Hull City 2 Swansea City 1: Mason Burstow's Christmas cracker gives Ruben Selles era lift-off
If Hull City avoid relegation from the Championship, they may well look back on this victory as the turning point.
The Tigers had gone 13 games without a win and were fresh from suffering a seventh defeat in eight at Coventry City.
With the worst home record in the league, it was little wonder that they propped up the division heading into the festive period.
But they now have hope thanks to a Christmas cracker from Mason Burstow, the youngster coming off the bench to settle a low-quality contest against Swansea City with a goal worthy of winning any game.
Burstow's 80th-minute strike gave Ruben Selles his first win as manager and lifted Hull out of the relegation zone ahead of the 3pm kick-offs.
In the three matches since Selles took over, City have shown they are up for the fight.
Hull hit the front in a repeat of Selles' first two games in charge, Joao Pedro the scorer with a deflected first-half effort.
The recent theme of dropping points from winning positions looked set to continue when Harry Darling scored Swansea's first headed goal of the season three minutes before the break – but Burstow has changed the narrative and lifted the mood around the MKM Stadium.
It was the perfect start to a busy period that takes Hull to Preston North End and Blackburn Rovers before home games against Middlesbrough and Leeds United.
In the end, the Swans could have no complaints after being beaten to the punch by the Tigers.
A sedate start made way for a flurry of activity as Hull belied their lowly position to force the issue.
The home supporters had their heads in their hands after the unmarked Regan Slater contrived to put an inviting cross from Ryan Giles wide with the goal at his mercy eight yards out.
It took half an hour for Swansea to carve out half a chance, Sam Vipotnik seeing his half-volley comfortably saved low down by Ivor Pandur.
Hull went straight down the other end and came agonisingly close to breaking the deadlock when Gustavo Puerta lashed a left-footed strike against the right-hand post and saw the ball deflect wide off the back of goalkeeper Lawrence Vigouroux.
Rather than bemoan their luck, the Tigers kept plugging away and got their reward in the 34th minute.
Steven Alzate slid a pass into Pedro in the left channel and his effort snuck past Vigouroux at the near post with the help of a deflection.
Hull had their visitors on the ropes and sensed a second when Vigouroux dropped a cross, only for Puerta to see his shot blocked by team-mate Ryan Longman.
Swansea had shown little to suggest they could respond but out of nowhere they were level.
One concerted spell of pressure was all it took for Hull to buckle, centre-back Darling beating Pandur with a powerful header from Josh Tymon's cross after staying up from a corner.
The timing of the equaliser knocked the stuffing out of Hull and there was a hangover at the start of the second half.
The one time the Tigers got a sight of goal from a loose backpass by Matt Grimes, a sluggish Pedro failed to round Vigouroux and a golden chance was gone.
Hull's goal led a charmed life at the other end during Swansea's best period of the half.
After Vipotnik failed to get a toe on an inviting cross from Tymon, Ben Cabango hit the post when he should have scored.
Darling headed a corner back across goal but Cabango could only nod against the woodwork from close range.
Just when Hull needed a moment of inspiration, substitute Burstow provided it.
The 21-year-old had already had a sighter from range when he pounced on Vigouroux’s loose clearance, moved towards the edge of the box with purpose and bent a crisp strike beyond the Swans keeper.
Longman almost made sure of the result with a low effort that struck the post but Hull saw out the remaining minutes without serious alarm to claim three precious points.
Hull City: Pandur, Giles, Hughes, Jones, Coyle (Drameh 71), Slater, Alzate (Simons 61), Puerta (Mehlem 85), Kamara (Burstow 61), Longman, Pedro. Substitutes unused: Racioppi, McLoughlin, Bedia, Omur, Jacob.
Goals: Pedro (34), Burstow (80)
Swansea City: Vigouroux, Key, Darling, Cabango, Tymon, Fulton, Grimes, Eom (Ronald 64), Cullen, Peart-Harris. Vipotnik (Bianchini 64). Substitutes unused: McLaughlin, Franco, Tjoe-a-on, Christie, Naughton, Abbey, Abdulai.
Goals: Darling (42)
Referee: T Bramall (Sheffield).
Attendance: 20,024.