Liam Rosenior highlighted Hull’s “complete professionalism” after his side returned to the Sky Bet Championship top six with a resounding 3-0 win at home to Cardiff.

Aaron Connolly gave the Tigers a deserved 1-0 lead at half-time before Scott Twine and Ozan Tufan blew away the abject visitors after the restart.

Rosenior said: “The performance was probably similar to a lot of games we’ve played this season, but we had a ruthless side to us.

“It was a really pleasing day but we have to maintain this way of playing and in this vein of form.

“The first goal was really important – Aaron was in a perfect position – and then Scott Twine scores a free-kick and Ozan’s goal was beautiful.

“I really enjoyed the way we saw the game out. I wanted a clean sheet and it was complete professionalism.

“I always want more but the way we went 2-0 up in the second half and continued to press was magnificent.”

Hull, who claimed an important win at Middlesbrough in midweek, were excellent from the outset.

They could have been 2-0 up before Connolly scored a back-post tap-in off Liam Delap’s low cross on 32 minutes.

Cardiff manager Erol Bulut, so frustrated by his side’s timid defeat at home to Birmingham in midweek, will have demanded much more after the interval.

But Hull remained on the front foot, and doubled their lead after 56 minutes when Twine scored a perfect, curling free-kick from the edge of the penalty box.

Tufan underscored the hosts’ dominance three minutes later when he expertly controlled Tyler Morton’s reaching long ball before lobbing Jak Alnwick.

Rosenior said: “If you press and you work hard, good things happen. I think what epitomised that was Ozan’s performance.

“There’s a good feeling at the club between the players and the fans. There’s a lot of confidence at the club and I’m really happy with the way things are going.

“We’re a team. We win as a team and we lose as a team. For us to get to where we want to be, it has to be a team mentality and every single player does their job.

“I’m sure there’ll be more setbacks to come but the team are showing me a determination and resilience that I’m really happy with.”

Bulut feels Cardiff, who have lost three of their last four games, are beginning to feel the pressure of expectation.

He said: “We saw the quality difference between the two teams.

“When you want to be in the play-off positions we have to show much, much more – we are far away from that (reaching the top six).

“We didn’t show anything. Maybe in the past I said we want to be around the play-offs, and maybe that was too much pressure on the players.

“I have to ask myself about that. Maybe it was too much for some of the players.

“I try to get the maximum from the team. Maybe I try to ask too much of the players too quickly.”

Bulut added: “You need to change inside the club or nothing will change today or tomorrow.

“I only have one year and I have to change the maximum of what I can do.

“Maybe we have to put our foot on the break at times. Everyone’s frustrated – me, the players and fans – but in this situation we all together.

“At the start of the season, everybody would accept that our target was to stay in the league, but I do not accept that myself.

“January is coming and the season is not finished yet.”

Wayne Rooney admits he will adapt his “no-fear football” philosophy at Birmingham after a 2-0 defeat to Hull because his players cannot do it.

Liam Delap’s 12th-minute goal and a superb solo effort from Jaden Philogene made it a miserable St Andrew’s debut for Rooney, who has lost his first two games in charge, up against his former Derby assistant Liam Rosenior.

“You need to be brave in taking the ball, but it’s clear from the first two games that the players aren’t comfortable doing that,” said Birmingham manager Rooney.

“So there will be slight adjustments of course because we need to pick up points as well.

“I can get players up the pitch, boot the ball up the pitch and look to pick up second balls, but we need to get the balance right.

“This is on me – maybe I’ve asked them to do too much and I take that responsibility. We’re asking them to play out from the back and be more front-footed.

“I said to the lads after the game ‘if you don’t feel you can do it, tell me, and we can adjust and adapt’.

“There’s so many different elements to no-fear football. They’ve had snots and guts for the last 10 years and it’s been very difficult.

“But it’s not going to change within two weeks when the players haven’t been used to a completely different way.

“As I’m getting to know players’ strengths and weaknesses, we will find that balance to ensure we get it right.”

Fans made their feelings known to Rooney at the end of the game while the team was booed off at half-time and full-time.

“That’s part of football. You need to win games to change that,” said Rooney.

Rosenior said Birmingham fans need to be patient with Rooney as he will turn things around.

