A controversial penalty saw Hull City come from behind to beat Middlesbrough 2-1.

After a long period of stalemate in which Brazilian Geovanni wasted the best openings, the match sprang to life in the closing stages.

Tuncay gave Boro the lead after 79 minutes, tapping in from close range after great work by Justin Hoyte.

But the Tigers roared back in the last ten minutes to claim the points.

They equalised within two minutes of the visitors' strike, the unfortunate Ross Turnbull turning in substitute Bernard Mendy's shot after it struck a post.

Then with their next attack, the Tigers were awarded a controversial penalty when Geovanni was hauled back by David Wheater.

The young centre-back was sent-off and Marlon King fired the decisive penalty under the body of Turnbull to claim victory.

All three goals came in the space of just six minutes in a pulsating end-to-end encounter.

Until then it had looked like being a frustrating afternoon for the home side with Geovanni missing two good headed opportunities.

Yet their last-gasp heroics ended a six-game winless run and kept them firmly in the picture at the top end of the table.

Boro made the early running and won two corners inside the opening three minutes.

Jeremie Aliadiere found space to get in the first shot on goal but the outstanding Sam Ricketts slid in front of him to block.

Stewart Downing also drove in a low shot but Boaz Myhill saved without difficulty.

The hosts threatened for the first time when Geovanni drove in a low cross but a deflection prevented George Boateng scoring against the club he left last summer.

In a breathtaking passage midway through the first half, play then quickly switched to the other end but Aliadiere's deflected shot was comfortably gathered by Myhill.

Hull immediately countered with Geovanni getting behind the Boro defence but his cross for King was poor and Wheater cleared.

Geovanni missed his first glorious chance to put Hull ahead just before the half-hour mark when he headed wide from six yards.

Myhill had failed to claim a Boro corner but Kamil Zayatte cleared to allow Hull to break quickly and King delivered a pinpoint cross for the unmarked playmaker.
Bounced

Yet the Brazilian got his timing all wrong and the ball bounced off his head in the wrong direction.

Geovanni had a chance to make amends three minutes later but his deflected free-kick also went wide.

Remarkably, he was presented with another close-range header just before the interval, this time from a Ricketts cross, but his aim was no better.

Tigers boss Phil Brown changed the shape of his side after an hour with midfielders Barmby and Marney withdrawn and replaced by striker Daniel Cousin and winger Mendy.

Mendy was soon on the ball and broke down the right, cutting inside. The ball ran through to Geovanni but his 30-yard effort was wide.

Boro grabbed the lead as time ticked away when Aliadiere sent Hoyte clear down the right and he crossed for Tuncay to delicately back-heel the ball in from three yards. Yet any thoughts the visitors might have snatched the game were dispelled as Hull hit back to turn the game on its head.

Mendy did the initial damage as he found space to get in a shot from the right-hand side of the area and his powerful low shot struck the base of the post and went in off Turnbull.

Hull did not want to settle for a point and moments later Geovanni was through on goal, only to be brought down by Wheater.

Referee Steve Tanner quickly showed red and King calmly stepped up to side-foot home the resulting penalty.

Cousin had another chance moments later but shot high over the bar as Hull held on.