Hull City 1 Peterborough United 2 - Tigers off the top following Posh's smash-and-grab

The Tigers bossed the majority of the first half and a big chunk of the second, but failed to take their chances as they slipped to a first defeat of the season on home soil.

The Posh only really created two opportunities of any note in the pouring East Yorkshire rain, though they converted both to leapfrog their hosts in the table.

The opening period of Saturday's contest saw City dominate possession without ever really testing Christy Pym in the away goal.

Mallik Wilks and Keane Lewis-Potter got into plenty of promising attacking positions down the flanks, but the Posh defenders stood up well in the tackle in and around their own box.

Thus, the closest Hull came to a breakthrough inside the opening 35 minutes was a Wilks effort from the edge of the area which he blasted high and wide.

Sixty seconds later, the Tigers' leading marksman would however find his range.

With Peterborough appealing for a foul in midfield the ball was shifted quickly into the path of Wilks, who raced down the right, played a one-two with Josh Magennis, then caressed a delightful finish into the far corner with his left foot.

City continued to look comfortable after the resumption, though they never really got their offensive game going and the Posh were able to push them further and further back towards their own goal as the hour-mark approached.

And then, almost out of nothing, the visitors drew level. Joe Ward delivered an inviting cross from the right and Johnson Clarke-Harris got across his marker to expertly glance a header into the top corner of Matt Ingram's goal.

Conceding seemed to jolt Hull into life and their response to United's 63rd-minute equaliser was positive.

Greg Docherty fired narowly wide from more than 20 yards out before skipper Richie Smallwood drew a rather unconvincing near-post stop out of Pym.

Wilks went closer still, reacting sharply inside the penalty area and seeing what looked a goal-bound effort deflected against the upright and behind for a corner.

Another deflection would then prove to be decisive at the other end of the field.

Ward again did superbly down the right, skinning Callum Elder and centering for Siriki Dembele, who benefited from a huge slice of fortune as his shot on the turn hit Jacob Greaves and looped over the helpless Ingram and into the back of the net.

Undeterred, Grant McCann's men kept coming and substitute Hakeeb Adelakun went one way, then the other, before testing Pym, while Docherty saw another attempt finish up just the wrong side of the same post.

Tom Eaves' excellent header from a George Honeyman cross then drifted narrowly wide as the Tigers continued to work hard to force their way back into the game, though despite five minutes of stoppages being added on, they would eventually run out of time.

Hull City: Ingram; Emmanuel, Burke, Greaves, Elder; Honeyman, Smallwood, Docherty; Wilks, Magennis (Eaves 72), Lewis-Potter (Adelakun 72). Unused substitutes: Long, De Wijs, Jones, Slater, Mayer.

Peterborough: Pym; Thompson (Mason 90), Kent, Beevers, Butler; Ward, Taylor, Brown, Dembele; Clarke-Harris, Broom (Clarke 51). Unused substitutes: Gyollai, Eisa, Reed, Blake-Tracy, Hamilton.

Referee: T Nield (West Yorks).