“I’d be excited if I was a Birmingham fan because I worked with him for a long time. I know his qualities as a manager and a coach,” he said.

“I ask for Birmingham fans to give him time because I know Wayne and he will get it completely right.

“He’s got so many qualities – when you had the intelligence Wayne had as a player and see how he sees the game, he’s top in the way he understands players, he makes players feel really confident in the way they play, but once he gets that time, I’m sure he will be successful.”

Rosenior said his gameplan worked a treat.

“A legend has just walked into the club so we knew we had to take the sting out of the game,” he added.

“The first goal came from really good pressing that we worked on with Liam Delap, Scott Twine and Adama Traore. After that we had complete control.”

Wayne Rooney suffered his second successive defeat as Birmingham manager as his first home game ended with a 2-0 defeat to Hull.

Liam Delap’s 12th-minute goal and a superb solo effort from Jaden Philogene make it a miserable St Andrew’s debut for Rooney, up against his former Derby assistant Liam Rosenior.

Blues were booed off the pitch at half-time, while there were isolated catcalls from home fans unhappy with his appointment, before louder boos at full-time.

The former Manchester United and England striker emerged from a pyrotechnic display and blue and white smoke to warm applause on his way to the dugout, clapping the home support.

But the mood soon turned and it was Hull fans who were doing all the cheering after taking the lead following a mistake by Emmanuel Longelo.

Longelo’s back pass to goalkeeper John Ruddy went straight to on-loan Manchester City forward Delap, who rounded Ruddy and tapped into the empty net.

Birmingham briefly looked like they might work their way back into the game and Juninho Bacuna twice fired over the bar.

Ruddy prevented Hull doubling their lead when he denied Scott Twine in a one-on-one.

Ruddy then got a fingertip to divert Philogene’s fierce low drive just off target, before Adama Traore volleyed narrowly off target from Twine’s free kick.

Birmingham’s only effort on target came in the third minute of time added on, a looping header from Kevin Long that went straight to goalkeeper Ryan Allsop from Bacuna’s free kick.

Birmingham briefly attacked from the restart but Hull blocked shots from Bacuna and Dembele.

Hull were strong on the counter and Delap and Philogene fired wide before the visitors doubled their lead in spectacular fashion in the 74th minute.

Aston Villa academy graduate Philogene beat Cody Drameh then substitute Jordan James in a surging run in from the left, curling a firm shot that bounced in front of Ruddy before nestling in the far corner of the net.

Liam Rosenior lamented two dropped points after Hull were pegged back in an entertaining 2-2 draw with Millwall.

Joe Bryan’s first Lions goal secured a point for the hosts but Hull were excellent in the first half, and led 2-1 at the break thanks to goals from Jaden Philogene and Adama Traore.

Duncan Watmore had put Millwall ahead in the eighth minute and the hosts had chances to win it late on, leaving Hull manager Rosenior relieved to hear the full-time whistle – despite bossing much of the match and failing to convert several chances.

“It feels like two points dropped, absolutely,” he said.

“So many aspects of our play are so good. What we need to improve on is killing games whilst we’re on top. We haven’t done that this season and we should have more points as a result.

“The one benefit is I’ve got a great young group here and they’re learning. We made young mistakes in and out of possession. That’s the risk you have when you’ve got young players.

“They need to learn quickly and I need to learn and analyse quickly in terms of how to help them.

“I think everybody in the stadium can see the potential in this team today. The frustrating thing for me is we’ve come such a long way and we should have won this game.

“My first game was here and we had to dog it out with 10 men. The team’s evolving, we’re getting better.

“The next part of that evolution is killing that game off. I promise you we will win a lot of games playing this way this season. They threw the kitchen sink at us, but we need to be braver to play.”

Hull have lost just one of their last 10 matches, and that came at high-flying Ipswich in midweek, while Millwall sit just two points behind them in a congested table.

The Lions’ home form has been uncharacteristically patchy, winning just two of their last seven, and manager Gary Rowett admits it was a game of two halves but praised Millwall’s spirit for bouncing back.

“We responded really well to going behind. We have to make the changes tactically, formation-wise and personnel-wise and that did the trick second half,” he said.

