Kieran McKenna became the fastest Town manager to 100 wins as Azor Matusiwa’s first goal for the club saw the Blues to a 1-0 home victory over Hull City at Portman Road. Matusiwa slammed into the net from just outside the area in the 71st minute to secure McKenna’s century of victories in his 210th game, two quicker than Sir Alf Ramsey.

Town made five changes from the team which comfortably swept Swansea City aside 3-0 on Saturday.

Ex-Tiger Jacob Greaves returned at left-back, Jack Taylor came into central midfield, Sindre Walle Egeli was wide on the right right, Jack Clarke at wide left and George Hirst the number nine. Leif Davis, Dan Neil, Wes Burns, Anis Mehmeti and Ivan Azon all dropped to the bench.

Hull City made four changes from the team which won 1-0 at Portsmouth on Saturday with Paddy McNair, Cody Drameh, Liam Millar and one-time Town target Matt Crooks coming into the side.

Akin Famewo, Amir Hadziahmetovic, Kyle Joseph and 14-goal top scorer Ollie McBurnie switched to substitutes roles. Nigerian international defender Semi Ajayi, who once had a trial with Town, returned to the 20-man squad after injury.

Town started positively and in the second minute Hirst thought he’d battled his way through on goal on the right of the box, only for referee Lewis Smith to call him back for a foul on John Egan, a player the Blues showed interest in during the January transfer window.

In the 10th minute, skipper Dara O’Shea snuffed out the first Hull attack of the evening and brought the ball forward before feeding Marcelino Nunez, who moved it on to Walle Egeli, who cut inside and struck a shot which deflected for a corner. Following the flag-kick, Nunez blazed high and wide.

Town continued to have the better of it but with the odd sloppy moment and few chances until Taylor turned just outside the area and hit a low effort just wide of Tigers keeper Ivor Pandur’s right post.

On 20, Liam Millar found space not too far outside the Town box but shot over into the Blues fans in the Sir Bobby Robson Stand.

Hull began to see more of the ball and as the game moved towards the half-hour mark, Millar was found in space on the left before hitting a shot against Furlong. The ball came out to Crooks, whose strike was blocked by Greaves.

Town forced Pandur into his first save of the evening in the 31st minute. Taylor’s tenacity won it on the left and the midfielder crossed low to Hirst, who turned it first-time towards goal at the near post but the Croatian keeper was equal to it.

Five minutes later, Tigers captain Lewie Coyle was shown the game’s first yellow card for bringing down Walle Egeli.

Nunez whipped over a free-kick from the left in the 37th minute that Pandur punched away. The ball was returned and, after Greaves had battled in the air, almost dropped for Hirst but ran too close to Pandur, who claimed.

Two minutes later, Tigers manager Sergej Jakirovic appeared to be the member of Tigers coaching staff shown a yellow card for complaining that Walle Egeli hadn’t been booked for a foul on Coyle.

The visitors’ skipper was treated at length on the pitch, much to the annoyance of Town supporters already frustrated by Hull players wasting time, keeper Pandur in particular, taking his time over restarts. Coyle was eventually forced to make way, Famewo taking over at left wing-back.

Famewo fouled Walle Egeli just before the whistle but escaped a booking and Hull successfully defended the free-kick.

Town had been the side in control throughout, as the possession stat of 72.4 per cent illustrates, but without creating anything significant aside from Hirst’s close-range effort and while also being sloppy in possession at times.

Hull, who had been largely content to sit back and frustrate the Blues, had looked potentially threatening on the break but had failed to make the most of a number of situations with Millar particularly guilty of wasting opportunities.

The Tigers made a change at the break, top scorer McBurnie taking over from Joe Gelhardt with the former Sheffield United man going to his usual number nine role and Lewis Koumas switching to wide right.

Four minutes after the restart, the Sir Bobby Robson Stand called for a penalty after Nunez tripped over as he chased the ball down the middle with Egan battling. Referee Smith correctly waved away the protests.

Clarke brought the ball down the middle but was stopped on the edge of the box, much to the frustration of the home support, then on 50 Nunez shot over from just outside the area.

After the game had been briefly stopped after the ball hit a drone, an incident which the police are investigating, Taylor saw an effort blocked on 54 after good work from Greaves on the left, then two minutes later O’Shea chested the ball down on halfway and brought it forward before shooting straight at Pandur from 25 yards.

