Hull City 1-3 Burnley: Nathan Tella hat-trick edges Clarets closer to promotion
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Nathan Tella has scored five goals in his past two appearances for Burnley
Nathan Tella edged Championship leaders Burnley closer to an immediate Premier League return with a hat-trick in their win against Hull City.
Victory moved Vincent Kompany's team 19 points clear of Middlesbrough in third spot and means the Clarets need just three wins from their final nine matches to seal promotion.
A well-crafted and coolly taken finish into the bottom corner from Tella put the high-flying visitors in front with the game's first shot on goal late in the first half.
Malcolm Ebiowei twice tested Burnley goalkeeper Arijanet Muric for a more industrious Hull after the break, but Tella's second goal from a leaping volley and an opportunistic third - for his 19th of the season - ensured Burnley made it 17 games unbeaten in the league with another outstanding victory.
With the last meaningful moment of the game, Ozan Tufan pulled a consolation goal back for a Hull side that remain 15th in the table.
Burnley's victory comes only days before one of the most eagerly anticipated matches of Kompany's tenure as Clarets boss, with Manchester City awaiting them in the FA Cup quarter-finals on Saturday.
It will be the first time the four-time Premier League winner has come up against his former club since leaving them to go into management at Anderlecht in 2019.
While the cup tie has thrust Burnley further into the limelight, they had demanded significant attention this week after being put under a transfer embargo by the English Football League for submitting their accounts late.
Despite the action taken against them, the club have said they are confident the issue would be "resolved swiftly".
With a focus on promotion Kompany stuck with the starting line-up from Saturday's win against Wigan Athletic.
Hull boss Liam Rosenior made three changes following their draw at Coventry City, and Mali midfielder Adama Traore squandered a big chance to mark his first Tigers start with a goal when he sent a free header off target early on.
In a first half of few opportunities for the hosts, an excellent challenge from Sean McLoughlin denied Ashley Barnes as he shaped to shoot in the box, while penalty shouts for handball - after Lewie Coyle's arm was struck by a cross - were waved away.
Tella was off target with an audacious flick in the 35th minute, but he struck in style soon after.
The Southampton loanee spun to meet a long ball on the edge of the area, ran into the box, and chopped the ball back on to his left foot before beating Karl Darlow at his near post.
Hull wasted inviting chances either side of the break, with Dimitris Pelkas sending a header off target in first-half injury-time while Ebiowei failed to connect with a header early in the second half before Traore swiped unsuccessfully at the loose ball.
Ebiowei called Muric into action twice in search of a leveller, but Tella's second-half double put the result beyond doubt after 73 minutes.
Muric, whose string of second-half saves saw him keep out Oscar Estupinan and Tufan, was eventually beaten by the Turkey midfielder three minutes into added time.
'Difficult win in every way' - reaction
Burnley manager Vincent Kompany told BBC Radio Lancashire:
"I thought it was a difficult game in every way.
"We had to adapt a lot of times to many things and it wasn't a case of total and complete dominance like we've had in the last few games.
"It was certainly a game in which we had very good chances but we had to fight hard for the result today.
"In the end I know how important it is to come back with a win, three points and three goals."
Hull City boss Liam Rosenior:
"Burnley are the benchmark for us. They are one of the best teams I've seen at this level in the last 10 years, if not the best.
"That is a team that play football the right way. That's the level I definitely want to aspire to for this club.
"They have a player in Nathan Tella who is outstanding - three shots and three goals - but we'll get better for this game.
"We'll make mistakes, but I'm hoping the fans see what we are trying to do."