Crysencio Summerville won and then converted a dramatic late penalty which sent Leeds United back up into second.
The Dutchman was felled by Regan Slater’s clumsy challenge and stepped up to score in the 88th minute, sending Elland Road wild.
Leeds substitute Joel Piroe had attempted to put himself forward as the penalty taker but Summerville grabbed the ball and blasted home before Dan James added a spectacular late third.
It is 15 league games unbeaten for Daniel Farke’s side as belief grows that they can seal an immediate return to the Premier League.
An emotionally fraught evening saw tributes paid to honour Leeds fans Christopher Loftus and Kevin Speight as the 24th anniversary of their deaths approaches. The pair were murdered in Istanbul on April 5, 2000, the day before Leeds played their UEFA Cup semi-final at Galatasaray.
With Hull having a Turkish owner in Acun Ilicali and supporters often waving Turkey flags during matches, both clubs issued a joint statement before kick-off which said: ‘We ask for respect from both sets of supporters.’
When the teams took to the field ahead of kick-off, fans joined together in a minute of applause and, with members of the Loftus and Speight families in attendance, Leeds began brightly.
In the ninth minute, they went ahead. Georginio Rutter showed some clever footwork before finding Summerville inside the left channel with a superb pass.
Summerville drove forward and unleashed a shot which Ryan Allsop could only parry. The ball flew up in the air and to the far post where right back Sam Byram arrived to bundle home.
Leeds should have doubled their advantage midway through the first half when Summerville crossed low for Patrick Bamford, who spooned his left-foot shot horribly over the bar from inside the six-yard box.
In the 24th minute, referee Josh Smith halted play as fans rose to applaud in honour of Loftus and Speight. Images of both men were shown on the big screen at Elland Road as both sets of players applauded.
Hull’s slick passing began to tell and in the 34th minute they were level.
Tyler Morton broke down the left and crossed to the near post where Fabio Carvalho finished deftly past Illan Meslier. It was no more than Liam Rosenior’s men deserved.
In the 50th minute, the ubiquitous Philogene created the space to curl a 25-yard shot just wide of Meslier’s far post.
Leeds appealed for a penalty in the 66th minute after Gray went down inside the box under a challenge from Jean Michael Seri but referee Smith was unmoved.
At the other end of the field, chances grew scarce for Leeds and Farke replaced Bamford with promising youngster Mateo Joseph.
Joseph who scored twice against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the FA Cup recently, went close to converting Junior Firpo’s low cross from the left flank before Summerville’s penalty proved decisive.
There was still time for James to fire into an empty net with Allsop out of his goal, capping an incredible ending.
