Hull 2-0 Birmingham: Meyler and Hernandez help Bruce's side up to second

Hull replaced Birmingham in second place in the Sky Bet Championship as Steve Bruce's side continued their unbeaten home run this season with a 2-0 win.

David Meyler's second goal in as many games and Abel Hernandez's seventh of the season earned the home side the three points.

The goals came in the space of two first-half minutes, Meyler finishing after patient build-up and Hernandez continuing his run of scoring from close range.

Birmingham had set up to defend in depth with Jonathan Spector sitting in front of the defence and Hull were making them work hard early on.

The visitors used pace in attack and were the first to threaten as Allan McGregor had to save with his feet after Jacques Maghoma had shot straight at him from a low cross by Paul Caddis.

Tomasz Kuszczak saved one-handed from a volley by Sam Clucas, who met Moses Odubajo's far post cross with a fine finish as the visitors continued to soak up pressure.

Maghoma again tested McGregor with a low shot after making space in the area for his shot as Birmingham looked more of a threat in attack.

However, the visitors were conceding ground and were nearly punished when a low cross to the far post was pushed just wide by Ahmed Elmohamady.

The winger was then offside as he challenged Kuszczak for a ball in the area as Birmingham's goal again came under threat.

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Birmingham were then punished for giving up possession as Meyler opened the scoring after 36 minutes. Elmohamady passed low from the right side of the area and Meyler steered his shot in off the post.

Just two minutes later the home side went further ahead when Andy Robertson beat two defenders down the left and fed Hernandez, who turned and shot home right-footed from just outside the six-yard box.

Birmingham started the second half with David Cotterill and Andrew Shinnie on in a more attacking formation.

The hosts were denied a penalty when Chuba Akpom appeared to be blocked off in the area - but referee Eddie Ilderton ignored the home side's appeals.

Akpom forced Kuszczak to dive to his right and push away a low shot with half an hour to go as Hull searched for a third goal.

Jonathan Grounds was in the right place to block a shot from Akpom as the Arsenal loan striker looked for the right finish.

Clucas then hit a low shot across goal which Kuszczak dived low to save for what would been no more than a deserved third for the home side, before Shaun Maloney shot into the side-netting in what was another assured performance from Hull.

Hull boss 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. 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 boss 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 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."