Hull City Vs Derby County: Egan and Koumas late goals lift Tigers to 4-2 win

In the hull city vs derby county match at the MKM Stadium, Hull recovered to beat Derby 4-2, ending a three-game winless run and keeping their season hopes alive. The victory featured a frantic four-goal first half, John Egan's first goal since September and a late strike from Lewis Koumas that sealed three points.

Hull City Vs Derby County: scoreline, late winners and what changed

Hull's 4-2 win was decided by late interventions: John Egan scored his first goal since September to put Hull back in front, finishing off what was described as a well-worked passing move, and Lewis Koumas sealed the victory shortly after coming on as a substitute (exact timing unclear in the provided context). The result ended Hull's three-game winless run, helped the Tigers leapfrog Millwall into fourth, and kept Hull six points behind Middlesbrough in the race for the top two.

Four-goal first half: Elder own goal, McBurnie strike, Forsyth and Szmodics replies

The match produced four first-half goals. Hull took the lead when Amir Hadziahmetovic's swinging corner rebounded off Callum Elder and into the net, an opener created in part by Ryan Giles' overlap and an attempted near-post delivery that involved Liam Millar and Josh Vickers. Craig Forsyth levelled seven minutes later with a cool side-footed finish after Ivor Pandur could only paw the ball into his path, and Oli McBurnie restored Hull's lead with a brilliant finish inside the box — his 13th goal of the campaign. Sammie Szmodics then levelled again three minutes before half-time following a move that began from a deep corner he recovered and a pass to Lewis Travis.

Key second-half moments: Egan's spin, Koumas' strike and injury concerns

The game remained in the balance until late in the second half. John Egan produced a fine spin and shot to make it 3-2 with around 15 minutes to go, and Lewis Koumas came off the bench to hammer in Hull's fourth to end the contest. Hull also lost Ryan Giles to what looked like a recurrence of a hamstring injury; the manager confirmed Giles will be assessed after limping off. Callum Elder was substituted at half-time following defensive errors that contributed to Derby's opportunities, including a cross-field pass that was cut out by Joe Gelhardt.

Derby reaction: chances, form and disciplinary notes

Derby pushed Hull hard: Patrick Agyemang, the USA international, was a constant threat down the right, producing a weaving run that ended with a shot over the bar and providing the cross that allowed Sammie Szmodics to level. Derby have now lost three of their last four matches and sit six points adrift of the play-off places. Manager John Eustace said he was disappointed with the defeat and that his side created "unbelievable chances" and on another night "could have scored five or six. "

Referee decisions and managers' responses

Hull manager Sergej Jakirovic praised his players for a strong team effort, saying: "A great victory for us. The lads fought as one, it was a great team effort. " He added that the side had been pragmatic because of the pitch and that they had been "very aggressive, on the front foot. " Jakirovic was vocal about the officiating, unhappy with referee Adam Herczeg's handling of the match after an early booking for Patrick Agyemang and saying that Derby's first goal from Craig Forsyth was offside: "Every time we concede it's a poor goal, but it's offside. " Jakirovic also said he did not care about the impression of the performance and that "I only care about taking the three points. "

Standings impact and weekend context

The win had immediate consequences in the table and form lines. Hull consolidated their place in the play-offs and moved above Millwall into fourth, while the victory left them six points behind Middlesbrough in the top two. Hull had been dented by a shock 3-1 loss to QPR at the weekend, and Derby had been beaten by fellow play-off rivals Watford over the same period, making this fixture important for both sides' promotion ambitions.

Match details referenced: MKM Stadium; scorers Callum Elder (own goal), Oli McBurnie, Craig Forsyth, Sammie Szmodics, John Egan and Lewis Koumas; managers Sergej Jakirovic and John Eustace; referee Adam Herczeg; players Ryan Giles, Liam Millar, Josh Vickers, Amir Hadziahmetovic, Ivor Pandur, Lewis Travis, Joe Gelhardt and Patrick Agyemang.