Macclesfield Town moved into the bottom two after conceding a shoddy defensive goal moments before the break.
Hull's £230,000 summer signing Stuart Elliott continued to pay off his fee when he rose above the defence to head home a pin-point Richard Appleby cross.
The striker left Tigers manager Peter Taylor purring about his muscular frontman.
"He's an excellent leaper and is very powerful in the air," he said.
"He's now beginning to hit top form and like the rest of my players, was outstanding tonight.
"I could not have asked for any more from any of them." Macclesfield manager David Moss was more concerned about his side's fatal lapse in concentration.
"It was a shoddy defensive mistake, no better than schoolboy defending," he said.
"It was an excellent cross from Appleby but he shouldn't have been allowed to make the delivery and after that Elliott outjumped our defender." He also admitted that his side lacked punch up front, Tigers keeper Alan Fettis not having to make a single meaningful save all night.
Indeed it was Hull who could have added more goals in either half.
In the 16th minute Shaun Smith saw a rasping low drive fumbled by keeper Steve Wilson allowing Elliott to have a close-range shot, but he could only pick out left back Danny Adams on the line.
In the 71st minute Jon Walters rounded his marker before forcing a sharp reaction save from Wilson. The ball fell to Jamie Forrester but he could only lash the rebound over the bar from 15 yards.
Moss said: "That's out ninth home defeat. The players are edgy at home.
"Tonight when we strung four or five passes together you could hear some of the fans shouting at them and the players just look at each other and wonder why."