Match ends, Hull City 2, Nottingham Forest 3.
Hull City 2-3 Nottingham Forest
- From the section Football
Kieran Dowell's superb hat-trick gave Nottingham Forest victory over Hull, in a game punctuated by protests from the Tigers fans against the club's owners.
Shortly after the match had been interrupted by Hull supporters throwing tennis balls onto the pitch, Dowell's 20-yard strike put Forest in front.
The 20-year-old brilliantly steered in his second after half-time, only for Jarrod Bowen's curler to make it 2-1.
Dowell scored his third from the spot, before Michael Hector's consolation.
Hector's 88th-minute effort rounded off a frantic final 20 minutes, during which both teams scored twice and Dowell completed a first hat-trick in senior football.
The Everton loanee's first two goals - a powerful shot from distance and a smart half-volley into the bottom corner - set the platform for Forest's victory, before his penalty after Tyler Walker had been fouled made the game safe.
The Tigers, whose supporters also held a protest march prior to kick-off, had been in the ascendency before the game had to be temporarily halted on 20 minutes because dozens of tennis balls had been thrown onto the pitch.
After that the home team lost their momentum, and could have fallen further behind had Ben Osborn's shot not hit the crossbar and if Jason Cummings had been more clinical when well placed.
Mark Warburton's side move up to 11th in the Championship table, ending 17th-placed Hull's three-game unbeaten sequence.
Hull City manager Leonid Slutsky told BBC Humberside:
"We controlled the second ball zone. We played really right. We had a lot of chances and we missed them.
"If we had equalised when the score was 1-0, it would have been much more easy for us. We tried to come back from 2-0 and 3-1 down.
"I don't have a problem with the players' character and team spirit but we made some mistakes.
(On fans' protest): "A lot of moments were before me and I don't know the situation. It is very difficult to speak about."
Nottingham Forest manager Mark Warburton:
"I thought we were good, thought we were very good and it was a deserved victory. Hull have a number of talented individuals and good players but I thought we created chances and defended the goal with real passion.
On Dowell, who won the Under-20 World Cup with England last summer, he added: "I thought he played very well. All young players have good days and bad days at the office, it's how they deal with mistakes.
Kieran made mistakes at the start of the season but the beauty of Kieran Dowell is that he learns from them. He works hard everyday, I'm delighted for him but he knows there is a lot of work ahead."
Line-ups
Hull
- 1McGregor
- 34Aina
- 21DawsonBooked at 68mins
- 5Hector
- 24ClarkBooked at 74mins
- 8Meyler
- 16LarssonBooked at 61mins
- 20Bowen
- 22HenriksenSubstituted forToralat 45'minutesSubstituted forDickoat 54'minutes
- 7GrosickiSubstituted forIrvineat 45'minutesBooked at 64mins
- 25Campbell
Substitutes
- 4Irvine
- 9Dicko
- 11Toral
- 12Marshall
- 14Diomande
- 29Tomori
- 35Stewart
Nottm Forest
- 43Smith
- 27Darikwa
- 42Worrall
- 4Mancienne
- 2Lichaj
- 7Bridcutt
- 24VaughanBooked at 24minsSubstituted forBouchalakisat 70'minutes
- 10McKaySubstituted forWardat 80'minutesBooked at 86mins
- 20Dowell
- 11Osborn
- 35CummingsSubstituted forWalkerat 70'minutesBooked at 90mins
Substitutes
- 5Mills
- 16Clough
- 17Brereton
- 19Ward
- 30Henderson
- 31Bouchalakis
- 34Walker
- Referee:
- Jeremy Simpson
- Attendance:
- 15,780
Match Stats
- Possession
- Home44%
- Away56%
- Shots
- Home18
- Away11
- Shots on Target
- Home6
- Away5
- Corners
- Home4
- Away4
- Fouls
- Home16
- Away16
Live Text
Full Time
Second Half ends, Hull City 2, Nottingham Forest 3.
Joe Worrall (Nottingham Forest) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Nouha Dicko (Hull City).
Foul by Ben Osborn (Nottingham Forest).
Sebastian Larsson (Hull City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt missed. Jackson Irvine (Hull City) header from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by David Meyler with a cross following a set piece situation.
Foul by Liam Bridcutt (Nottingham Forest).
Jarrod Bowen (Hull City) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Liam Bridcutt (Nottingham Forest) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Michael Hector (Hull City).
Jamie Ward (Nottingham Forest) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Jarrod Bowen (Hull City).
Attempt missed. Nouha Dicko (Hull City) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right following a set piece situation.
Booking
Tyler Walker (Nottingham Forest) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Tyler Walker (Nottingham Forest).
Michael Dawson (Hull City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt missed. Tyler Walker (Nottingham Forest) header from the centre of the box is just a bit too high.
Attempt saved. Kieran Dowell (Nottingham Forest) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Jamie Ward.
Goal!
Goal! Hull City 2, Nottingham Forest 3. Michael Hector (Hull City) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner.
Attempt blocked. Nouha Dicko (Hull City) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Fraizer Campbell.
Attempt blocked. Fraizer Campbell (Hull City) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Michael Hector with a headed pass.
Attempt blocked. Nouha Dicko (Hull City) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Ola Aina.
Foul by Jamie Ward (Nottingham Forest).
David Meyler (Hull City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Offside, Nottingham Forest. Tendayi Darikwa tries a through ball, but Kieran Dowell is caught offside.
Booking
Jamie Ward (Nottingham Forest) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Jamie Ward (Nottingham Forest).
Ola Aina (Hull City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Delay in match Jamie Ward (Nottingham Forest) because of an injury.
Foul by Jamie Ward (Nottingham Forest).
Fraizer Campbell (Hull City) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Goal!
Goal! Hull City 1, Nottingham Forest 3. Kieran Dowell (Nottingham Forest) converts the penalty with a left footed shot to the bottom right corner.
Penalty Nottingham Forest. Tyler Walker draws a foul in the penalty area.
Penalty conceded by David Meyler (Hull City) after a foul in the penalty area.
Corner, Nottingham Forest. Conceded by Michael Dawson.
Attempt blocked. Jamie Ward (Nottingham Forest) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Kieran Dowell.
Substitution
Substitution, Nottingham Forest. Jamie Ward replaces Barrie McKay.
Foul by Eric Lichaj (Nottingham Forest).