Middlesbrough have scored 18 goals in winning four of their past five games
Middlesbrough inflicted a fifth straight defeat on managerless Hull City as they maintained their Championship play-off position.
It was a fourth win in five games for Michael Carrick's side - with 18 goals scored - as they recovered from the surprise home loss to Blackburn Rovers in midweek.
Finn Azaz scored the first and Scotland international Tommy Conway got two, both set up by Ben Doak in another stellar display from the 19-year-old on loan from Liverpool.
Hull, who had Andy Dawson in interim charge after head coach Tim Walter was sacked on Wednesday, were briefly back in it through Mason Burstow's 71st-minute goal to make it 2-1, but the loss makes it 10 games without a win as they stay in the bottom three.
One place and one point separated these two sides last season as they finished in the two spots immediately outside the play-offs, but this term the gap was 12 points before kick-off.
Boro have kicked on, keeping their best players and adding fresh talent in Doak and Conway.
Hull, on the other hand, dispensed with head coach Liam Rosenior, saw loan players including Liam Delap and Fabio Carvalho leave and sold key defender Jacob Greaves, requiring a big rebuild.
Against that context, it is perhaps no surprise that Walter failed, with club legend Dawson asked to take over in the interim.
But it was clear to see the work that the new boss will have to do as the Tigers were under pressure from the off.
Dangerous Doak
Delano Burgzorg should have scored inside the opening 10 minutes and Conway shot wide before Azaz broke the deadlock.
The elegant midfielder received the ball on his right foot, switched it to his left and curled a beauty past Ivor Pandur to get his sixth goal in six games to add to seven assists this season.
Boro remained on the front foot and Conway's looping header made it two, benefiting from a great cross from fellow Scotland international Doak.
He carried a threat every time he got the ball and, early in the second half, Tigers captain Lewie Coyle almost diverted a Doak cross past Pandur, before Alfie Jones deflected a Doak shot just past his own post.
Croatian goalkeeper Pandur continued to be kept busy, so there was a sense of shock when Burstow headed in from close range for his first Hull goal after coming on as a substitute.
For a few minutes, Boro were edgy as they tried to avoid giving up more unexpected points at home as they have done against Portsmouth, Preston, Bristol City and Coventry already this season.
But Doak was denied by a fine Pandur save, before the teenager's old pass set up Conway to score with the aid of a deflection.
That was his eighth Boro goal and he would have had nine but for more excellent Pandur reflexes as Carrick's side showed why they are so easy on the eye, carrying so much attacking threat with Doak at the heart of it.
They now sit within striking distance of the top two and have fascinating trips to Burnley and Leeds United in their next two games to see whether they can get into the mix for automatic promotion.
As for Hull, finding a new boss quickly to take them forward is essential with eight games to play between now and 4 January and the team in a slump.
'Good to bounce back' - reaction
Middlesbrough head coach Michael Carrick said:
"I thought today was going to be a really tricky game, the type of team they are and the way they play, the change of manager, but we came through it really well and did a lot of good things.
"We pressed well as a team, scored goals and could and probably should have scored more, so it was good to bounce back from what was hopefully a blip the other night."
Hull City interim head coach Andy Dawson said:
"Emotion always runs deep when you're on the run that we're on. We've lost another game, it's hard and I feel the pain that they're feeling.
"But I have to take into context what we asked them to do. They kept going until the end.
"At 2-0 down, to a man they stuck to the plan, they kept working incredibly hard in and out of possession and scored a good goal.
"The players tried to do what we asked of them but there is still loads of improvement needed."
