Hull City were well beaten by battling Derby County on a disappointing night at Pride Park.
Goals from Craig Forsyth, Tom Lawrence and Festy Ebosele secured a convincing Rams win, with Forsyth also putting through his own net.
Shota Arveladze handed full debuts to two of his deadline day signings as the Tigers showed four changes from the team narrowly beaten by Preston North End.
January additions Liam Walsh and Marcus Forss both started, along with fit-again Lewie Coyle and Alfie Jones.
Di’Shon Bernard, Richie Smallwood, Ryan Longman and Tom Eaves dropped to the bench, with George Honeyman taking the captain’s armband.
In a frenetic opening, Keane Lewis-Potter’s rasping half-volley was pushed away by a flying Ryan Allsop as City started with plenty of attacking intent.
Forss’ snap-shot from the resulting corner was straight at the home custodian and the forward’s fizzing 15th-minute cross was headed over by Lewis-Potter at the front post.
Derby opened the scoring on 19 minutes as Jason Knight swung a sumptuous first-time cross towards the far post, where Forsyth rose above Coyle to loop a superb header into the top corner.
It was almost two as Knight’s driven cross towards Luke Plange was intercepted by Sean McLoughlin and ricocheted to safety off his own keeper.
Wayne Rooney’s Rams were causing problems down the City left and doubled their advantage eight minutes before the break.
Ebosele breezed away from Brandon Fleming and his low centre was pushed out by Matt Ingram into the path of Lawrence, who kept his composure to slot home from close range.
The rampant Rams could have had a third as Max Bird twisted and turned on the edge of the box before unleashing a fierce effort which Ingram palmed behind.
A difficult evening worsened two minutes into the second half as Ebosele rifled an unerring angled drive inside the far post from Lawrence’s threaded pass.
City pulled a goal back on 65 minutes after dazzling wing play from Fleming, who darted infield away from Ebosele and crossed into the six-yard box.
His low centre narrowly eluded Lewis-Potter at the front post but Forsyth stuck out his right leg and inadvertently poked the ball into his own net.
Arveladze made his full complement of substitutions, bringing on Eaves, Allahyar Sayyadmanesh and Tom Huddlestone, but a comeback never looked likely.
McLoughlin fired wide via a deflection after a mad penalty-box scramble from a corner deep in stoppage time as the Tigers fell to a second straight defeat.
Derby County (4-2-3-1): Ryan Allsop, Nathan Byrne, Curtis Davies, Craig Forsyth, Lee Buchanan; Max Bird, Krystian Bielik (Liam Thompson 81’); Festy Ebosele (Louie Sibley 69’), Tom Lawrence, Jason Knight; Luke Plange (Malcolm Ebiowei 93’).
Subs not used: Kelle Roos, Max Bardell, Jack Stretton, Eiran Cashin.
Hull City (3-4-1-2): Matt Ingram; Alfie Jones, Sean McLoughlin, Jacob Greaves; Lewie Coyle (Tom Eaves 75’), Liam Walsh, Greg Docherty (Tom Huddlestone 88’), Brandon Fleming; George Honeyman ©; Marcus Forss, Keane Lewis-Potter (Allahyar Sayyadmanesh 65’).
Subs not used: Harvey Cartwright, Richie Smallwood, Ryan Longman, Di’Shon Bernard.
Attendance: 22,595