NICK Proschwitz's strike just before half-time gave Hull City a deserved 2-1 win over a stubborn Mansfield Town.
In the third successive night of Tigers football, the reserves followed in the footsteps of Steve Bruce's first team and Billy Russell's youth side.
Stephen Clemence's team made it two wins from the three but they were made to withstand a few jittery moments before securing the points.
It was a strong Tigers side that took to the field with Egyptian international Ahmed Fathi forming a strong central midfield partnership with former Nigerian international Seyi Olofinjana.
Fellow first-team squad members Andy Dawson, Tom Cairney and £2.5m striker Nick Proschwitz made it a formidable Tigers line-up.
But it was Mansfield, who only had one substitute on the bench, who took a surprise seventh-minute lead. Nick Wright had time to cross for an unmarked Ben Hutchinson to head past Mark Oxley.
But the Stags' lead barely lasted two minutes.
Tom Cairney drifted in from the right hand side and played a clever one-two with Danny Emerton before his shot took a wicked deflection over Shane Redmond to make it 1-1.
Both sides created chances but were unable to trouble either keeper.
Will Aimson was in the right place at the right time to clear the danger from under his crossbar when Mansfield threatened.
But the game swung City's way two minutes before the break.
Proschwitz found some space on the edge of the box and curled a shot for the top corner but was denied by a lick of paint on the crossbar.
The chance awoke the big German who was off target with a couple of easier chances earlier in the half.
Barely a minute later, the German put City ahead for the first time, when he ran on to Cairney's through ball and fired past Redmond with a first-time shot.
Unfortunately for the supporters who braved the cold weather, the second half failed to live up to the standard set in the first. Wright should have troubled Oxley when the ball came to him at the back post but he lacked composure and fired high and wide.
Andy Todd squandered another good opportunity for the Stags but his finish didn't match the superb cross-field pass that found him from Louis Briscoe.
City's chances were few and far between after half-time with McCaffrey forcing a save from Redmond but his back post header was tame.
Fathi should have scored but he blazed over when a more subtle chip over the grounded Redmond would have sufficed. Proschwitz, to his credit, kept running all night and his blocked shot was the last half-chance of the night.
Overall, City were good value for their win, but Mansfield made it tough for them.Tigers: Oxley, Dillon (Armstrong 72), McElroy, Olofinjana, Aimson (Clarkson 72), Dawson, Emerton, Fathi, Proschwitz, Cairney, McCaffrey (Jahraldo-Martin 72).
