Azor Matusiwa scored the winner as Ipswich Town climbed into third place in the Championship despite a stubborn display from fellow promotion hopefuls Hull City at Portman Road.

Ipswich dominated throughout but were kept at arm's length by the well-organised and hardworking Tigers until Matusiwa broke through with 19 minutes remaining.

The midfielder smashed in a shot from long range that hit the underside of the crossbar on its way in, to illuminate a stodgy match.

Minutes later, Jack Clarke was somehow denied a second by Hull goalkeeper Ivor Pandur.

Ipswich - relegated from the Premier League last season - are now within three points of Middlesbrough and the automatic promotion places.

Hull are fifth, six points off the top two but still seven clear of Southampton and the chasing pack outside the play-off spots.

The win was Kieran McKenna's 100th in charge of Ipswich, in his 210th match in charge - beating a record, external held by England's 1966 World Cup winner Sir Alf Ramsey.

The 39-year-old has already secured two promotions in Suffolk and will have a third on his agenda now. They have a game in hand on both second-placed Middlesbrough and leaders Coventry, and have been relentless at home this season.

Hull came to frustrate and managed it well, restricting Ipswich to a Jack Taylor shot and a sharp chance at the near post for George Hirst in the first half.

Hull introduced striker Oli McBurnie at the break to offer them a focal point, but the tide remained one way.

A draw looked on the cards, though, until Matusiwa's superb strike.

Clarke should have scored a second but Pandur made a brilliant save, with the goalkeeper then going up for a last-minute Hull corner.

He could not find any heroics at that end, and Ipswich saw out a 12th home win of the season.

Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna told BBC Radio Suffolk:

"When you win a game with a goal like that at this stage of the season it always feels big. That's three wins in a row with clean sheets. We had to overcome a compact side who made it really hard for us.

"We defended well and limited them to nothing, and then we scored a brilliant goal. He's having a fantastic season and you need your holding midfielder to do that at some point in a season.

"It's going to take a healthy points total to go up, and we'll take the momentum from tonight. I'm sure we won't win all of our games and neither will the other teams up there - we can only tick off good performances and good results."

Hull manager Sergej Jakirovic told BBC Radio Humberside:

"Ipswich were the better side but they did not have many chances. They started to play with three number 10s and we got too deep.

"The goal I cannot understand. We must take the ball. We had five players there and they had one.

"We tried to push and create something but we could not score the goal. They have very good players who are technically fantastic, so we had a low block and it worked apart from needing better decisions.

"Our idea was good. They have a bigger budget and this is the only way we can compete with them."