Hull City 2-0 Birmingham City

Hull City climbed to second in the Championship with a comfortable victory over Birmingham at the KC Stadium.

Two goals in two first-half minutes sealed victory as Birmingham slipped to sixth after their first away loss.

David Meyler opened the scoring in the 36th minute with a neat finish from Ahmed Elmohamady's pass.

And Abel Hernandez made sure of the points soon after with a turn and shot after impressive work by Andrew Robertson on the wing.

After home goalkeeper Allan McGregor denied Jacques Maghoma and opposite number Tomasz Kuszczak kept out an effort from Sam Clucas, Hull raced into a two-goal lead.

Meyler scored his second in two games with a tidy side-footed shot, while top scorer Hernandez doubled their lead seven minutes before the break.

Hull's Chuba Akpom was denied a penalty after bursting into the box and being barged to the floor and later saw his low effort from distance pushed wide.

The impressive Clucas forced a decent save from Kuszczak and soon after Shaun Maloney found the side-netting in a game Hull largely controlled.

The Tigers are now four points behind league leaders Brighton, while defeat for Birmingham brings a halt to their four-match winning run.

Hull City manager Steve Bruce:

"We've had a good week. In the first half we looked very composed against a Birmingham side who hadn't lost away from home. It was a good performance against a team that are up the top there with us."

On the form of Abel Hernandez: "Abel found it difficult really to settle in England. Thankfully he's getting used to the language, he's getting used to the food, he's getting used to the weather.

"We've got a mixture of some good young players and some good experience ones. You have to get used to the Championship because it is brutal. The referees let more go."

Birmingham City manager Gary Rowett:

"I think it was a combination of perhaps not enough belief in ourselves in the first half, of playing against a very strong, powerful side.

"We just probably didn't get quite close enough to them. We needed just a bit more cutting edge in the first half. Maybe an early goal might have settled us down.

"We conceded two goals very close together. We didn't move the ball enough with enough bravery or enough quality. We were perhaps just a little bit shot shy in the final third."