Hull beat Leicester for third straight league win

Liam Millar opened the scoring after just six minutes for Hull

Liam Millar scored on his first start in just under a year as Hull City earned their third Championship win in a row against Leicester at MKM Stadium.

Canada international Millar, who had not started for the Tigers since 23 October, 2024 because of an anterior cruciate ligament injury, curled home from the edge of the penalty area after just six minutes.

Joe Gelhardt, who had set up Millar's goal, then doubled Hull's lead by guiding the ball home after Ryan Giles' low cross from the left.

Aaron Ramsey's fantastic finish from the edge of the area gave Leicester hope of a second-half comeback, but the hosts held on to win despite Harry Winks' late effort which crashed against the crossbar.

Leicester's defeat means they have won just one of their past seven games and have fallen to eighth in the Championship.

Hull boss Sergej Jakirovic watched from the stands because of a touchline ban and he will have been impressed by his side's attacking fluency.

Only Coventry have scored more Championship goals than Hull this season and Gelhardt and Millar, threatening on each wing, highlighted why they have such a high goal tally.

The home side started ferociously, with Regan Slater forcing Jakub Stolarczyk to turn the ball onto the post after just four minutes.

Two minutes later, Hull had the lead as Gelhardt took advantage of Leicester's defensive miscommunication to cross in from the right, Millar met the ball on the edge of the penalty area and curled in a sublime finish.

Gelhardt doubled the lead to cement a dominant first-half display and Leicester boss Marti Cifuentes responded by making two changes at half-time, bringing on Jeremy Monga and Ramsey after a limp attacking display.

It certainly improved their fortunes, with Ramsey's goal just reward for their improved attacking threat.

Jordan Ayew controlled the ball, fed the ex-Burnley midfielder on the edge of the penalty area and Ramsey's first-time strike from the edge of the penalty area was perfectly placed off the bar and into the net.

Leicester dominated possession in the latter stages, with Cifuentes bringing on more attacking changes, and the visitors came so close to equalising as Winks' thunderous right-footed effort struck the bar.

But Hull held on for their third straight victory, all of them by a one-goal margin, taking them to seventh in the Championship.

'A performance full of grit and desire' - reaction

Hull assistant manager Dean Holden told BBC Radio Humberside:

"It's a great result and three wins on the spin is a fantastic week for us. It was always going to be a tough game against one of the favourites for promotion.

"I thought we started really well, we created chances early, and anyone who was in the stadium to witness Liam Millar's goal will know it was fantastic.

"We have scored some really good goals recently, but that second one was as good as any. There was really quick play to get beyond them and Joe Gelhardt is exactly where you'd want him to be.

"I thought we could have had the game sewn up, and in the second half the game got stretched. But it was a performance full of grit and desire - a very pleasing performance."

Leicester manager Marti Cifuentes told BBC Radio Leicester:

"A really bad first half, probably the worst we have played so far this season, and I am very disappointed with that.

"I take responsibility for that because I am not happy with the performance. In the second half, we tried, and at 2-0 we had nothing to lose.

"I am not happy at all with the performance in the first half, it's far from the vision that I have for this club and for his team, and that makes me very angry.

"Especially in this league, there is some basics we need to be better at. It makes me reflect about a number of things. We know we are at the start of this process, but that is no excuse."