Hull City 3 QPR 0: Ozan Tufan scores stunner as scintillating Tigers blow relegation-threatened R's away

Ozan Tufan, Fabio Carvalho and Jaden Philogene all weighed in with stylish goals as the Tigers revived their play-off hopes at a crucial stage of the season. The win was made more emphatic by its impact on the table, as results elsewhere ensured three points moved Hull up to seventh in the Championship table.

QPR made it clear within the opening five minutes they had not come to soak up pressure, immediately getting on the front foot. Ryan Allsop’s first save came just 20 seconds in, when he was forced to push Morgan Fox’s audacious long-range effort behind for a corner.

Lucas Andersen then looked to test the Tigers stopper but saw his free-kick whistle wide of the post. The first questions were asked by the R’s but the Tigers responded to the visitors’ barks with some serious bite.

Tufan pushed the ball out of his feet around 25 yards out before unleashing a curling effort that thudded against the crossbar before dropping into the goal.

The goal was followed by an immediate uplift in the Hull tempo, with the hosts seemingly galvanised by a goal the playmaker had no right to score. Hull made effective use of their flair out wide, giving Philogene and Abdülkadir Omur licence to express themselves.

Swift switches from left to right and vice versa allowed Hull to isolate QPR’s full-backs, who were overrun on the flanks. With Hull’s own full-backs heavily involved in moves, the overloads proved dizzying for the R’s.

QPR’s sprint out of the gates started to become an increasingly distant memory, as their structure became more conservative. A slick move saw Philogene played through on the left-hand side of the box, although his attempted lay-off to an advancing Carvalho was overcooked.

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Philogene then robbed Steve Cook of possession inside the box, but Asmir Begovic was able to collect his low ball across the box. It seemed only a matter of time before Hull added to their advantage and they did so in stylish fashion before the 30-minute mark.

Tufan turned provider, sending Carvalho through on goal with a deft flick that split the QPR defence. Begovic was quick off his line but Carvalho’s veins ran cold and he neatly lifted the ball over the veteran stopper.

The intelligence of Carvalho’s movement continually made him a difficult man to track and he gave his marker the slip on multiple occasions. He had done so in anticipation of a Tyler Morton cross but the ball was just nipped off his toe before he could test Begovic.

QPR started to re-emerge from their shells as the half-time whistle approached but Hull’s two-goal advantage was intact when it blew.

The R’s did, however, give the hosts a scare almost immediately following the restart. Ilias Chair’s cross found Paul Smyth, but he poked wide when it appeared easier to find the target.

Unflustered by the chance, Hull extended their lead within seven minutes of the restart. Philogene got in on the act, smashing home after a free-kick delivery was rebounded in his direction.

Smyth went close again for QPR, beating the offside trap before rounding Allsop and sending his shot towards a vacated net. Fortunately for the hosts, Matty Jacob raced back and denied Smyth with a heroic clearance off the line.

Hull immediately countered, sending Philogene away with a punt but seeing their talisman fire his effort into Begovic’s midriff.

Despite their comfortable lead, Liam Rosenior’s men continued to apply pressure on a QPR side who just could not get a grip on Hull’s attacking contingent. Omur embarked on a mazy run before feeding Regan Slater, who clipped the post with a low drive that had Begovic beaten.

Liam Delap made his long-awaited return from injury in the second half after being serenaded by chants of “Liam Delap, we want you to stay” as he warmed up. He almost made it a dream return, but saw his lifted shot hooked off the line in dramatic fashion by Reggie Cannon.

There were flickers from QPR in the dying embers but Hull managed to keep the R’s at bay, securing a potentially crucial win as the hunt for a play-off spot heats up.