Albion striker Aaron Connolly scored twice on his 23rd birthday to help Hull win 3-0 at home to QPR.

Connolly, on loan from the Seagulls until the end of the season, played a significant role in his side’s first win at the MKM Stadium since beating Wigan on October 5.

The Republic of Ireland international opened the scoring after 10 minutes before adding a second with a cute finish in the 65th minute.

Connolly, who went close minutes earlier with an opportunistic hit that screwed wide of the right post, will be indebted to the work of Cyrus Christie in the build-up his first goal.

Christie battered his way into the 18-yard box before squaring the ball towards the penalty spot from the right. Connolly had work to do, but he made things look very simple with a deft, looping finish over fiormer Whitehawk loanee Seny Dieng.

He later put the game to bed with a tidy finish off Jean Michael Seri’s long ball through the middle.

Connolly was utterly deserving of a standing ovation when he was substituted late on in what was a surprisingly one-sided match.