“We needed a bit more composure and maybe we could have got the third. I didn’t think we had amazing chances, but we had one or two where maybe we could have won the game.

“I’m really pleased with the response. We didn’t cope with the two goals very well again and I spoke to the players about that at half-time.

“Hull are a really good side, Liam’s done a great job. They’re really hard to play against. When you press then they just bounce it round you.

“We were too passive. We went a goal up and their two goals were two very poor moments from us. The first one we let a runner go between two players unopposed and the second one was a mix up.

“All you can do then is respond. We didn’t want another home defeat because I think that would have been really damaging.”

Liam Rosenior said he “won’t get carried away” after Hull returned to the play-off fray with a 3-1 win at Stoke.

First-half goals from Aaron Connolly – his fifth of the season – and Adama Traore handed the Tigers control just after the half-hour mark.

And the hosts’ miserable afternoon was compounded when Regan Slater’s strike deflected off Lynden Gooch and looped into his own net.

The returning Andre Vidigal notched a Potters consolation late on, but it was too little, too late as their winless run stretched to five league games.

Hull coasted to a seventh game unbeaten as they clinched a third successive away win in the Championship for the first time since 2013.

“I’m really happy,” said Rosenior, who marked the 50th game of his managerial career with victory.

“It always feels good when you win away from home and more pleasing than just the win was the performance.

“Everyone was excellent; we showed energy and confidence in the way that we played in possession and we were difficult to break down.

“The signs are really good, but the only stat that matters to me is where we finish at the end of the season.

“It’s brilliant to get the win but it has to be towards something so I won’t get carried away.

“We’re in a good place; we don’t need to focus on the results because they come as a product of our performances and they’ve been consistent this season.”

Goal-scorer Connolly and team-mate Jean Michael Seri clashed at half-time, but Rosenior paid tribute to their attitudes.

He added: “They were arguing and they want to win. I’ve been asking for that from them for the whole year that I’ve been here.

“You need to be demanding with each other; they argued and then they hugged and made up and they’re best mates again.

“You need to fall out with each other at times because it makes you better and makes you successful; it’s perfect and that’s the mentality I want.”

Meanwhile, it was another disappointing afternoon for Stoke as they slumped closer to the relegation zone.

“I think the best team won. It’s the poorest we’ve been tactically since I’ve been here,” boss Alex Neil admitted.

“You look at the game today and think either our set-up wasn’t good enough or we didn’t commit to it or a combination of both.

“We lacked belief in doing it today and when you lack belief it looks a bit of a dog’s dinner.

“We showed a lack of confidence – which is the first time I’ve seen that from them this season – so that was disappointing.

“I don’t ever make any qualms with what fans want to do or if they want to boo or voice their frustration.

“They’re here to support their team and see their team win; if they don’t win, particularly in modern football, it’s either one extreme or the other.

“If you win a game, you’re going up. If you lose a game, you’re getting relegated, so that’s the nature of football now.

“How they voice their opinion, I don’t have any views on it whatsoever; I just want to get the team performing well and trying to win.

“For us, we need that one win that’s going to lift some of the lads and then hopefully we can put a decent run together.”

Head coach Liam Rosenior challenged Aaron Connolly to maintain his promising early-season form after his equaliser earned Hull a late 1-1 draw at home to Coventry.

The visitors looked in control after Joel Latibeaudiere headed home in the first half.

But Republic of Ireland international Connolly had the final word with an enterprising header with three minutes remaining – his fourth goal of the new campaign.

Rosenior said: “Aaron’s capable of anything he wants in his career, if he stays on track.

“He’s not 100 per cent fit, which is scary.

“He’s a leader in the dressing room. He’s a massive influence and has really taken Liam Delap under his wing.

“Some of his runs and some of his movement are top level. He knows when he needs a rocket but he knows I love him as I’ve known him since he was 15.”

Hull, who have now lost once in 15 league games at home, appeared in trouble following a poor first half.

They continually gave away possession and were punished when unmarked defender Latibeaudiere headed home Josh Eccles’ near-post corner after 27 minutes.

Coventry, despite having to soak up plenty of pressure after the restart, rarely looked troubled in a fascinating game between two well-matched sides.

But Connolly was a constant threat and he equalised after 87 minutes with an artful, glancing back-header off substitute Tyler Morton’s lofted cross from the right.

