This was far from pretty and far from convincing by Norwich but David Wagner is unlikely to care.
The under-fire Canaries boss was jeered by the Carrow Road crowd after his team were held by Bristol Rovers in the FA Cup last weekend, their fourth winless game in a miserable festive period.
Wagner has become increasingly accustomed to fielding questions about his future but this result, which lifted Norwich to the brink of the play-off positions, offers relief.
It was a gritty performance in which several played walked a disciplinary tightrope but Jonathan Rowe’s superb individual goal illuminated it.
Christian Fassnacht came off the bench to double their lead and that proved to be the winner after Tyler Morton scored from 25 yards to set up a grandstand finale.
Jonathan Rowe’s (pictured centre) scored a superb individual goal to earn Norwich’s win
While Hull did most of the running and regularly got into scoring positions, they lost
While Hull did most of the running and regularly got into scoring positions, they ultimately passed up thew chance to move into the top six.
Instead, Norwich moved up to eighth, just one point behind them. They haven’t looked likely promotion candidates so far this season but are suddenly on the shoulder of the pack.
It was Rowe’s 12th goal of the campaign and his abundant quality was obvious in his nicely-improvised finish and he could yet inspire Norwich into the play-offs.
There was no escaping the optimistic feel at the MKM Stadium ahead of kick-off. A near sell-out crowd were warmed by pots of fruit crumble and entertained by 90s dance bangers followed by a light show and an ‘Eye of the Tiger’ remix.
Having wrapped up the deal for Carvalho in a major coup for the promotion-chasers this week, owner Acun Ilicali went on Sky Sports and promised more signings to come.
A return to the Premier League is unequivocally Hull’s ambition this season in spite of a dodgy festive period which witnessed defeats to Bristol City, Sunderland and Sheffield Wednesday.
Carvalho wasted no time getting involved, the crowd volume surging when he made an early dribble before a blocked shot. Seconds later, he was mugging a Norwich player in midfield and winning more approval.
Aaron Connolly flashed an early effort wide after Shane Duffy’s weak defensive header but that would prove the striker’s last contribution.
He’d twice been fouled heavily in the early minutes as Norwich pulled no punches and then he was flattened by keeper Angus Gunn, who raced out to make a headed clearance.
This was far from pretty and far from convincing by Norwich but David Wagner is unlikely to care
Despite Gunn’s leap sending him into Connolly’s chest, referee Andrew Kitchen mysteriously awarded Norwich the free-kick.
That naturally drew the ire of the home faithful, who told Kitchen he ‘wasn’t fit to referee’. His decision looked even more baffling when the winded Connolly was forced off for Billy Sharp, coming on for his 400th Championship appearance.
Hull’s early initiative slowly faded and though Twine sent a shot wide from a good position, Norwich snatched the half-time advantage with their only shot on target.
Ashley Barnes hooked a ball hopefully forward from the right touchline and Lewie Coyle’s header was more up than away.
Rowe beat Morton to the bounce about 40 yards from goal then brushed off Ozan Tufan as he weaved his way to the edge of the Hull area.
There was still plenty for him to do but space opened up and Rowe produced a sublime outside-of-the-right-boot finish into the bottom corner.
It was the silky-shoed highlight of a predominantly attritional first-half display by Norwich, who had four booked. One of those was Dimitrios Giannoulis, who appeared to raise an elbow to Coyle but got away with just a yellow.
Tufan was booked for simulation as he sought an early second-half response for the Tigers, throwing himself over Duffy’s leg a little too eagerly.
Kitchen made himself even more unpopular by booking Regan Slater for a dive outside the box seconds later.
Carvalho wasted no time getting involved, the crowd volume surging when he made an early dribble
With the game opening up, Norwich’s Josh Sargent drew a save from Ryan Allsop before Hull raced down the other end and Tufan grazed the outside of the post.
Carvalho was then caught in two minds when breaking free inside the Norwich box – whether to rifle a shot to the far corner or roll a cross into Sharp. His eventual effort was neither, to Sharp’s dismay.
Hull were inching closer, however, and Gunn had to save well to deny Sharp’s snapshot on 65 minutes, before the 37-year-old saw a near-post effort turned away.
Gunn made an even more eye-catching stop when Slater let fly from 25 yards amid a flurry of Hull corners.
But Onel Hernandez broke away and fed his fellow sub Fassnacht, who bundled home off his thigh at the back post.
That looked to have settled the matter but Morton brilliantly picked out the top corner from 25 yards to make things interesting- but time ran out on Hull.
