Hull 0 Aston Villa 1
Dec 30 2008 By Andy Hampson, PA Sport
Kamil Zayatte, who had escaped unpunished after a challenge on Ashley Young moments earlier, was the first player to be booked after a bad tackle on Gabriel Agbonlahor.
Hull continued to press and Mendy was marginally given offside after another quick run down the right.
Curtis Davies then headed unconvincingly wide of his own goal after a testing cross from Hull captain Ian Ashbee.
Hull pushed again just before the break but Friedel was reprieved after another error when Mendy was adjudged to have fouled the former Blackburn man.
Chances remained few and far between in the early stages of the second half and those that there were came to little.
Ashbee headed wide from a corner for Hull and Stiliyan Petrov shot well wide from distance at the other end, although he was booked for claiming there had been a deflection.
Petrov was actually booked for complaining after claiming the ball had taken a deflection for a corner.
Cousin carved out one good chance for Halmosi but the winger was denied by a good block by Luke Young. Cousin also laid off for Michael Turner but the defender blazed over the bar.
Barry became the first to work either goalkeeper in some time after 64 minutes but his tame shot barely tested former Villa trainee Boaz Myhill.
King came off the bench to replace Cousin with 21 minutes remaining and Hull enjoyed a good spell of pressure.
Yet still they could not test Friedel with Ashbee shooting well over and Barmby failing to connect with a Ricketts cross.
The Tigers were caught on the counter-attack, however, as Villa snatched a late winner.
Young broke clear down the left and Zayatte turned the ball into his own net.
There was late drama when Hull were awarded a penalty in the final seconds after Bennett ruled Ashley Young had handled on the line only for Bennett to back-track.
It left Hull's players bemused and frustrated but the decision was correct.
