Bristol City 1 Hull City 2: Bruce calling for more goals after Tigers smoothly move into top six

Sone Aluko’s early strike and an own goal from Cole Skuse earned the visitors three points as Hull climbed three places to sixth.

“The better team won, no doubt about that, but if I have to be critical the chances we missed have been typical of us,” said manager Bruce.

“In a few games this season we should have been out of sight, but overall I have to be very pleased indeed with the way we performed.

“We are playing the way I want to at the moment. We like to pass the ball around and have some very good footballers.

“Occasionally we come unstuck against the more physical teams, but we did well against a big Bristol City unit.

“Some of our football was excellent and to come away from home and create the chances we did was very satisfying.”

It took a bizarre goal after 65 minutes to settle the outcome. Skuse attempted to chest Stephen Quinn’s angled shot back to goalkeeper Tom Heaton and the ball ended up in the back of the net.

Hull had led after eight minutes when Aluko played a neat one-two with Jay Simpson to cut through the middle and he had no difficulty in beating Heaton with a clinical finish.

Bristol City equalised in the 25th minute. Ryan Taylor played in Stephen Pearson on the left and when he pulled the ball back, Steven Davies produced a fine first-time finish with his left foot.

Both sides hit the woodwork in the second half, Robert Koren for Hull and Jon Stead for Bristol City, but the visitors always looked the more likely winners.

Home chief Derek McInnes said: “We have a sickness bug sweeping the club and more than one player went out there feeling under the weather.

“Stephen McManus complained of illness, but we are short of centre-backs so he had to play, and Steven Davies was sick at half-time.

“We are on a bad run and the only remedy is hard work. I have 100 per cent faith in the players here and I know we are capable of digging ourselves out of trouble.

“We have to keep believing and that applies to the fans, too. It is hard at times like these, but I am convinced we have the squad to turn things around.”

Bristol have now dropped into the relegation zone.

Bristol City: Heaton, Mark Wilson (Adomah 72), McManus, Nyatanga, Briggs, Foster, Skuse, Pearson, Davies (Baldock 68), Stead (Anderson 83),Taylor. Unused substitutes: Gerken, Woolford, Morris, Elliott.

Hull City: Amos, Elmohamady, Chester, Bruce, McShane, Rosenior, Koren (McKenna 73), Evans (Olofinjana 89), Quinn, Simpson (Mclean 90), Aluko. Unused substitutes: Jakupovic, Dawson, Cooper, Proschwitz.

Referee: F Graham (Essex).

Man of the match: Jay Simpson.