Town’s struggles against League One’s better sides continued as Hull City left Portman Road with a comfortable 3-0 victory. Mallik Wilks put the visitors ahead in the second minute, Josh Magennis made it two in first-half injury time and sub Tom Eaves made it three with 13 minutes left with the Blues, who are down to fifth in the table, never looking like they would get anything from the game.
Town boss Paul Lambert made four changes from the team which beat Shrewsbury 2-1 on Saturday with Luke Woolfenden, James Norwood, Keanan Bennetts and Emyr Huws all starting.
Woolfenden came in at the heart of the defence for Toto Nsiala, who dropped to the bench, while Huws was in central midfield with Teddy Bishop (ankle) and Jon Nolan (groin) both having picked up knocks on Saturday.
Alan Judge moved into the midfield three having been on the right of the front three against the Shrews. Brett McGavin continued in place of Andre Dozzell, who was serving the last game of his three-match ban.
Norwood was the lone central striker with Kayden Jackson among the subs, while Bennetts was handed his first league start for the Blues on the right of the front three with Freddie Sears continuing on the left.
Aaron Drinan returned to the bench for the first time since suffering a thigh injury in the opening league game against Wigan, while Oli Hawkins was also back in the 18 having missed out at the weekend due to knee and groin issues.
Hull City included ex-Blues right-back Josh Emmanuel and former Town loanee Callum Elder in their XI.
The Tigers made one change from the team which beat the MK Dons 3-1 on Saturday with Regan Slater coming in for Alfie Jones in central midfield.
After the teams took the knee in support of Black Lives Matter, the visitors took the lead with their first attack of the game in only the second minute.
Emmanuel fed George Honeyman to his left, who in turn played it on to Wilks, who was given time to hit a low shot past Tomas Holy to his left from just inside the area.
The Blues withstood a couple of promising Hull attacks in the immediate aftermath of the early goal before starting to dominate the ball, although without threatening.
On 23 Bennetts tricked his way into the box on the right of the box before hitting a shot which Jacob Greaves diverted out for a corner.
Town were beginning to look more dangerous with McGavin twice finding Ward with excellent passes, however, the Irishman’s crosses came to nothing. In the 25th minute the left-back took a dip at goal from a tight angle but the ball flew across the face.
Two minutes later, Norwood latched on to a ball over the top down the right and hit a shot which failed to trouble Matt Ingram in the Hull goal.
Town were forced into a change in the 32nd minute when Sears picked up what looked to be a hamstring problem. Lankester took over on the right of the front three with Bennetts moving to the left.
The Blues continued to see most of the ball but with Ingram untested. There was a scramble in the Tigers area following a Lankester corner on 38 but with no one able to get a clear sight of goal and eventually Bennetts dallied on the edge of the box and the danger was gone.
Almost immediately Wilks went to ground at the other end in a hopeful attempt to win a penalty before Hakeeb Adelakun’s weak shot was saved by Holy.
Chambers headed a Ward cross from the left to Ingram in the 44th minute and then Norwood was unable to get on a ball from deep from the Irishman at the far post.
The Blues were on top but were still to carve out a clear cut opportunity or significantly test Ingram.
And as the half moved into three minutes of injury time, the Tigers doubled their lead.
Reece Burke crossed from the right and an unmarked Josh Magennis beat Holy from eight yards with the Town players adamant the Northern Irish international was offside, however, the officials were unmoved by their protests.
Moments before the whistle, Chambers claimed a penalty when he was manhandled as a corner came over from the left but a spot-kick would have been a very generous award.
The skipper and his men trooped off after a half in which they had had plenty of the ball but as so often had been unable to turn possession into serious chances and goals.
At the other end, the Tigers had taken their two big opportunities clinically but with big questions over Town’s defending, and in the case of the second whether a linesman’s flag should have been raised.
The Blues had a mountain to climb in the second half if they were to maintain their 100 per cent home league record.
They started the period positively and on 49 Norwood flicked a McGavin cross following a corner towards goal but the ball was blocked by a defender.
The Blues continued to press and to try to find a way through the Hull backline but whatever they attempted they found an amber and black shirt in their way.
Hull should have made it 3-0 in the 62nd minute when Emmanuel, impressing down the right against his old side, crossed and Magennis, again completely unmarked, volleyed over when it looked easier to hit the target.
As Holy prepared to restart, the Tigers swapped Adelakun and Slater for James Scott and Jones.
Wilks had another chance for his side’s third when Bennetts gifted possession to the former Barnsley attacker in the Hull half on the Town right. Wilks broke away beyond Woolfenden, who made a desperate lunge to stop him on the edge of the box, but fortunately for the Blues Holy saved his shot from a tight angle.
Hull switched Magennis for Eaves in the 71st minute with the Tigers comfortably seeing out the second half.
Town had continued to huff and puff but with Ingram still untested. In the 72nd minute, Ward crossed from the left and Bennetts flicked a header wide.
A minute later, Ingram was forced into a save when Norwood was sent away down the left. The striker was on his own so hit a shot from a tight angle which the keeper turned behind.
Town replaced Norwood and Bennetts with Hawkins and Jackson as they prepared to take the resultant corner, which like so many of their set pieces came to nothing.
Any lingering hopes the Blues had of a shock turnaround were extinguished in the 77th minute when Eaves was sent away on goal after a wayward Lankester pass with Mark McGuinness playing him onside. The striker beat his former Gillingham team-mate Holy with confidence to make it 3-0.
Town continued to look for a goal in the remaining minutes but without ever going close and the referee’s whistle confirmed the visitors’ victory and an end to Town’s home league unbeaten run.
A Hull win never really looked in doubt from the moment they took the lead in the second minute. Town had plenty of the ball but never had the guile to find a way through the Tigers, who could well have won more convincingly with Magennis missing a chance as good as the three they scored.
If Hull as leaders are the benchmark for a team aspiring to automatic promotion, on this evidence the Blues, who are still without a win this season against anyone in League One’s top eight, look a long way short of that standard.
Had their been a crowd present, they would undoubtedly made their thoughts known at half-time and after the final whistle.
Town will have another go at beating one of the division’s top sides on Saturday when Charlton, who are down to sixth after a 4-2 defeat at Burton this evening, are in Suffolk.
Town: Holy, Chambers (c), Woolfenden, Nsiala, Ward, McGavin, Huws, Judge, Bennetts (Jackson 74), Sears (Lankester 32), Norwood (Hawkins 74). Unused: Cornell, Nsiala, Kenlock, Drinan.
Hull City: Ingram, Elder, Burke, Smallwood (c), Wilks (Coyle 83), Honeyman (Samuelsen 82), Emmanuel, Adelakun (Scott 63), Slater (Jones 63), Greaves, Magennis (Eaves 71). Unused: Long, Batty. Referee: Lee Swabey (Devon).