Steve Bruce salutes high-flying Hull and hitman Hernandez after win at Blackburn

It was a thoroughly professional performance by the visitors who looked in control in the first period but came to life in the second and twice went close before Abel Hernandez beat the offside trap to fire his 17th goal of the season in the 53rd minute.

Any hopes of a Blackburn comeback were dashed 10 minutes later as their offside trap was once again all too easily breached and Hernandez turned provider for Mohamed Diame to tap into the empty net.

Hull's first win at Ewood Park for almost 30 years gave Bruce's men a seventh victory in eight games, and the manager hailed it as one of the best performances he has seen from his side.

He said: "I thought we looked a very good team today and it was a good performance from everybody. We've missed two or three chances late on which could have improved our goal difference but we thoroughly deserved the win in my opinion.

"I thought we were playing within ourselves in the first half and wanted us to go and express ourselves and take the shackles off. We knew we had more in the tank and I thought in the second half we gave a very good performance where we could have scored three or four.

"That's as good as we've played for a long time."

Hull could be pushed down to second place on Monday, with Middlesbrough able to reclaim top spot by beating Leeds.

Tigers manager Bruce did not want to single out players but in Hernandez he knows he has a player who can provide the platform to promotion.

And after the Uruguayan's eighth league goal in the last eight league games, Hull's manager expects him to improve further.

"I think he'll get better when the weather gets better and it gets a bit warmer. He seems to enjoy the sunshine," Bruce said. "He had a tough time last year in terms of the Premier League but he looks a very good player and let's hope he takes us where we want to be.

"He's a goalscorer and is doing very well at the moment."

Blackburn's league form now must be a concern. They have gone nine matches in the league without tasting victory and have won only one of their last nine at home.

With Rovers just five points above the bottom three, manager Paul Lambert accepts that there is a need to improve.

He said: "In the first half there wasn't much in it. The disappointing thing for me is we had the ball twice and Hull have scored two goals. We secured possession and made wrong decisions and they're a good side. The front two are a handful and they've still got a lot of Premier League players in their side. You can see why they're up there.

"Today I thought once the second goal went in, we looked far short. You can't play the way we did last week and then turn in that performance. It will drive you mad. We have to find consistency quickly. Really quickly.

"We have to be better on the ball."

Lambert's preparations were not helped after Danny Graham and Grant Hanley failed fitness tests and Hope Akpan pulled out through illness in the warm-up.

"Nightmare," Lambert said. "Losing three lads who played ever so well for us last week was a blow - obviously the spine of your side in Grant and Danny.

"It was too risky (to play them) because we've got 11 games in 30-odd days. It was a definite blow because we played ever so well last week."