Keane Lewis-Potter scored his 10th goal of the season as Hull dented Middlesbrough’s play-off hopes with a 1-0 win at the Riverside.
Boro, who lost at home for the second time inside a week, failed to make the most of an opportunity to climb into the Championship’s top six as Lewis-Potter settled the contest with 16 minutes remaining.
It was a blow for the home side in the wake of Sheffield United’s goalless draw with Bournemouth earlier in the day, the defeat dropping Boro to eighth, three points shy of the sixth-placed Blades with a game in hand.
Chris Wilder, who has tended to tinker since taking over on Teesside, made four changes to the side that lost to Fulham in midweek, but there was still no Isaiah Jones down the left through illness.
Hull, with distance between themselves and the relegation zone and no chance of reaching the play-offs, started slowly but never looked under serious threat.
Aaron Connolly’s first-time effort rolled wide in the sixth minute, but that was all Middlesbrough could come up with in the opening 27 minutes.
After that Marc Bola was the first player from either side to hit the target as his shot off deflected off George Honeyman before being comfortably gathered by goalkeeper Matt Ingram.
Referee Andy Woolmer waved away penalty appeals when Connolly fell to the ground under pressure from Alfie Jones, with Folarin Balogun volleying inches over the bar in the same attack.
Despite losing key defender Dael Fry to injury soon after, Middlesbrough were still on the front foot and midfielder Riley McGree went close with a low effort after Connolly had picked him out 20 yards from goal.
Yet the best chance of the opening period fell to Hull just before the break.
Ryan Longman orchestrated it by threading a delightful pass for Honeyman to run on to. The former Sunderland man’s delicate chip over goalkeeper Joe Lumley looked like edging the Tigers ahead, but Marcus Tavernier charged back and volleyed clear from the line.
With neither side showing any sign of finding a breakthrough, Middlesbrough introduced attacking players Duncan Watmore and Josh Coburn for the final half-an-hour.
Moments later Connolly had the ball in the net but was ruled offside and the tempo of the game increased.
Yet, just when Middlesbrough looked at their most dangerous, the lively Lewis-Potter struck.
The 21-year-old cut inside Tavernier before curling a shot inside Lumley’s far corner which it looked like the keeper should have kept out.
Middlesbrough pressed for an equaliser, but Connolly missed the target with a free header and Tavernier had a 22-yard strike turned over by Ingram late on.
