Hull City moved within two points of Championship second-place Middlesbrough thanks to a decisive goal from midfielder Darko Gyabi at the Riverside Stadium. The victory extends Hull’s unbeaten run to five matches, underlining their growing momentum in the promotion race.

Key Moments

The match-winning goal came after Kyle Joseph’s clever play in the first half. Joseph bypassed Matt Targett and the goalkeeper, Sol Brynn, before setting up Gyabi, who swept the ball into the net. Despite Middlesbrough dominating possession, Hull’s organized defensive structure and sharp counter-attack made the difference.

Hull goalkeeper Ivor Pandur had little to do in the first half, only needing to make two saves in the second to secure the clean sheet. Hull’s head coach Sergej Jakirovic praised his team’s defensive discipline:

“We were almost perfect in the defensive phase. Middlesbrough have the biggest possession in this league, and we managed to control the middle zone, forcing them wide and stopping crosses into our box.”

Middlesbrough Struggles Continue

For Middlesbrough, the defeat marks three games without a win or a goal. Head coach Kim Hellberg highlighted finishing as a key concern:

“We had 23 shots and only one on target, which made them count. We are not scoring enough, and that has to improve.”

Injuries also disrupted Boro’s setup, with wing-back Ryan Giles forced off early, replaced by 19-year-old Cathal McCarthy in just his third appearance.

Player of the Match

Regan Slater impressed for Hull City, contributing across the midfield with an average rating of 8.44 from BBC Sport user submissions.

Hull now look to build on this result as the Championship season progresses, while Middlesbrough must address their finishing woes if they are to maintain their play-off challenge.