Hull end 10-game winless streak

Adam Johnson had given the hosts the perfect start, scoring in the opening 30 seconds on Wearside but goals from Gaston Ramirez on the half hour mark, James Chester five minutes into the second half and Nikica Jelavic at the death saw the Tigers take all three points.

Johnson carried on from where he had left off, following Sunday???s last-minute Tyne-Wear derby winner, pouncing on Curtis Davies??? weak back pass, jostling with the centre back for possession and then rounding Allan McGregor to give the hosts the lead inside a minute.

The Black Cats enjoyed the majority of possession and dominated the opening period of the game but were pegged back when Ramirez’s shot from 20 yards skipped over a horrified Costel Pantilimon in the Sunderland goal.

Hull were understandably boosted by their goal and took the lead after the break when Chester headed home Ramirez’s near-post corner from six yards ??? rounding off a period of dominance from the away team.

Sunderland had several claims for a penalty ignored towards the end of the opening 45 minutes but failed to venture towards the visitors??? goal until needs must in the final stages of the game.

But with the game stretched the visitors broke through substitute Jelavic and he drilled low past Pantilimon to hand Hull their league first win since October and move them out of the bottom three.

There were only 30 seconds on the clock when, after Davies??? back-pass to keeper McGregor was stolen by Johnson who darted around the Scotland international and slot home.

Johnson featured heavily in an opening period in which Sunderland might have increased their lead with 16 minutes gone had Liam Rosenior not managed to get a block on Sebastian Larsson’s goal-bound shot.

But the Tigers responded and with Ramirez just after half an hour when his shot took a fortuitous bounce of the turf to evade Pantilimon???s dive.

Poyet’s men came close to restoring their advantage during a flurry of activity at the end of the half with Alex Bruce and Steven Quinn fortunate to survive appeals for handball in the area before Sebastian Larsson had a header cleared off the line.

McGregor then beat away a near-post shot from defender Santiago Vergini in stoppage time to ensure the sides entered the break level.

Sunderland were unable to start the second half as they had the first and it was Hull who would take an early lead. With the Black Cats untidy during the opening minutes of the second half, Robbie Brady tested Pantilimon with a 50th-minute free-kick which was turned away for a corner.

Ramirez delivered the resulting set-piece to the near post and Chester got in front of Vergini to power a header into the top corner.

Sone Aluko spurned a great chance when he shot tamely into Pantilimon???s hands and it was left to substitute Jelavic to seal the win.

With the hosts pushing for an equaliser in the closing stages the Tigers broke through Ahmed Elmohamdy who fed the ball into path do the Croatian who guided a low shot under the keeper.