'No silverware, but we don't care, we follow City everywhere' – a song that has been heard with increasing regularity at Tigers games in recent weeks – neatly sums up the kind of loyalty required to follow a team whose last title success, in the old Third Division, came in the same year England lifted the World Cup.

Hull, let's not forget, is best known in football circles as the biggest conurbation in Europe never to have hosted top flight football.

Things could, however, be about to change with this comfortable win at Leicester City – their fifth in six outings – powering Phil Brown's men up to a season's best third place.

The Tigers, the only side in the top nine before kick-off to claim maximum points over the weekend, are now just one win adrift of leaders Stoke City and two points behind Bristol City.

With six games remaining and the momentum clearly being with the men from the East Riding, there is every chance that the supporters' favourite ditty could be soon redundant as the club close in on some long-overdue silverware – namely, the Championship title.

Brown may not be keen to discuss his side's chances of claiming automatic promotion, never mind the title. But there was no mistaking the City manager's delight after another professional and polished display.

He said: "Since coming back from warm weather training in Dubai at the back end of January, the players have had a target to chase and they are exceeding that.

"Two points per game is good form by anyone's standard and if you maintain that through the season, it is championship form.

"The players deserve full credit – it is a pleasure to work with them and to watch them in games.

"The conditions were not suitable to good football against Leicester but we got the ball down and did well."

Brown's delight was understandable after the manner in which Leicester, who just a week earlier had stunned promotion chasing West Brom by triumphing 4-1 at The Hawthorns, were ripped apart by the Tigers.

Again employing a high tempo approach, City never let the hosts settle and with the battle for central midfield being won in the early stages by Ian Ashbee and Dean Marney the result was rarely in doubt.

Admittedly, it took Hull 45 minutes to turn their domination into the opening goal, Marney gleefully drilling the ball into the net from close range after Fraizer Campbell's pace had embarrassed the Foxes defence.

But the gulf in class between the two sides was so wide that the game could have been over long before half-time.

It was only the agility of Paul Henderson in the home goal that kept Leicester's hopes of boosting their survival hopes alive with the Australian superbly beating away free-kicks by Neil Clement and Andy Dawson.

He also denied Dean Windass with a reflex stop after the veteran striker had stabbed the ball goalwards just after the half-hour. Ian Ashbee was another City player to go close, the captain seeing his shot blocked bravely by Gareth McAuley in the six-yard box.

The onslaught continued after the break with Henderson again pulling off a wonderful save to keep out a fiercely struck drive by Clement just before the
hour.

The Leicester goalkeeper received little or no protection from his defence throughout the afternoon and this was never more apparent than in the 65th minute when Marney's excellent pass sent Campbell scampering clear.

Henderson raced from his line only to be beaten to the ball by the jet-heeled on loan striker who was sent crashing to the floor.

Referee Richard Beeby pointed to the spot and after delaying tactics from the Foxes defence, Marney – on penalty duties following two earlier misses by Windass – saw his fiercely-struck effort beaten away by Henderson.

The save briefly gave the home side hope, only for those to be extinguished after Clement had brilliantly broken up a promising Foxes attack on 76 minutes before looking up and picking out Caleb Folan with a 40-yard pass.

The record signing, on as a substitute for Campbell, then kept his nerve to flick a shot past the outstretched hand of Henderson to seal the points.



Leicester City: Henderson; Stearman, Kisnorbo, McAuley, Clapham (Mattock 75); Oakley, N'Gotty (Etuhu 46), Hendrie; Fryatt (DJ Campbell 75), Howard, Hayles. Unused substitutes: Clemence, Wesolowski.

Hull City: Myhill; Ricketts, Turner, Clement, Dawson; Garcia (France 81), Ashbee (Walton 53), Marney, Pedersen; F Campbell (Folan 74), Windass. Unused substitutes: Tyler, Hughes.

Referee: R Beeby (Northamptonsire).