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The visitors, backed by a highly vocal 3,000 following in the North Stand, had looked the more dangerous of the two teams throughout the half though, and equalised on the stroke of half time. Ian Ashbee - who had just been involved in a scuffle after being fouled - went into the book for a needless challenge on Tim Ryan just outside the City box, and from the free kick Dave Mulligan curled it round the wall and into the top corner, giving Boaz Myhill no chance. That was also Ashbee's fifth yellow card of the season, so he will be suspended for City's FA Cup tie with Colchester.
It was end-to-end action in the second half, with both sides coming close to finding the net again on a number of occassions, before an off-the-ball incident in the 82nd minute resulted in two sendings off. Nick Barmby was shown a straight red card for aiming a headbutt at Jermaine McSporran, who was also given his marching orders for a second yellow card after starting the trouble.
Four minutes later, City got an unlikely winner, although there was no surprise that Stuart Elliott was the man to score it. A clearance by Roland Edge was lost by John Doolan, and Elliott capitalised by taking it on and slotting it past Warrington. That's now 20 league goals for Elliott this season, and secured a 2-1 victory for the Tigers, although Doncaster were unlucky not to get anything from the game. City go within two points of league leaders Luton, who drew 2-2 with Colchester yesterday, while Rovers stay 14th.
The attendance of 24,411 at the KC Stadium was a record high for a Hull City game.
City line-up (4-4-2): Myhill; Joseph (Angus 70), Cort, Delaney, Edge; Green, Ashbee, Keane (Price 45), Elliott; Allsopp (Walters 72), Barmby.
Un-used subs: Duke, Lewis.