In the 56th minute, the Tigers counter-attacked and Millar brought the ball in from the left before shooting over.

Town made their first changes ahead of the restart, Burns and Davis, making his 150th league appearance for the Blues, replacing Greaves and Walle Sindre.

As the game moved towards the hour, Nunez curled a free-kick from the left into Pandur’s arms after Clarke had been fouled by Drameh.

On 62, a corner on the left was cleared and Nunez sent it back in from the right for Hirst, whose header was too close to Pandur.

A minute later, Crooks was yellow-carded for an ugly challenge on Burns, Nunez curling the free-kick over the bar. Pandur took his time over the goal-kick once again and was booked by referee Smith.

Hull swapped Crooks and Millar for John Lundstram and Joseph in the 66th minute, before the Blues switched Taylor for Mehmeti, the Albanian going to number 10 and Nunez to central midfield.

Nunez shot from a tight angle on the left after being played in cleverly by Clarke, then on 70 Egan was booked for a foul on Hirst.

Town had been knocking on the door more and more as the half progressed and in the 71st they finally got their reward.

Mehmeti dribbled into the area on the left without finding space, the ball deflecting back to Davis just inside the box, who teed-up Matusiwa and the Dutchman smashed his first goal for the Blues into the roof of the net to send Portman Road wild.

Hull swapped Egan for Amir Hadziahmtovic ahead of the restart and in the 74th minute Town were left scratching their heads about how they hadn’t managed to score again.

Hirst played in Burns on the right of the box and the Welshman sent a low ball to the far post for Clarke. Pandur somehow stopped the first and Clarke’s second effort hit the woodwork and cannoned away.

Azon and Neil took over from Hirst, who had had his best game from the start for some time, and Nunez, who again had been lively but will feel he ought to have made more of his numerous set-piece opportunities.

The Spanish striker found himself in on goal within seconds of coming on but Pandur was off his line quickly to clear.

In the 82nd minute, with Town looking a little nervy, Kipre was booked for hauling back McBurnie just outside the area on the right having lost possession to the Scotland international.

The Blues defended the free-kick and got themselves out of their final third but lost the ball again, a tendency which was frustrating the home crowd.

As the game moved into the first of five additional minutes, Town broke in numbers but Clarke’s poor pass to Burns was cut out with the Wales international in any case offside.

Walton was booked for time-wasting deep in injury time, then seconds before the end Tigers keeper Pandur went up for a corner which the Blues repelled.

A huge roar erupted at the final whistle, Town having seen out another home win, perhaps one of the biggest of the season against a side which was behind them on goal difference alone going into the match and having won their last five on the road.

There’s little doubt the Blues deserved the three points having been in charge up until the closing stages when the showed a few nerves as the Tigers looked to get back in the game.

Town really should have been further in front by that stage with Clarke’s miss quite remarkable.

But there was no more fitting a winning goalscorer than Matusiwa, who has got better and better as the season has progressed and who must be the favourite for the Player of the Year award.

McKenna’s 100th win came in 210 games, Ramsey having hit that mark in 212, with four others also having reached their centuries with the Blues, George Burley (230), Scott Duncan (241), Mick McCarthy (258) and Sir Bobby Robson (271).

The clean sheet was Town’s third in a row, the first time they’ve managed that since August 2023, with Hull having failed to register a single shot on target. Walton has now kept 12 clean sheets in 24 Championship starts this season.

The result sees the Blues move back up to third, three points behind Middlesbrough with a game in hand on the Teessiders, who are still to visit Portman Road this season, and eight off leaders Coventry, again having played a match fewer. Town are at home again on Saturday when Leicester City visit.

Town: Walton, Furlong, O’Shea (c), Kipre, Greaves (Davis 57), Matusiwa, Taylor, Walle Egeli (Burns 57), Nunez (Neil 78), Clarke, Hirst (Azon 78). Unused: Palmer, Cajuste, McAteer, Akpom.

Hull City: Pandur, Coyle (c) (Famewo 42), Hughes, Egan (Hadziahmtovic 73), McNair, Drameh, Slater, Crooks (Lundstram 66), Gelhardt (McBurnie 46), Millar (Joseph 66), Koumas. Subs: Phillips, Ajayi, Dowell, McCarthy. Referee: Lewis Smith (Lancashire). Att: 26,103.

Photo: Action Images via Reuters