The long faces were in the Yeovil dressing room. They started in pole position for a play-off place but will now have to hope on producing a better result than Northampton next Saturday to keep their promotion hopes alive.
Hull boss Peter Taylor said: "I am thrilled for our fans and chairman - they have been great - the fans have spent a lot of money and travel a lot of miles, and I am over the moon for the chairman - it is a great reward for him."
Taylor praised his present players but said he would be looking for one or two to come into the squad next season. "We will give it a real go in Division Two," he said.
Gary Johnson, the Yeovil manager said he was upset that one or two of his players appeared to hide on the big occasion. He said: "Three or four were buzzing around looking for the ball but I want more from some of them next week."
Hull were gifted an 11th minute penalty which Stuart Green knocked in and two minutes later could of sealed victory but when Danny Allsopp got clear he hit the outside of the post with keeper Stephen Collis beaten.
Yeovil fought their way back and might have equalised in first-half stoppage time when Colin Pluck smashed a free-kick against the underside of the bar before limping off injured.
Although Yeovil won 10-3 on corners they seldom got behind the quality Hull defence and it was from a set piece that they equalised in the 64th minute. Their six foot eight Portuguese centre-half Hugo Rodrigues got above the defence to head in a Lee Johnson free-kick.
The winner came on 76 minutes - a goal worthy of a champion - skipper Ian Ashbee looked up 25 yards out and curled a delightful 25 yarder into Collis' left hand top corner.