Blackburn Rovers’ relegation concerns deepened after a narrow 1-0 defeat to Hull City in the Championship on Saturday 31 January 2026, with kick-off at 3:00pm GMT at Ewood Park.
Lewis Koumas struck late to hand the visitors all three points, a result that further strengthened Hull’s promotion push in the Championship standings while leaving Rovers entrenched in the bottom three.
Hull City’s fourth consecutive victory lifted them to fifth place in the 2025–26 Championship table with 54 points from 32 matches.
The Tigers now boast 16 wins, six draws and 10 defeats, scoring 51 goals and conceding 46 for a goal difference of +5.
Blackburn Rovers, by contrast, sit 20th with 38 points from 33 matches.
Rovers have managed 10 wins, eight draws and 15 losses, scoring just 31 goals while conceding 41, leaving them with a goal difference of -10.
The defeat extended Blackburn’s winless run to eight matches and kept them inside the relegation zone ahead of a crucial midweek fixture.
Hull are now level on points with fourth-placed Ipswich Town, though having played one match more.
Blackburn remain just above the bottom four but are firmly in relegation trouble with only four points separating them from 23rd place.
A cagey first half ended goalless, with Hull initially looking sharper before the contest became scrappy and fragmented.
Blackburn enjoyed a stronger spell after the interval, with Mathias Jorgensen heading over just before the hour mark.
The decisive moment arrived in the 81st minute when substitute Lewis Koumas, on loan from Liverpool, slid home from close range after good work by Amir Hadziahmetovic and Kyle Joseph.
Joseph, also introduced in the 76th minute, provided the assist as Hull’s tactical changes paid immediate dividends.
Blackburn pushed for an equaliser late on but could not break through, despite dominating possession in spells.
Blackburn head coach Valerien Ismael insisted the issue was not effort but execution.
“I think it’s not about the performance today, it’s not about the desire or the mentality.
“What we have to complain about is take our chances, it’s as simple as that. At some point you have to take your chances when you dominate the game like this.
“You’re on the front foot, on top of the opposition, and you have to get the reward and make sure you score a goal.
“I think it will help us and all of a sudden, in the second half from nothing, we concede that goal and after that late in the game, it’s tough for the players because, as I said, they try to give everything in the game.”
Hull boss Sergej Jakirovic praised his side’s resilience.
“I think this is our biggest advantage, that we can play good on the ball even when we are bad on the ball.
“Like today, we were not good on the ball. But this is also a very demanding, tough pitch. It’s not easy, and Blackburn are fighting for every point.
“But we now have stability and have found balance in our team tactically. We defended the box very well because Blackburn are first in the league for number of crosses inside, which was very important.
“Maybe some decisions in the last third we could have found better options. But this is how players see the situation, and I don’t have a joystick there.”
Hull’s upward trajectory keeps them firmly in the play-off race and within touching distance of the automatic promotion spots.
Blackburn, meanwhile, face mounting pressure as the season enters its decisive phase, with survival now their overriding priority.
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