Hull moved out of the Sky Bet Championship relegation zone with a 1-0 win at play-off chasers Blackburn.

Ryan Longman’s first goal of the season 13 minutes from the end was enough to give Ruben Selles his first away victory as Hull boss and they became only the third team to win at Ewood Park this season.

It barely tells the story of a game which saw Blackburn struggle to find their usual rhythm, yet will feel they should have taken one of the chances they created.

Todd Cantwell’s second-half miss was the most glaring, while Alfie Jones produced heroics three times to thwart Rovers, most notably in the first half to deny Amario Cozier-Duberry.

Regan Slater was denied by Aynsley Pears in the first half and Gustavo Puerta struck a post late on. But Hull ended a dismal run of five consecutive away defeats to scramble out of the relegation zone.

Rovers are winless in three and remain fifth.

Hull skipper Jones twice saved his team in the first period as he brilliantly blocked a flicked back-heel from Makhtar Gueye in the seventh minute, and was in the right place just after the hour when Cozier-Duberry’s left-foot shot beat Ivor Pandur but he heroically cleared off the line.

A Blackburn opener felt inevitable but Pears’ poor pass gave Slater an opportunity. His first effort was blocked but he reacted quickest to poke goalwards, which Pears’ outstretched foot blocked.

The hosts cranked up the pressure in the second half, and a pivotal moment arrived in the 68th minute when relentless pressing from Owen Beck and Yuki Ohashi forced a mistake in the Tigers’ defence and the ball fell invitingly to Cantwell 12 yards out but he somehow placed his shot wide of the goal.

Cantwell tried to make amends, crossing for Beck moments later but his first-time shot was too high.

That profligacy was ruthlessly punished in the 77th minute when Hull carved Blackburn open with a move started by Joao Pedro and finished when Slater’s pass found Longman on the left who controlled before coolly lifting the ball over Pears and into the left corner.

Longman almost repeated the trick in the 82nd minute when he met Puerta’s cross at the back post but Pears scrambled to save.

They should have made the points safe two minutes from time though when the ball fell to Puerta in the area and although his shot beat Pears, it hit the post and agonisingly away to safety.

Rovers almost repeated their late heroics against Sunderland when a cross found substitute Andi Weimann in injury time but that man Jones was there again, flinging himself to the ground to block and secure the points.