Super sub Garry O'Connor's clinical header with 15 minutes to go grabbed Blues a thoroughly deserved win at the KC Stadium.

The visitors looked organised and resolute from the off and what will have pleased Alex McLeish just as much is how many chances his side created too.

Home keeper Boaz Myhill won't have many busier days - he was forced into save after save - and no-one connected with Hull could argue with the end result and what is a great away Premier League victory for Blues.

Ecuadorian striker Christian Benitez made his first league start for Blues and there were other changes too as injuries forced manager McLeish to shuffle his pack.

Chucho led the line with midfielder Lee Bowyer playing just in behind him. Garry O'Connor took a place on the bench.

Centre-half Scott Dann had recovered from a thigh injury, picked up at Dagenham in pre-season, and came into the side for his full debut.

Right-back Stephen Carr returned to the side following a thigh strain and with James McFadden (thigh) and Seb Larsson also injured there was a place in the starting line-up for Gary McSheffrey.

Seventeen-year-old midfielder Ashley Sammons, awarded squad number 29 just a day before the game, took a place on the bench.

Hull's dangerman Geovanni started for the hosts and there was a full debut up front for recent free transfer Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink, formerly of Celtic.

The game got underway and before there'd not even been a chance to write home about referee Phil Dowd decided to brandish a yellow card - in the direction of Blues defender Carr on four minutes for an innocuous looking foul on Stephen Hunt on the right-hand touchline.

The visitors cleared the resulting free-kick after a bit of a scramble but a minute later Hunt was involved again, bursting down the left and unleashing a fierce angled drive from 30 yards that was parried and then held at the second attempt by Joe Hart.

With 11 minutes on the clock it was very nearly Chucho time - the striker receiving a threaded Teemu Tainio pass on the edge of the box, twisting past his man and arrowing a low shot goalwards that looked destined for the back of the net. But the outstretched arm of Boaz Myhill,diving to his left, prevented the diminutive frontman from scoring his first Blues goal.

McLeish's men were piling on the pressure and three minutes later it was Bowyer who came mightily close to breaking the deadlock. Hull failed to clear their lines properly from a free-kick and giant defender Roger Johnson laid a pass back to Bowyer on the edge of the area. The midfielder took a touch and curled a superb effort in the direction of the top corner but Myhill, once again at full stretch, tipped the ball over the bar.

McSheffrey tried his luck from range with a 30-yard left-footer that flew just past Myhill's left-hand post and was involved again seconds later when his rasping drive flew into the midriff of Kamil Zayatte.

By this stage Blues were camped in the Hull half, putting Brown's team under extreme pressure and the home fans were starting to get a tad restless.

On 27 Stuart Parnaby once again showed his reliability with a great piece of defending. Hull broke down the left in the form of a Seyi Olofinjana charge and he squared the ball back to Josy Altidore, who was on the penalty spot with the goal at his mercy. As the home striker prepared to pull the trigger he must have felt he was a certainty to score but in came Parnaby with a wonderfully timed sliding tackle to block the danger.

Geovanni then upped his game and started to become more involved, first in the form of a daisycutter that flew a few yards past Hart's right-hand post and then with a lovely cross that whipped across the face of the area and was well cleared by Johnson before Altidore could pounce.

On 34 Chucho left the field of play to receive treatment on a head injury sustained in an aerial challenge with Zayatte and Blues were forced to play with ten men for a few minutes before the Ecuadorian returned to the fray sporting a bandage.

With seven minutes to go until half-time Hart got himself in a flap from a Sonko throw-in and punched the ball straight at team-mate Tainio. It looked a hairy moment for a second or two but the Finn recovered well and turned the ball behind for a corner before Hull could take full advantage.

Right on the stroke of half-time Chucho was brought into proceedings by an accurate Carr ball down the right and once again he showed phenomenal skill to ghost past two defenders as if they weren't there and bend in a shot from 18 yards that Myhill palmed over the woodwork.

