SCOTT MCDONALD struck a first-half hat-trick to send Middlesbrough on their way to a 4-2 victory over Hull City to secure their Championship status today.

 

The Australian's treble, courtesy of some comical defending from Hull City, gave Middlesbrough a remarkable 4-1 lead at the interval at the KC Stadium.

It was the Tigers who took the lead, however, Jay Simpson first to react to Richard Garcia's knockdown from the looping cross of Andy Dawson on three minutes.

But Boro equalised on 11 minutes when Marvin Emnes blocked Anthony Gerrard's clearance, slotted the ball to McDonald who fired past Vito Mannone.

A minute later, the Teessiders were on top, McDonald again, Emnes winning the ball again, this time robbing Mannone.

If Boro's two goals were slightly fortunate, then the third one was gift-wrapped and presented on a gilded cushion. Emnes, a constant thorn in the Tigers' side, won the ball, and as Mannone looked to have brought the loose ball under control, Dawson – making his 500th league appearance – inexplicably slid in and unwittingly provided Arca with the perfect present. The Argentinian almost apologetically slotted into an empty net to make it 3-1.

McDonald completed his treble in first-half stoppage time in spite of some inspired goalkeeping by the on-loan Arsenal man Mannone.

The Italian had denied Emnes twice, McDonald and Kevin Thomson in one passage of play, but could not do anything to stop McDonald, who took Barry Robson's cross on the turn and fired home.

Hull were searching for a victory to supplement their charge towards the play-offs, while Boro merely needed a win to secure Championship safety. On this outing, you could not tell which team was which.

The Tigers rallied in the second half and pulled one back, Gerrard going some way to atone for an abysmal first half with a rifled shot from distance after Robert Koren's short free-kick on 69 minutes.

Middlesbrough introduced fit-again Willo Flood and Leroy Lita in the second half, while Andrew Davies was thrown into the fray in place of the injured Stephen McManus.

 

HULL CITY (4-4-2): Mannone (Duke 46); Rosenior (Mclean 39), Hobbs, Gerrard, Dawson; Garcia (Cairney 58), Chester, Evans, Koren; Simpson, Fryatt. Subs not used: Duke (gk), Harper, Cairney, Devitt, Amoo, Belaid.

MIDDLESBROUGH (4-4-2): Smith; Bates, Haas, McManus (Davies 65), Taylor; Robson, Smallwood (Flood 70), Thomson, Arca; Emnes, McDonald (Lita 67). Subs not used: Steele (gk), Hoyte, Kink, Davies, Flood, Lita, Grounds.

Referee: Pat Miller (Bedfordshire)

Attendance: 21,937 (2,001 away)