Blackburn, meanwhile, gave home debuts to new trio Ward, Jordi Gomez and Tony Watt.Paul Lambert made two changes, with Grant Hanley missing and Hope Akpan withdrawing through illness shortly before the game
Craig Conway replaced him.Hull bossed the quiet opening exchanges but could have been behind but for Allan McGregor saving well from the long-range efforts of Ben Marshall and Conway.Diame's superb weaving run on the half-hour saw him nutmeg two Rovers players en route to goal before firing over when well placed.Blackburn were game in the first half and Conway's lung-busting run eventually found Darragh Lenihan, whose goalbound effort was superbly blocked by Moses Odubajo.The visitors moved up a gear after the break as Hernandez lashed wide and Sam Clucas drove one just past the far post.But they got their rewards in the 53rd minute when Diame punished Blackburn conceding possession by threading a ball perfectly to Hernandez and he rounded the goalkeeper to slot home his eighth in the last eight league games.Ward should have marked his home debut with a goal moments later when a corner found him free but his weak effort was cleared by Andrew Robertson.And Hull hammered home their advantage in the 63rd minute as Huddlestone's superb ball beat the Blackburn backline and Hernandez rolled to Diame to slot his fifth of the season into an empty net.Another breakaway 11 minutes from time presented Chuba Akpom with a glorious chance but Steele's astonishing point-blank save denied him.Nevertheless, though Marshall's powerful shot saw McGregor called into action, Hull's ascension to the summit was complete
Source : PA
Source: PA