Blackburn opened their Championship account with a convincing 3-0 win at Hull as the home side struggled in what was the 500th league game at the MKM Stadium.
Goals from Ryan Hedges, Yuki Ohashi and Todd Cantwell saw Valerien Ismael’s side claim a first win of the league campaign following defeats to West Brom and Birmingham.
The Tigers followed up a goalless draw at Coventry and a 3-2 home win over Oxford with a lacklustre showing, particularly in front of goal.
One of the few bright spots for the Tigers, who missed the influence of injured midfielder Matt Crooks, was central defender Cathal McCarthy who marked his debut with an assured performance after a shaky start.
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Ryan Hedges chips it over the goalkeeper to put Blackburn Rovers ahead against Hull City in their Championship clash.
City should have done better when John Lundstram’s high ball picked out Joel Ndala but when he returned it to the midfielder, he chose a misplaced pass instead of shooting.
City twice went close as Balazs Toth turned team-mate Yuri Ribeiro’s header round the post before getting a hand to Oli McBurnie’s header from the corner.
The Tigers forced Toth into another save through Ndala’s curling shot and the home side were made to pay for missed chances shortly after.
Rovers claimed the lead through Hedges who got onto a ball behind the defence from Augustus Kargbo before chipping over Ivor Pandur with 18 minutes gone.
Ryan Hedges celebrates with team-mate Augustus Kargbo after giving Blackburn the lead at Hull
Hedges should have doubled the lead with 26 minutes gone but headed over from eight yards from a Ryan Alebiosu cross.
Joe Gelhardt won a free-kick on the edge of the Blackburn area after exchanging passes with McBurnie 12 minutes before the break but the Tigers wasted a good position.
Gelhardt then had a shot blocked as their first-half efforts to find a way back into the game proved fruitless.
Blackburn doubled their lead less than two minutes into the second half as Cantwell’s low free-kick found an unmarked Hedges in the left channel and his low cross was side-footed home by Ohashi.
Rovers soon made it 3-0 as Cantwell fired in from the edge of the area after Hull failed to clear from an Alebiosu break down the right.
Kasey Palmer’s long-range shot hit the back of team-mate Ndala as the Tigers continued to struggle in front of goal.
Hedges was denied a shot by a fine tackle by McCarthy and the Tigers had a let-off when a Blackburn corner saw Dominic Hyam’s header come back off the bar.
With a little over 20 minutes remaining substitute Kyle Joseph had a shot blocked as the Tigers searched in vain for a goal.
Hedges shot wide when set up by substitute Axel Henriksson with 10 minutes left but Blackburn had done more than enough to claim three points.
The managers
Hull’s Sergej Jakirovic:
“Before this game we had a lot of problems with a virus and we missed some players.
“Some of the players were ill for three days, they didn’t train, and we were short in some positions. But we were bad today.
“From the beginning of this game, I didn’t feel good energy or good intensity.
“When we conceded a goal, it was very difficult for us, we were not good on the ball. I can just congratulate Blackburn for this deserved win.”
Blackburn’s Valerien Ismael:
“When you win the first game it’s really good because you start your Championship season.
“We have a difficult couple of weeks behind us. Congratulations to the boys to react like that after losing last week.
We took the right things from last week because we played well against Birmingham.
“We learned from last week, how we lost last week it was painful. The good thing in football you have the chance in one week to change things.
“We stayed calm, and we stayed focused, we dealt with the adversity we had in the last couple of weeks.”
