Southampton 1-2 Hull City: Tigers continue good run with Saints win

Both teams had lost their most recent league outing, although a postponement of their home clash with Watford meant this was Hull’s first Championship match since 1 January.

It was the home side who had the better of the opening exchanges, with Ivor Pandur forced into a good save by Adam Armstrong and Finn Azaz sending a shot into the side-netting.

However, their early momentum was killed when Manning’s pass back to debutant Saints keeper Daniel Peretz was intercepted by McBurnie and he kept his composure to lay off for Joseph to score with conviction.

In the build up to the game Southampton boss Tonda Eckert had said his side had been working on their defensive shape at set plays so he will have been exasperated when Hughes headed in unchallenged at the back post from Amir Hadziahmetovic’s deep corner.

The hosts had almost two thirds of the possession and 22 shots compared to eight from the visitors but Stewart’s first goal since returning from three months out injured earlier in January was all they had to show for it.

The result is Hull City’s first league double over Southampton since the 1950-51 campaign.

Saints welcome Sheffield United on Wednesday as the look to get their flagging season back on track, while Hull visit fellow play-off hopefuls Preston on Tuesday.