Middlesbrough thrash Hull as Kim Hellberg continues winning start

Middlesbrough ran riot at a wet and windy Hull to continue their perfect start to life under new head coach Kim Hellberg and consolidate second spot in the Sky Bet Championship.

The miserable conditions, which led to a 15-minute delay to an 8pm kick-off, threatened to wreak havoc on this contest but Boro handled them considerably better as David Strelec put them ahead early on.

Alex Gilbert, Morgan Whittaker and Riley McGree all struck within a 12-minute window before half-time and although Joe Gelhardt pulled one back from the spot after the hour, the damage was done as Boro claimed a 4-1 win which puts them five points clear of third-placed Millwall ahead of the weekend.

Boro have won both fixtures since last month’s appointment of Hellberg, who was vindicated in giving Gilbert his first league start for the club since May 2024 as he scored and provided the assist for Whittaker.

Hull could have moved up to third with a win but their leaky defence – only crisis club Sheffield Wednesday have conceded more than the Tigers’ 34 goals this season – was their undoing.

They went behind in the ninth minute when McGree’s left-wing cross was touched on by Whittaker and the ball fell kindly for Strelec to turn and fire high into the net as Hull appealed in vain for offside.

Hull were given a let-off just after the half hour when Semi Ajayi dithered on the ball and Strelec rifled wide but they sloppily gave away possession from the restart and Gilbert fully capitalised in the 32nd minute.

Gilbert scored the only goal when the teams last met on New Year’s Day and he was at it again, drilling a first-time shot low past Ivor Pandur from the edge of the box after being teed up by Tommy Conway.

Just three minutes later, Gilbert pressured Regan Slater into an error on halfway and fed Whittaker, who cut on to his left foot and expertly curled past Pandur to score for the fourth consecutive game.

Shellshocked Hull’s goal was breached again in the 44th minute, with Alex Bangura allowed to get in behind on the left and cut back to an unmarked McGree, who recovered from fluffing his first touch to beat Pandur at his near post.

Hull were jeered after the fourth goal and again at the interval, with many in the crowd disappearing before the resumption, where the hosts were much-improved and grabbed one back in the 62nd minute.

It was Boro’s turn to be sloppy in possession as a loose back pass led to Gelhardt being upended in the area by Sol Brynn and the Hull striker converted the resulting penalty for an eighth goal in 10 games.

Hull, though, were unable to offer much thereafter and were booed off again by those who had remained as Boro, seven points behind leaders Coventry, cruised to victory.