HULL AND BOURNEMOUTH STRIKE BLOWS IN RELEGATION BATTLE
REUTERS - Hull City’s hopes of escaping relegation got a huge boost as they dragged fellow Premier League strugglers Swansea City back into the mire with a 2-1 home win over the Welsh club on Saturday.
Defeat would have left Hull nine points behind 16th-placed Swansea but a second-half double from substitute Oumar Niasse helped them move above Middlesbrough into 18th place and within three points of the Swans and champions Leicester City.
With the top six, except for Liverpool, all in FA Cup quarterfinal action this weekend, the focus was on the survival scrap.
Bournemouth, one of the clubs too close to the bottom three for comfort, eased their relegation fears as Joshua King netted a hattrick in a 3-2 home win over West Ham United.
Bournemouth missed two penalties and looked to have been denied their first win of 2017 when substitute Andre Ayew equalised for West Ham in the 83rd minute.
King, who drilled a ninthminute spot kick wide, had the last laugh though when he struck at the death from a rebound after Darren Randolph had saved Jack Wilshere’s effort.“in those circumstances the main emotion is relief,” said Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe, whose side are six points clear of the drop zone.“missed penalties can happen but the most positive aspect is that we didn’t go to pieces because of that.”
Everton improved their chances of European football next season as they brushed aside West Bromwich Albion 3-0 with Romelu Lukaku rounding off a dominant display with their third.