Wearehullcity - Hull City secured their place in the Sky Bet Championship for next season after defeating Cardiff City 2-1 at the MKM Stadium.
Despite Aden Flint setting up a nervy ending to the fixture, first-half finishes from Allahyar Sayyadmanesh and Lewie Coyle secured the Tigers their first home win in six games and a league double over the Bluebirds.
Shota Arveladze made only one change to his starting XI to the one that defeated Middlesbrough 1-0 last time out, with Coyle coming in for Ryan Longman, who was named on the bench. Alfie Jones made his 50th league start for the club, while Tom Eaves returned into the squad following the conclusion of his one match ban.
It took the Tigers just eight minutes to open the scoring as Sayyadmanesh picked up a loose back pass by Mark McGuinness, with the Iranian international rounding the onrushing Dillon Phillips before netting his first Hull City goal.
Three minutes later and the lead was doubled as Regan Slater picked out Coyle on the edge of the Cardiff penalty area, with the wing-back firing his left-footed strike, first time, into the bottom corner.
The Tigers were hungry for more goals as George Honeyman’s whipped delivery was punched away by Phillips, before Sayyadmanesh headed wide from a separate Honeyman cross. McGuinness then looked to pull a goal back for the visitors before half-time, but he volleyed wide from Will Vaulks’ free-kick, with the defender being flagged for offside anyways.
Two minutes into the second half, Slater drilled a low cross from the right wing into the six yard area for Keane Lewis-Potter, but the winger’s strike was blocked well by Phillips from close range. At the other end, midfield duo Tommy Doyle and Ryan Wintle struck their efforts wide from distance, before Matt Ingram denied Mark Harris.
With quarter of an hour to go, Cardiff wasted a glorious opportunity to pull a goal back as good passing play created a shooting opportunity for Doyle, but the midfielder dragged his shot wide. In the other goal, Coyle almost capitalised on a defensive mix-up, but his looped effort hit the side netting.
The Bluebirds pulled a goal back with ten minutes left to play as Flint rose highest to head home Doyle’s corner delivery. A few moments later and Harris almost got an equaliser for Cardiff, but his chipped effort went narrowly wide past the right-hand post.
Hull City (3-4-2-1): Matt Ingram; Alfie Jones, Sean McLoughlin, Jacob Greaves; Lewie Coyle (Ryan Longman 84’), Richie Smallwood (C) (Di’Shon Bernard 81’), Regan Slater, Brandon Fleming; George Honeyman, Keane Lewis-Potter; Allahyar Sayyadmanesh (Marcus Forss 70’).
Subs Not Used: Nathan Baxter; Greg Docherty, Tom Eaves, Tom Huddlestone.
Cardiff City (3-4-3): Dillion Phillips; Oliver Denham, Aden Flint (C), Mark McGuinness (Tommy Doyle 46’); Cody Drameh, Will Vaulks, Ryan Wintle, Joel Bagan; Issak Davies (Alfie Doughty 76’), Uche Ikpeazu (Rubin Colwill 46’), Mark Harris.
Subs Not Used: Rohan Luthra, Jordan Hugill, Curtis Nelson, Perry Ng.