Hull started a bit more brightly after the break and on 48 Altidore crafted space on the edge of the area and swapped the ball onto his left foot but thankfully dragged his shot, without much power, into Hart's arms.

A minute later Ferguson felled Altidore 30 yards out and the set-piece was in prime Hunt territory. However the midfielder's usually trusty left boot let him down and the ball sailed high over the bar.

Blues began to get into their stride and when Parnaby released McSheffrey down the left on 52 things opened up. The latter crossed the ball beautifully in the direction of Fahey, poised at the back post, and the Irishman's looping header come close to going in at the back post but drifted agonisingly wide by just a couple of yards.

A slick Hull move resulted in a low Geovanni shot from 25 yards on 57 minutes but stopper Hart had his eye on the ball all the way and after it skipped across the surface the Blues man clutched onto it well.

At the other end Fahey played Parnaby in on goal and the gallivanting left-back's well struck shot forced a low save out of Myhill. Blues continued to press and after Zayatte had been forced into conceding a corner the visitors came so so close to scoring and would have done had it not been for Myhill's best save so far. McSheffrey swung over the corner from the left, Johnson rose highest to nod it down and Bowyer swivelled to shoot from eight yards. The Blues fans were on their feet, they thought it was in, but Myhill flung himself to his left and tipped the ball away.

On 62 Garry O'Connor came on for McSheffrey, who had made an excellent contribution to the game, and within just two minutes he had forced a corner after linking up well with Chucho and seeing his shot deflect behind.

Then a long Hart ball went all the way through to Chucho and he sprinted beyond the backline and into the box. A first time shot looked to be the best option but the Ecuadorian tried to twist back onto his left boot and the chance was gone.

On 73 Carr could do nothing else but head behind a lofted Paul McShane cross after Hull had manufactured a neat move down the right and then sub Kamel Ghilas saw his piledriver blocked by a brave Fahey challenge.

A minute later Blues broke, and with near fatal effect. Johnson's header down the right was latched onto by Chucho and he broke past the Hull defence and fired in a near post shot that was palmed behind by Myhill.

Chance after chance had been created by Blues and the travelling fans could be forgiven for wondering if a goal would ever come - but they didn't have long to wonder. From the resulting corner, a stunning out-curler by Fahey, sub O'Connor rose highest and thumped an unstoppable header past Myhill from eight yards. It was no less than McLeish's men deserved for their dominance.

Hull didn't give up and pushed on for the equaliser but found themselves constantly hitting a blue brick wall superbly marshalled by captain Carr.

Blues fans were holding their breath when Geovanni got on the end of a Barmby pass and missed the target from only a few yards out. The flag stayed down and had the ball hit the back of the net it would have been controversial as TV replays showed the Brazilian was in fact offside.

An almighty scramble on 89 following a corner from the right led to Sonko hitting the bar with a header but Blues survived the rare scare and picked up a deserved victory.

Blues: Joe Hart, Stephen Carr (C), Roger Johnson, Scott Dann, Stuart Parnaby, Keith Fahey, Barry Ferguson, Teemu Tainio, Gary McSheffrey (Garry O'Connor 62), Lee Bowyer, Chucho. Unused subs: Maik Taylor, Giovanny Espinoza, Kevin Phillips, James O'Shea, Ashley Sammons.

Hull: Boaz Myhill, Andy Dawson, Paul McShane, Jozy Altidore (Kamel Ghilas 64), Geovanni, Stephen Hunt, Dean Marney (Nick Barmby 70), Kamil Zayatte, Ibrahima Sonko (C), Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink (Bernard Mendy 78), Seyi Olofinjana. Unused subs: Tony Warner, Peter Halmosi, Kevin Kilbane, George Boateng.

Referee: Phil Dowd

Goals: O'Connor (75)

Bookings: Carr (4)

Attendance: 23,759