Hughes relief after Hull hammering

Robinho and striker Felipe Caicedo both struck twice as Hughes' men tore into stunned Hull with four first-half goals at Eastlands.

Hull salvaged some pride with a Craig Fagan consolation goal after embarrassed manager Phil Brown delivered his half-time talk on the pitch. But the visitors remained distinctly second best and Stephen Ireland grabbed a fifth, after setting up three, to lift his side out of the Barclays Premier League relegation zone.

It was the perfect tonic for Hughes after much speculation about his future.

The opener arrived after 15 minutes with Caicedo - whose effort against West Brom last week was given as an own goal - on target.

Robinho cut in from the left and lobbed a delicate ball over the defence for Ireland, who in turn powered and squared for the chance.

Hughes' side doubled their advantage after 27 minutes, Ireland racing into the area and pulling back for Caicedo to net almost a carbon copy of his opener.

The hosts grabbed their third just a minute later as Robinho broke forward from Ireland`s pass, checked back inside Michael Turner and buried a low shot past Boaz Myhill.

The hosts added the fourth when Shaun Wright-Phillips burst down the right to cross for Robinho to net.

Brown obviously decided there should be no hiding place for his players and ordered them to remain on the field after the half-time whistle. Hull salvaged some pride when Fagan scrambled the ball home but Robinho fed Ireland for the fifth.