Hull City 1 Southampton 2: Cruel late blow for Liam Rosenior as City suffer their first home league loss since March 15

No-one would have complained too much in truth against a pretty decent Southampton line-up. But then the visitors proceeded to spoil it.

Substitute Ryan Fraser fired home the winner in the fifth minute of stoppage-time as City lost in the league on home soil for the first time in ten matches in April. It was cruel. Especially on keeper Ryan Allsop.

It was only Hull’s third loss in 19 league matches in East Yorkshire under Liam Rosenior, yet that will be scant consolation here.

Earlier, much earlier, Liam Delap, had quickly cancelled out Will Smallbone’s opener midway through the first period.

In a hard-fought contest, it was the visitors who played the final killer hand.

It had all the makings of an attractive contest between two sides who take care of the ball better than most in the Championship and the game’s evidence confirmed that viewpoint.

The first-half ended deadlocked at 1-1, with Hull - who recovered admirably after going behind - entitled to derive the greater amount of pleasure after showing most of the poise and flow.

After Delap cancelled out Smallbone’s opener, the hosts took charge for much of the remainder of the half to provide Saints - who had dominated against three Yorkshire opponents previously this season in Leeds United, Sheffield Wednesday and Rotherham United - with food for thought.

Saints had started with intent, pressing high up the pitch and not letting City’s backline settle.

The best early chance was symptomatic of that, with ex-Southampton defender Alfie Jones’ looseness in possession seized upon.

The ball found Smallbone in space, with his deflected shot looping towards goal, only for the backtracking Ryan Allsop to make a timely tip over the bar.

At the other end, Hull were starting to get Jaden Philogene into the game and he soon supplied Delap, who benefited from a slip from Taylor Harwood-Bellis. He twisted and turned and took too long to get his shot off with Jan Bednarek getting in a saving block.

Delap would fare better not long after - but not before Smallbone had his moment when Philogene hardly covered himself in glory in a defensive sense.

Kyle Walker-Peters got away from him far too easily down the right and the error was compounded by the failure to pick up Smallbone, who guided the ball into the net from close range following the Saints full-back’s pull-back.

City were feeling a bit better about themselves soon after.

Jason Lokilo was given too much space on the right and he slipped in Scott Twine. His low cross was blocked by Harwood-Bellis and the rebound fell nicely for Delap to gobble up the rebound.

Philogene then showed his good side with Gavin Bazunu parrying his swerving strike before Delap’s acrobatic effort was blocked.

City were starting to control the tempo and dictate, but two half-chances before the interval saw the visitors go close, with an effort from Stuart Armstrong being blocked before Walker-Peters’s goalbound drive was deflected just over.

The Tigers flew onto of the traps quickly on the restart and spurned a big opportunity moments in.

Delap got away and his centre just missed out Philogene, with a Saints defender doing enough to put him off. The ball found Morton at the far post, but he delayed for a split-second and his effort was blocked.

More of the purpose came from Hull and a Lokilo howitzer soon flew over at the near post before Saints produced a response of their own with Stuart Armstrong seeing his long-ranger flash just wide.

A big moment in the context of the game saw home supporters hold their breath and City survive.

The ball found Adam Armstrong and his dangerous low cross got the faintest of touches from Carlos Alcarez, with Allsop alive to the effort and making a key finger-tip save to keep it out.

A slight delay from Delap then enabled Bazunu to race out and save at the other end as both sides pushed for the potential game-breaking moment.

The returning Tufan was then thrown into the fray by Hull, but it was Southampton who were starting to look the more threatening.

They had another big chance in the final ten minutes, but Allsop was alert to it, keeping out Smallbone’s point-blank effort.

It was cruel when he was beaten at the death when Fraser blasted in from Flynn Downes’s cross.

Hull City: Allsop; Christie (Coyle 65), Jones, Greaves, Vinagre; Seri, Morton; Lokilo (Connolly 76), Twine (Tufan 65), Philogene; Delap (Allahyar 82). Unused substitutes: Ingram, McLoughlin, Docherty, Traore, Sinik.

Southampton: Bazunu; Walker-Peters, Harwood-Bellis, Bednarek, Manning; Smallbone (Charles 86), Downes, S Armstrong (Fraser 84); A Armstrong (Mara 86), Alcaraz (Adams 69), Sulemana (Edozie 69). Unused substitutes: McCarthy, Holgate, Aribo, Bree.

Referee: G Eltringham (Tyne and Wear).

Attendance: 21,524.