Stoke City 1-3 Hull City: Tigers climb to fourth with victory in Potteries
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Hull celebrated their third straight away league win
Hull City climbed to fourth in the Championship table with a comfortable victory over Stoke City.
The Tigers had fortunate deflections for two of their three goals in the Potteries.
But they were still more than worthy winners as the plummeting Potters were outplayed on home soil to suffer a fourth defeat in five games.
There was only one winner from the moment that Hull struck with two goals in two first-half minutes from Aaron Connolly and Adama Traore.
Regan Slater's shot took a wicked deflection for a long-range third to seal Hull's third straight away win.
Top scorer Andre Vidigal did pull one back for the hosts but, in their sixth season back at this level after Premier League relegation in 2018, Alex Neil's extensively reassembled Stoke side now sit 20th in the second tier.
A previously drab game was brought to life on the half hour with the first of those two Hull stunners.
Former Stoke loan signing Jaden Philogene wriggled his way though to the right byeline before pulling back for the unmarked Connolly, whose scuffed right-foot finish deflected in off Stoke defender Michael Rose's leg - his fifth goal of the campaign.
Then, almost straight from the restart, the Tigers attacked down the left, Connolly cut in and had a shot blocked - and Traore finished confidently from 10 yards, his first goal of the season.Connolly also had a header cleared off the line by home midfielder Daniel Johnson, who had earlier fired just wide for Stoke. But the Potters did at least end the first half on the prowl when Sead Haksabanovic's free-kick was turned aside by Ryan Allsop.
The Hull keeper then came to the rescue again at the start of the second half when striker Wesley turned to blast a fight-foot piledriver which was brilliantly turned over his own bar by Allsop.
Hull looked to have settled it when Slater's speculative 25-yard left-foot shot ballooned off a defender and over Stoke keeper Mark Travers' head for a fortunate goal on 73 minutes.
Four minutes later Stoke top scorer Vidigal, back from injury and on for early first-half hamstring victim Tyrese Campbell, gave the Potters some hope with his own fifth goal of the season - but it proved to be mere consolation.
Liam Rosenior's Hull have lost just two of their past 17 league games, stretching back to last season
Who's next?
Stoke now face two successive long away trips - to Bournemouth in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday before Saturday's trip to Bristol City.
Hull are back at home next Saturday, when they entertain this weekend's Championship star turn Plymouth Argyle.
Stoke City boss Alex Neil told BBC Radio Stoke:
"The better team won. That's the poorest we've been tactically since I've been here and something I've got to look at.
"Either our set-up wasn't good enough or we didn't commit to it or a combination of both. When you lack belief, it looks a bit of a dog's dinner. We showed a lack of confidence, which is the first time I've seen that this season - so that was disappointing.
"I don't ever make any qualms with what fans want to do or if they want to boo or voice their frustration. They're here to support their team and see their team win.
"If they don't win, particularly in modern football, it's either one extreme or the other. If you win a game, you're going up. If you lose a game, you're getting relegated. That's the nature of football now."
Hull City boss Liam Rosenior told BBC Radio Humberside:
"It always feels good when you win away from home and more pleasing than just winning was the performance. Everyone was excellent. I'm very happy.
"We showed energy and confidence in the way that we played in possession and we were difficult to break down. The signs are really good.
"But the only stat that matters to me is where we finish at the end of the season. It's brilliant to win but it has to be towards something so I won't get carried away.
"We're in a good place - and that comes as a product of our performances and our consistency."