Video: Manchester United 4 Hull City 0: Brown lavishes praise on four-goal Rooney

Eight games without a win in the Premier League, the Tigers will be heading for serious trouble if they take nothing from back-to-back home games against Wolverhampton Wanderers, Chelsea and Manchester City during an important eight-day period.

The Wolves game, above all, is a relegation 'six-pointer' and far more defining in terms of the overall campaign than a highly predictable setback against the top team in the country.

Click here to watch video highlights from Hull City's trip to Old Trafford >>

Heads may have been down among the Hull players as they trudged back to the team bus on Saturday night but this performance was nowhere near as bad as the score suggested.

For with eight minutes to go, Hull were still pushing for an equaliser and the champions, who had looked nervy on an afternoon when home supporters protested against the club's American owners, were the ones counting down to the final whistle.

"I don't think anyone really gave us a chance of getting anything against Tottenham last week (where Hull picked up a point) and certainly not against Manchester United – so we are a point ahead," said manager Brown.

"We now have a full week of preparation ahead of a game against a team that we are capable of beating. We will be judged on the next three games at the KC Stadium, starting with Wolves.

"Those are three games in front of our home fans who are proving to be a 12th man at the moment. We have to make sure the KC Stadium becomes a fortress and we have to get something from every game."

United took an early lead when Hull goalkeeper Boaz Myhill pushed a 25-yard drive from Paul Scholes straight into the path of Rooney.

After his heroics the previous week at White Hart Lane, it was an avoidable mistake by Myhill who should have been able to touch the ball away from danger or out for a corner.

Rooney poked home the rebound and Hull subsequently spent the majority of the first half under pressure.

Brown had opted to pack midfield in a bid to stifle United's attacking threat and Craig Fagan was employed as a lone striker with George Boateng sitting in front of the back four.

Given little time on the ball, Hull fought a constant battle to clear their lines. Boateng's clumsy challenge on Ji-Sung Park offered Rooney another opportunity but his deft free-kick curled marginally wide of the post.

Nick Barmby spurned the Tigers' best goalscoring chance before the break when he latched onto a back header from Jonny Evans. Barmby's angled drive struck the legs of United goalkeeper Edwin Van der Sar.

A freak injury to a linesman briefly stopped proceedings at the start of the second half; the official sent crashing to the floor by Fagan, who had been pushed in the back by Evans. No serious harm was done.

United manager Sir Alex Ferguson had appealed for unity from home supporters before the game but his words fell on deaf ears.

Chants of "We want Glazier out!" and "Love United, Hate Glazier" echoed around the stadium at regular intervals and possibly unsettled the team.

Sensing a way back into the contest, Brown sent on winger Bernard Mendy and pushed Richard Garcia into attack alongside Fagan.

United's superiority had become far less apparent by the hour mark and Hull caused a scare when both Anthony Gardner and Kamil Zayatte narrowly failed to get a touch on a corner which could have brought an equalising goal.

Park then fluffed his lines when presented with a decent chance on 67 minutes – another sign of United's growing edginess – before Michael Owen escaped the attentions of Gardner and glanced a header wide.

Hull's support could sense the unease at Old Trafford and were doing their best to lift the team.

They were nearly rewarded on 75 minutes when Kamel Ghilas, just on for Garcia, pulled down Paul McShane's cross and rolled the ball between a forest of legs. For a split second, it looked to be heading for goal with van der Sar beaten. However, there were sighs of relief from the home fans as it just trickled wide.

It was to be the one and only serious threat to United's lead as, with eight minutes to play, Rooney scored again.

Once again, Myhill inadvertently had a helping hand. The goalkeeper failed to hold Nani's free-kick and the ball slipped onto the bar. In the scramble to collect the loose ball, Myhill knocked over Andy Dawson and chaos ensued. Rooney, who had initially stopped the ball going out of play, finished in emphatic style.

Just three minutes later, Rooney arrived unmarked in the area to meet Nani's cross and complete his hat-trick.

In stoppage time, he added a fourth – a bit like kicking a team when they are down – but Hull are certainly not out for the count.

Manchester United: Van der Sar; R Da Silva, Ferdinand, Evans, Evra; Nani (F Da Silva 88), Fletcher, Scholes (Gibson 72), Ji-Sung Park; Owen (Berbatov 72), Rooney. Unused substitutes: Brown, Carrick, Valencia, Kuszczak.

Hull City: Myhill; McShane, Zayatte, Gardner, Dawson; Boateng; Garcia (Ghilas 70), Geovanni (Kilbane 74), Barmby (Mendy 58), Hunt; Fagan. Unused substitutes: Duke, Mouyokolo, Vennegoor of Hesselink, Cairney.

Referee: S Bennett (Kent).

MATCH FOCUS

Hero: Wayne Rooney

The Manchester United striker scored all four goals to highlight his superstar quality and the reason why he will be so important to England in next summer's World Cup in South Africa.

Villain: Boaz Myhill

Not quite 'hero to zero' but the Hull goalkeeper – so impressive in the previous week's goalless draw at Tottenham – was at fault for two of United's goals.

Key moment

75th-minute: With the score just 1-0 to United, Hull substitute Kamel Ghilas rolls a close range shot inches wide.

Ref watch

Steve Bennett: Hull criticised decision to play on after Andy Dawson fell injured during the build-up to United's second.

Verdict

No real surprise that Hull should lose to a team at the top of the Premier League but the scoreline was not a true reflection of the overall game.

Next game

Hull City v Wolverhampton Wanderers, Saturday, Premier League.

Quote of the day

It was a clear collision but away teams tend not to get decisions like that here. As a smaller club you have to live with things like that.

– Anthony Gardner on why play was not stopped for Dawson's injury prior to United's second.

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