Hull City 0 West Ham United 2: Pearson refusing to be distracted by continued Leicester speculation

Sam Baldock’s fifth goal since signing from MK Dons in August put the visitors in front four minutes into the second half, and eight minutes later Jack Collison slotted home a well-taken second.

Afterwards, when asked about mounting speculation that he could be poised for a return to Leicester, Hull manager Nigel Pearson said: “Speculation is speculation and I don’t know anything about it.

“You’ll have to ask the club (whether there has been an approach from Leicester).

“Why should I comment? I don’t ask for reassurance when people are having a moan about me. I just get on with my job.”

Pearson added: “I thought it was a good game and we played pretty well but unfortunately for us the first goal was important.

“We changed our shape with three in attack and we did very well in the first half, but we weren’t able to score when we were on top.

“However, it was a positive that we came up against a side in second place and we think we were as good as them.

“We have to look at it as being a learning experience for the players. I’m delighted with how they are as a group and the division remains very tight.”

Hull were full of confidence early on despite having seen their nine-match unbeaten run come to an end at Barnsley on Tuesday.

Dele Adebola’s deflected shot dropped just wide, and after Robert Koren tested Green from distance, Matty Fryatt came desperately close when he exchanged passes with Koren before seeing his shot smothered by Green.

However, the introduction of Cole as a substitute at the start of the second half inspired West Ham.

The visitors snatched the lead when Mark Noble’s corner was flicked on by Cole and Baldock volleyed home from point-blank range. Then Cole slipped the ball through for Collison to beat Peter Gulacsi with a fine right-footed finish.

As Hull pushed forward, Jack Hobbs, Aaron Mclean, Fryatt and Paul McKenna all brought fine saves from Green.

“The difference between us and Hull was that we were clinical at one end and our goalkeeper produced excellent saves at the other end,” said Hammers manager Sam Allardyce.

Hull City: Gulacsi, Rosenior, Chester, Hobbs, Dudgeon, Evans, McKenna, Koren, Fryatt, Adebola (Brady 61), Mclean. Unused substitutes: Basso, Cairney, McShane, Harper.

West Ham United: Green, Faubert, Tomkins, Faye, McCartney, Noble, Collison, Nolan, Diop (Sears 83), Baldock (Piquionne 87), Carew (Cole 46). Unused substitutes: Kurucz, Potts.

Referee: N Miller (Durham).

Man of the match: Robert Green.