Premier League roundup: Leicester get big win, Stoke handle West Brom
Leicester clung on by their fingertips to a first victory in 14 Barclays Premier League matches at Hull, easing some of the pressure on manager Nigel Pearson and ensuring the Tigers remain mired in the relegation battle.
Both sides finished with 10 men after late red cards for Paul Konchesky and Stephen Quinn, but it was the 32nd minute strike by Riyad Mahrez that settled matters in the visitors favour.
The Foxes were at times passengers in a low-quality contest but given their current plight this 1-0 win will taste every bit as good as their previous success - a headline-grabbing 5-3 over Manchester United in September.
Hull boss Steve Bruce had claimed the match was as big as last season's FA Cup final for his club, given the opportunity it offered to lift them nine points above their rock-bottom visitors, but the result was just as crushing as the one suffered against Arsenal at Wembley.
The Tigers were far from fluent but will be bemused at their inability to find the net, hitting the post twice, seeing two strong penalty appeals for handball turned down and failing to take a series of presentable chances.
Their Boxing Day win at Sunderland now seems much more distant than 48 hours ago, as they contemplate a home record that now reads one win in nine this term.
Stoke City 2 - West Bromwich Albion 0
Alan Irvine's days as West Brom head coach could be numbered after Mame Biram Diouf's second-half brace condemned the Baggies to a 2-0 defeat at Stoke.
Diouf slotted home in the 51st minute before a lucky deflection off the Senegal forward from Marko Arnautovic's shot 15 minutes later took the ball past Ben Foster once again.
West Brom had put in a creditable away performance up to that point without being able to convert it into goals, and came agonisingly close to scoring between Diouf's two efforts as Gareth McAuley hit the post.
But the simple fact was that the Baggies had suffered a seventh loss in nine Barclays Premier League matches, and Irvine's fears about his job will only have deepened.
Albion are now 16th, just a point clear of the Barclays Premier League relegation zone, and at the end of a fairly wretched 2014 the club may well be ready for a change at the helm once again.
Things look far rosier for Stoke, who are up to 10th having registered back-to-back league wins for the first time this season.
Queens Park Rangers 0 - Crystal Palace 0
Crystal Palace caretaker manager Keith Millen was unable to steer his side out of the Barclays Premier League relegation zone as the Eagles began life after Neil Warnock with a goalless draw at QPR.
Millen, who was asked to be in charge of the game at Loftus Road little over 24 hours before kick-off, would have been pleased with his side's endeavour but a lack of quality at both ends meant neither team were able to carve out a decisive chance.
Jason Puncheon went closest when his curling shot hit the post in the first half and Rangers also had opportunities in the second period but a lack of quality finishing meant Harry Redknapp's men failed to secure a fourth consecutive home victory.
Rangers may have felt Palace would be there for the taking after Warnock was relieved of his duties following just one win in 12 matches, but there were no signs of despondency from the Eagles, who seemed eager to impress their new boss from the outset.
Clear-cut chances eluded both sides but Puncheon almost opened the scoring against his former club when his curling left-footed shot beat Green but came back off the post.
It was Rangers though who looked the more likely to snatch all three points and the hosts nearly did so in the 74th minute when Caulker's header was cleared off the line by James McArthur.
Both teams pushed forward in the game's latter stages as the contest opened up and Palace almost nicked it at the death when Puncheon's shot was palmed out by Green, but Barton just managed to scramble the ball away from the incoming Fraizer Campbell to ensure the spoils were shared.
QPR players and staff may have had more on their minds amidst the news of the missing AirAsia flight in Indonesia. QPR owner Tony Fernandes is also CEO of the airline and posted his emotional response to Twitter.
Aston Villa 0 - Sunderland 0
Aston Villa held Sunderland to a 0-0 draw despite going down to 10 men for the third time in four games.
Fabian Delph became the third Villa player to be sent off this month when he saw red for a late foul on Jordi Gomez early in the second half.
But Sunderland, who have drawn 11 times in the league, failed to cash in on their advantage, although Gomez slammed the post with three minutes left.
Jack Grealish shot wide for Villa and Costel Pantilimon saved Ron Vlaar's deflected header.
Nothing could separate the sides, though, and they both remain mid-table in the Barclays Premier League.
