, and then the performance deteriorated, it gave their team belief and they grew into the game and we went individual, we made some really poor decisions.
"The standard of performance right throughout the team was really poor, I didn't see it coming, I didn't see where it's come from."
Hull City manager Shota Arveladze told BBC Radio Humberside:
"They're very tough to play, they have very good statistics at home and you see the last game against Fulham, how tight it was, so I think we should give a lot of credit to our boys for the effort they showed and the way they defended.
"We had a massive well-organised defensive game and we got our small chances to punish them and it's great three points. It's like a golden three points.
"If we take it easy it will always punish you, so this was a massive win for all of us after two losses, it showed character to our own supporters and we want to get as many points as we can in the last five games."