Hull City 2 Plymouth Argyle 0: Joe Gelhardt shines as brighter Tigers get their due rewards

Twice the Tigers were brighter of mind than a Plymouth defence which seems to have knuckled down since the arrival of Miron Muslic but did not have a shot until the 81st minute – and it was blocked by Lewie Coyle.

The Joe Gelhardt and Abu Kamara goals which resulted managed what Liverpool and Brentford could not in 2025, and beat the Pilgrims, 2-0.

It was no more than they deserved, but Hull's football often does not bring what it deserves in East Yorkshire. This was only their third home win of the season. It is three more than Plymouth have managed on their travels, at least in the league.

With home games against fellow strugglers Oxford United, Luton Town and Derby County still to come, this was a big confidence boost for a Tigers side who have on occasion under Ruben Selles looked better than relegation fodder, but have crept rather than leapt up the table.

Tonight they are 19th with everyone having 11 games to play, five points above the bottom three.

Although the first half was predictably thin gruel, the hosts did at least have much the better of it, with Leeds United loanee Gelhardt at the heart of much of the bright play from his position in the hole behind Joao Pedro.

When Nikola Katic fouled the striker, it was Gelhardt who put the free-kick into the defensive wall.

Gustavo Puerta could not quite get enough of his head on a Coyle cross and Katic had to make an excellent tackle when Gelhardt was threatening to shoot.

Gelhardt came close from a corner, Conor Hazard getting only a faint touch on the delivery but enough to keep it out, and Katic kept out a low cross-shot from Charlie Hughes. When the ball came back in, Puerta's header was saved.

Hazard denied Sean McLoughlin a minute later, but it was a routine save. The defender also headed wide at a free-kick, and Plymouth did well to scramble a Steven Alzate cross away.

The Pilgrims posed little threat at the other end, although Alfie Jones did have to produce some excellent defending to get a wickedly curling Matthew Sorinola free-kick away from danger. Had he not, they might even had had a shot.

Hull found the net within three minutes of the restart.

A McLoughlin shot got caught under Katic's feet and Gelhardt was quickest to react, slotting the ball home.

But Hull are good at wasting 1-0 leads at home, so they always needed a second. These ease with which they were getting in behind the Plymouth defence at least encouraged them that they could get it.

Hazard saved well with his feet when Kamara put the ball in for Pedro. Sorinola ensured the follow-up stayed out too.

But Plymouth were caught flat-footed again in the 62nd minute, although Pedro looked suspiciously offside from Puerta's pass. With the goalkeeper coming out to him, he had the presence of mind and unselfishness to lay it across for Kamara, also in acres of space, to tap into an empty net.

Game over.

A third for Hull looked more likely than a first for Plymouth, but McLoughlin fired over and a Gelhardt shot deflected wide.

Coyle blocked Mumba's shot, Callum Wright headed onto the roof of the net at a corner, and Nathanael Ogbeta blasted an effort off target in the seventh added minute but that was all they could muster.

Not only had Hull won, they had done it at a canter.

On this evidence things look bleak for Plymouth but with Gelhardt on the field and Selles in the dugout, Hull have gone from a bedraggled mess under Tom Walter to a team that should be capable of staying in this season's Championship, and kicking on from there.

For that to happen, they will need more of the ruthlessness they showed in this game.

Hull City: Pandur; L Coyle, Jones, Hughes, McLoughlin; Alzate (Slater 84), Puerta; Kamara (Drameh 90+3), Gelhardt (Burstow 90), Joseph (Palmer 84); Pedro.

Unused substitutes: Egan, Lincoln, Jacob, Amrabat, Lo-Tutala.

Plymouth Argyle: Hazard; Talovierov, Katic, Pleguezuelo; Sorinola (Wright 79), Houghton (Boateng 63), Gyabi, Puchacz (Ogbeta 63); Mumba (Baidoo 83), Al Hajj (Obafemi 63); Bundu.

Unused substitutes: Szucs, Edwards, Grimshaw, Palsson.

Referee: A Davies (Hampshire).