Hull City have fallen to their sixth straight Premier League defeat courtesy of a 1-0 loss to Watford at Vicarage Road this afternoon.
Hull skipper Michael Dawson deflected the ball into his own net with just eight minutes remaining in what proved to be the difference between the two sides, leaving the Tigers stuck in the relegation zone and two points adrift of safety.
The hosts quickly gained control of the contest and could have taken the lead as early as the fourth minute when Younes Kaboul rose highest to meet a corner, only to be denied by the crossbar.
The danger was not quite over there, though, and once again Hull were left indebted to the woodwork when Roberto Pereyra struck the post moments later as the visitors survived the early onslaught.
There was more frustration for Walter Mazzarri's side shortly before half time too when both Troy Deeney and Odion Ighalo went for a cross with the goal gaping, but the former could not steer it home and Hull held on to parity heading into half time.
Watford continued to have the better of things in the second half, although Hull defended resolutely and denied the Hornets a single shot on target throughout the match despite having conceded 19 goals in their five previous defeats.
Ultimately, though, the hosts did not need a shot on target themselves as Dawson's unfortunate own goal was enough to hand them the victory, with the visiting skipper inadvertently steering Daryl Janmaat's cross into his own net.
Ighalo almost made things more comfortable for his side with four minutes remaining when he danced past two defenders before going for goal from the edge of the box, but his effort flashed narrowly wide of the target.
The hosts settled for a 1-0 win in the end, though, keeping a third consecutive clean sheet and climbing up to seventh in the table, above the likes of Manchester United and champions Leicester City.
Hull, meanwhile, remain 18th and are now on their worst top-flight run since January 2009 having not won since August 20.
Barney Corkhill