Rosenior said: “I thought first half they had a bit of the upper hand.

“They’re a good side. I live 200 yards away from Mark (Robins) – he’s been really good to me in my coaching career – and they’re going to be up there at the end of the season.

“But for us to dominate in the second half like that, I’m proud of my players.

“To go a goal down and come back, I couldn’t be happier.

“I want to build a squad. We’re going to need that through the season so I’m going to have to be really smart with my team selections.

“I thought Tyler was magnificent when he came on and showed exactly why we worked so hard to get him to the club from Liverpool.”

Coventry manager Mark Robins accepted that a draw was a fair result.

He said: “I thought it was a really good game between two good teams.

“Both teams asked questions of each other through the game and we took a deserved lead.

“There were some really good performances from us, but it was disappointing to get our noses in front and then to have chances to score again.

“On balance, though, it was probably a fair result.

“Every time you come away and you get something, you think, ‘It’s a good point’, but it’s tinged with disappointment because of the timing of their goal.”

Robins added: “Their substitutions were good and had a bigger impact than ours.

“With the timing of the goal and the nature of the goal – it was really poor from our perspective, was disappointing.

“But the weight (possession) of the ball that they had – that keeps the crowd interested – we ended up dropping deeper and made silly decisions.

“It was a really good, hard-fought game, but, on balance, I probably think it was a fair result.”

Liam Rosenior believes Ozan Tufan is reaping the rewards his efforts deserve after his hat-trick helped Hull to a 4-2 Championship comeback win at home to Sheffield Wednesday.

The Turkey international was at times unplayable, with his performance – some could say – emblematic of the difference in quality between the two Yorkshire sides.

Rosenior said: “It (the hat-trick) was better than good. He deserves it and I’m so happy for him.

“The reason the quality is there is because the fitness is now there – that sums up his attitude.

“He is working so hard. He’s pressing so hard from the front along with Liam (Delap). And when you work so hard in life, you get the rewards.”

Wednesday were poor, but they somehow took the lead after 36 minutes when Juan Delgado capitalised upon Dominic Iorfa’s low cross via a deflection.

Hully equalised in first-half injury time when Lee Gregory elbowed Jacob Greaves inside the box and – from the resulting spot-kick – Tufan scored an unstoppable penalty.

The Turkey international then stole the show after the interval by firstly scoring a wonderful second from the edge of the penalty area after 58 minutes.

With Wednesday out of ideas and fatigued, Tufan put the game out of sight with a similarly-precise finish with the inside of his right foot.

Substitute Aaron Connolly made it 4-1 after he passed the ball into an open net following Michael Ihiekwe’s poor back-pass.

And though Wednesday substitute Michael Smith added a touch of respectability to the scoreline in stoppage time, Owls fans may have few qualms with the result.

Rosenior: “I’ve got to give the players all the credit in the world – they were fantastic from start to finish.

“They responded brilliantly (from the opening goal) and also by how I want to build as a club.

“In my opinion, it was complete domination from start to finish. That was not a 4-2 win. We should not have conceded a second and it should have been more.

“If you look at us now, we are much fitter and more front-footed as a team.

“We must stay consistent and keep working but there are some really, really positive signs.”

Wednesday have now lost their first two games since gaining promotion from League One.

Manager Xisco Munoz said: “The second half we were very far away from what I want.

“I didn’t see the balance for a consistent performance, but the situation right now is to control emotions.

“We need to control the moments and we need to improve with duels – both in offence and defence.

“We needed to improve on many things, but every day we get better and better and get closer, but we need to find a solution.

“We need to improve about clean sheets and defensive situations, but this is my job. They called me for this situation, and I will give 100 per cent.

“It is my responsibility. The players gave everything, but we now have to improve our tactics and our fitness.”

Munoz, who ironically signed Tufan when in charge at Watford two years ago, added: “We need the balance – this is the situation.

“The first half was closer to the performance we want, but we didn’t do it in the second half.

“The intensity in the second half was the difference. This is one of the situations we need to improve.

“This team has more capacity for attacking, but we need to work very hard about the balance, with more time on the ball and playing higher.

“We need to understand better about what the Championship demands.”