F-T: Hull City 5 Rotherham United 1

Neil's Warnock's men had climbed out of the drop zone to secure their Championship safety with a heroic 11-match undefeated run well before this game.

But they were heavily beaten at the KC Stadium once the Tigers, who are preparing for the play-offs, hit their stride.

Rotherham took the lead in the 16th minutes with a fine goal from midfielder Lee Frecklington who volleyed home after good work on the right by Grant Ward.

But after that the floodgates opened as Hull hit back with four goals in a devastating 17-minute spell.

Robert Snodgrass volleyed home a superb equaliser in the 25th minute and Abel Hernandez's overhead kick a minute later was even better.

On 40 minutes, Jake Livermore took advantage of hesitation from Millers goalkeeper Lee Camp to steer in the third, and Mo Diame rounded Kirk Broadfoot two minutes after that to shoot home the fourth.

The Millers looked to have stemmed the tide in the second half, but then needlessly conceded a 59th-minute corner, after poor play by Frazer Richardson, which eventually saw Livermore claim his second goal of the game.

Warnock had sprung a surprise by including striker Jonson Clarke-Harris in the starting 11 for the first time since the 1-0 defeat at Reading on February 23.

Danny Ward came in on the left side of midfield in place of Matt Derbyshire, while right-back Richardson was handed a start on the left side of defence, with Joe Mattock, who has been nursing a dead leg, dropping to the bench.

Leon Best, who has been a regular starter up front, was also among the substitutes.

Best came on in the second half but by then the score was already 5-1 and the Millers' hopes had long been extinguished.

Young winger Darnelle Bailey-King made his debut late on. A day he will remember, but one for Rotherham, after a thrilling spell since Warnock's February arrival, to forget.

Hull City (4-4-2): McGregor; Odubajo, Davies, Dawson, Robertson; Elmohamady. Huddlestone, Livermore, Snodgrass (Clucas 77); Diame (Maguire 72), Hernandez (Maloney 80). Subs not used: Jakupovic, Bruce, Akpon, Aluko.

Rotherham United (4-1-4-1): Camp; Kelly, Broadfoot, Wood, Richardson; Halford; G Ward, Smallwood, Frecklington (Green 90+2), D Ward (Bailey-King 84); Clarke-Harris (Best 69). Subs not used: Kenny, Mattock, Belaid, Facey.

Goals: Snodgrass 25, Hernandez 26, Livermore 40, 59, Diame 42 (Hull); Frecklington 16 (Rotherham).

Referee: Scott Duncan (N]orthumberland).

Attendance: 18,670 (2,442).