Hull moved back into the Sky Bet Championship play-off places with a convincing 3-0 victory at home to Cardiff.
Aaron Connolly’s 32nd-minute tap-in – his sixth goal of the season – sent the hosts on their way towards an utterly deserved victory.
Scott Twine’s lovely free-kick in the second half essentially put the match to bed, so poor were Cardiff from the outset.
Ozan Tufan’s artful lob three minutes later added further sheen to the scoreline as the visitors crumbled to a bruising defeat at the MKM Stadium.
Erol Brulet’s men can have few complaints. Hull were far superior in every department and look good value for a profitable Christmas on this evidence.
Indeed the hosts, suitably inspired by victory at Middlesbrough on Wednesday, came close to opening the scoring after just three minutes.
Mark McGuinness made a hash of goalkeeper Ryan Allsop’s long ball, from which Connolly seized control.
His first touch gave him momentum to skip past Jak Alnwick, but Dimi Goutas rescued his side with a late block off the Republic of Ireland international’s goalbound effort.
Passive Cardiff nearly conceded four minutes later when Twine’s free-kick – a sighter of what was to come in the second half – arrowed inches wide of the top-right corner.
Liam Delap then tried his luck from the left angle of the penalty area, but Alnwick was alert to the danger at his near post.
Cardiff fleetingly awoke form their torpor with a solid spell of possession, during which Rubin Colwill should have done better off Yakou Meite’s right-flank cross.
But Hull continued to probe, and scored the goal their first-half endeavours warranted when Delap charged into the box from the right.
The Manchester City loan signing battered a low cross towards the back post at which Connolly could not miss.
Cardiff supporters expecting a response after the interval will have been disappointed.
Hull continued to press in good areas of the pitch, with Delap a tireless presence and Connolly a nuisance through the lines.
The latter earned the free-kick that led to the Tigers’ second goal when he was upended on the edge of the area.
Twine has been criticised by the locals for his set-pieces this season, but this time beautifully arched the ball into the top corner from the left of the D.
Cardiff were arguably beaten long before then, but a home win was rubber-stamped when Tufan chased down Tyler Morton’s precise, whipped pass from deep.
With Alnwick out of position, the Turkey international controlled well before craftily flighting the ball over the goalkeeper’s head.
Substitute Kion Etete at least gave away fans a hint of optimism with a nice hit from distance that was well saved by Allsop after 76 minutes.
But that was as good as it for Brulet’s side, who will be left with much to consider on the long journey back to Wales.
As will Rosenior, for entirely different reasons.
Sheffield United go top of Championship with draw despite Ahmedhodzic red
Sheffield United went top of the Championship following their 2-2 draw away to Coventry City despite twice surrendering the lead.
Chris Wilder's side are one point ahead of second-placed Sunderland ahead of Saturday's other matches although, after Tyrese Campbell put them one up after 13 minutes, they would have been hoping for a bigger lead.
Coventry forward Norman Bassette equalised nine minutes later, but Jesurun Rak-Sakyi had the visitors back in front on 34 minutes, having been set up by former Coventry man Gustavo Hamer.
Then came the game-defining incident, with Anel Ahmedhodzic sent off in the 44th minute after grabbing Bassette by his neck and throwing him to the ground. Tempers flared into half-time, but it was the home side who piled on the pressure in the second half.
The managerless Sky Blues got their reward 10 minutes from time through Bobby Thomas, meaning that they have now come back from losing positions to draw in back-to-back matches. They sit 16th in the table.
Elsewhere, Burnley went third after their second straight 1-0 victory as they beat Bristol City on the road. Jaidon Anthony scored the only goal of the game, although the home side created plenty of pressure and saw a penalty claim denied in the second half.
Scott Parker's side, nevertheless, kept their fourth clean sheet in five to get themselves back in the hunt for the top two.
Sheffield Wednesday and Cardiff City shared the points in a 1-1 draw at Hillsborough that does neither side many favours in their aim to climb clear of the relegation scrap.
Both goals came within two first-half minutes, with Ollie Tanner getting the visitors ahead from a Callum Robinson rebound in the 34th minute. The lead didn't last long though, with Di'Shon Bernard on hand to scramble home and restore parity almost straight away.
The result leaves Wednesday in 14th, four points above the bottom three, while Cardiff are 19th and just a point above third-bottom Luton Town.
Leicester City 1-2 Chelsea: Jackson and Fernandez mark a happy return for Maresca
Chelsea came through a nervy finish to beat Leicester City 2-1 at the King Power Stadium on Saturday.
Enzo Maresca guided Leicester to promotion last season before switching allegiance to Chelsea, who returned to winning ways after two successive draws in the Premier League.
Nicolas Jackson and Enzo Fernandez were on the scoresheet for the Blues as Jordan Ayew’s stoppage-time penalty proved only to be a consolation for the hosts.
The visitors dominated early on and Jackson’s brilliant outside-of-the-foot finish past Mads Hermansen gave them the lead in the 15th minute.
Jackson was involved in Chelsea’s second, too, as his header was saved by Hermansen, only for Fernandez to nod home the rebound in the 75th minute.
Ayew made no mistake from the spot to set up a grandstand finale, but third-place Chelsea held firm to move to within a point of Manchester City, prior to the reigning Premier League champions’ clash with Tottenham later on Saturday, while Leicester dropped down to 16th.
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