The pair struck within two first-half minutes of each other to settle a tense and eventful Barclays Premier League survival tussle at the KC Stadium.

Ian Ashbee gave Hull late hope in a game which saw the Tigers’ Dean Marney and Blackburn’s Morten Gamst Pedersen sent off but Rovers held on.

Hull could have few complaints about Marney’s 63rd-minute dismissal for kicking Pedersen between the legs while the Norwegian saw red soon after for a second booking.

Rovers’ victory saw manager Sam Allardyce get one over his former assistant Phil Brown in the opposite dugout and increase their chances of escaping relegation.

The Lancashire side – allowed into the game by a Matt Duke error – are now just three points behind Hull, whose freefall continued into an 11th game without a win.

There were also questions being asked of Brown by supporters after he controversially took off playmaker Geovanni in the second half.

Blackburn’s performance justified Allardyce’s decision to change his entire team for the midweek FA Cup loss to Coventry.

He reverted to a familiar line-up but had to play the second half without first-choice goalkeeper Paul Robinson, who was injured in a heavy challenge. Jason Brown deputised.

The game got off to a fiery start with Warnock booked with less than a minute on the clock for hacking down Bernard Mendy.

Rovers had an early chance when El-Hadji Diouf jumped to head on a bouncing ball but Duke was untroubled.

Marney had Hull’s first shot after Geovanni kept an attack going with an overhead kick but Andrews blocked.

Mendy also tried his luck from distance wide on the right but Robinson collected comfortably.

A fine crossfield ball from Mendy also put Geovanni through on goal but the Brazilian’s first touch was poor.

Michael Turner, with five goals to his name already this season, brought a fine save out of Robinson with a firm header from a Marney free-kick but Mendy had already been given offside.

Geovanni threatened with a good run from halfway and was aggrieved not to win a free-kick after being dispossessed by Christopher Samba on the edge of the area.

Geovanni also tested Robinson with a header but again a flag was raised for offside.

Blackburn grabbed the lead against the run of play in the 34th minute after Duke failed to gather a deflected Pedersen shot.

Roque Santa Cruz quickly nipped in and pulled back for the onrushing Warnock to coolly clip into the top of an unguarded net.

They doubled their lead just a minute later as Warnock raced into the area from a Santa Cruz lay-off and squared for Andrews to turn home.

Turner was booked for a heavy challenge on Robinson just before the interval and the Rovers goalkeeper left the field gingerly at half-time after receiving treatment.

It proved a serious enough injury to prevent him returning and Brown duly took his place.

Duke was the first keeper to be tested after the break as Vince Grella struck fiercely from 20 yards but he parried to safety.

Brown gave it just seven minutes before making changes, taking off Kevin Kilbane and Geovanni for Daniel Cousin and Nick Barmby.

Geovanni shook his head when his number was raised and the crowd voiced their displeasure with a howl of boos.

Santa Cruz headed wide on the hour after Diouf headed in his direction.

Hull were reduced to 10 men when Marney was sent off for kicking a prostrate Pedersen in the privates after being fouled by the Norwegian, who was also booked.

Hull’s fans appealed for a penalty after Turner appeared to be pushed by Samba but Martin Atkinson, at the centre of attention, gave nothing.

Pedersen followed Marney to the dressing room after 70 minutes when he was given his second yellow card for a late tackle on Kamil Zayatte.

Ashbee gave Hull late hope when he blasted a crisp volley past Brown from a Mendy cross with 12 minutes remaining.

Andy Dawson was booked for a foul on Diouf on the edge of the area but the Senegal international also earned a yellow card for claiming he should have had a penalty.

Allardyce decided to withdraw Diouf for his own good soon after.

Dawson brought a fine save out of Brown with a strong shot in injury time and Turner also shot wide as Hull finished strongly but the game ended in now familiar frustration.