Bolton consigned Hull to a third straight Premier League defeat as a Matthew Taylor volley secured a 1-0 victory at the KC Stadium.

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Having been the better side in the first half, Hull fell behind only five minutes into the second period with Taylor volleying home from the edge of the area after the hosts had failed to clear a Gavin McCann corner.

Phil Brown welcomed his former employers to the KC Stadium having lost back-to-back games for the first time in 11 months, while Gary Megson's side chased consecutive victories for the first time this season.

Yet, the game opened flat. And it was left to Paul McShane - not renowned for his flair - to provide the only bright spot of a dour opening ten minutes. Receiving the ball on the right, he sauntered past Ricardo Gardner and fed Daniel Cousin - who was felled but ushered to his feet by referee Alan Wiley.

It was a quarter of an hour before the first shot and it came from Geovanni - cutting in from the right he fired straight at Jussi Jaaskelainen. In truth, it was a tame effort but proved to be the fillip the game required.

Bolton went long for Kevin Davies to touch down for Johan Elmander to volley wide, but it was Marlon King's effort a moment later that almost heralded the game's first goal.

Geovanni's cross was too high for the on-loan striker, but, improvising, the forward jumped and back-heeled the ball goalwards - Jaaskalainen looked on hopelessly as it looped over him onto the crossbar.

Half an hour in and Hull were firmly in the ascendancy. Dean Marney having a shot blocked following fine build up play and then Cousin heading wide.

With moments to go in the half, Bolton served a reminder to their hosts that they were still firmly in contention. A relatively innocuous cross was dealt with by neither McShane or keeper Boaz Myhill allowing Ricardo Gardner to hook the ball across an unguarded goal. But, unfortunately for Bolton, no one had gambled on the kind break of the ball so it was left to Kamil Zayatte to hook clear.

Bolton started the second half the brighter and deserved their lead following a concerted period of pressure, but bar a ten minute spell after that goal Hull dominated.

Hull and, in particular, Geovanni had a host of chances to draw level, but, making his 400th League start for Wanderers, Jaaskelainen was equal to all of them.

First, the Brazilian saw a trade mark free-kick clawed away by the Finnish international and then was denied from the edge of the area. But the save of this personal duel came from a Geovanni free header following a Marney free-kick - although it wasn't the save of the match.

That came from a deflected King effort. Having received the ball with his back to goal, he rolled his man and fired viciously towards goal; the power on the shot would have made it an impressive save but the fact that the ball took a deflection made it sensational.

Yet, it wasn't all Hull. Goalscorer Taylor saw two free-kicks blocked and Jaaskelainen even found time to set up a break away. It was his long throw out that saw substitute Ebi Smolarek through on goal - his shot flying just over Myhill's bar.

Hull had one last chance to salvage a point but Ian Ashbee couldn't get over the ball and his thunderous volley fizzed over Jaaskelainen's goal.

As the final whistle blew Jaaskelainen was mobbed by his team mates.