Hull ended Cardiff's unbeaten start to the Sky Bet Championship season as the Tigers secured a 2-0 win at the Cardiff City Stadium.
One minutes applause for 5 year old Joe Smith who tragically lost his life on the weekend in Cardiff. pic.twitter.com/Q9lr40MGjb
— Cardiff City Mad (@cardiffcitymad) September 15, 2015
Mohamed Diame, making just his sixth appearance since December, grabbed the opener in the eighth minute, firing home when the Cardiff defence failed to deal with Sone Aluko's cross.
Abel Hernandez then sealed the win with 10 minutes to go, controlling Diame's lovely pass to fire low into the net to give the visitors their first away win of the campaign and move them above their hosts in the table.
Cardiff had chances to level through Kenwyne Jones and Kagisho Dikgacoi, but were left frustrated as they had a trio of penalty appeals turned down.
Cardiff were unchanged from their weekend win against Huddersfield, but there were four changes for the visiting Tigers as Steve Bruce restored Tom Huddlestone, Andrew Robertson, Aluko and Alex Bruce to his starting XI.
The Bluebirds, who had lost just two of their previous 16 league games, started brightly and nearly took a fifth-minute lead.
Joe Mason found Dikgacoi's run but the striker could not turn in the South African's lobbed cross at the far post as Allan McGregor scrambled to cover.
Instead it was the visitors who took the lead in the eighth minute
Aluko easily turned away from Sean Morrison and, when the forward's cross was only half-cleared, Diame followed up to smash home from 12 yards.It was a sweet moment for the Senegal international who has been plagued by knee problems since the end of last year.
The goal stymied Cardiff's early momentum but they began to find their feet, with Jones looking purposeful as the powerful striker ran on to Matt Connolly's pass to fire straight at McGregor.
The chance sparked a period of Cardiff pressure and the home side felt they had two strong penalty appeals turned away inside five minutes.
On the half-hour Joe Mason went to ground as Tom Huddlestone appeared to grab his shirt as the striker controlled Anthony Pilkington's pass and, in the 35th minute, Aluko raised his foot high as he cleared under pressure from Joe Ralls in his own area.
The latter decision in particular infuriated Cardiff, with Bluebirds players surrounding referee Chris Sarginson and Fabio being booked for protesting.Cardiff continued to press after the break
Dikgacoi headed Peter Whittingham's corner over the bar before Michael Dawson survived a penalty appeal for handball as he charged out to block a Ralls shot.
While Cardiff pushed on they remained vulnerable to the probing of the excellent Aluko, and they were picked off when the forward broke and Diame played in Hernandez to secure the three points.
Cardiff: Marshall; Peltier, Morrison, Connolly, Fabio; Pilkington, Whittingham, Dikgacoi, Ralls; Mason, Jones
SUBS: Bruno Manga (for Connolly 46), Sammy Ameobi (for Pilkington 63), Craig Noone (for Ralls 78)
Not Used: Moore(gk), Malone, Gunnarsson, Revell.
YELLOW CARDS -
Cardiff: Fabio 35, Pilkington 42, Peltier 90+4
Hull: Robertson, McGregor 90, Meyler 90+2
Referee: Chris Sarginson
Attendance: 13,763
Hull: McGregor; Davies, Dawson(Capt), Bruce; Odubajo, Clucas, Huddlestone, Robertson(Elmohamady 69); Diame; Aluko(Meyler 84), Hernandez(Akpom 81).
Subs Not Used: Jakuoovic, Taylor, Hayden, Luer.