Veteran striker Dean Windass struck a brilliant hat-trick as Hull demolished sorry relegation rivals Southend.

Windass, who is on loan at his hometown club until the end of the season, opened the scoring three minutes before the break by tapping home the rebound after his penalty had been parried by Darryl Flahavan.

He was on hand to fire home the second 18 minutes from time after an error from the otherwise superb Flahavan, and completed his treble with a magnificent volley six minutes later.

Windass then released Sam Ricketts to score the fourth nine minutes from time.

Southend - who failed to trouble Hull goalkeeper Bo Myhill until Lee Bradbury forced him to push away a right-footed drive in stoppage time - are now five points adrift of Hull in the table.

Hull carved out the first opening of the contest, with Stuart Elliott and Nicky Forster combining well to release Windass, who was flagged offside as he drilled a low shot into the corner of the net.

Hull then came desperately close when Peter Clarke diverted Forster's low cut-back from the right towards his own goal, and Flahavan somehow tipped the ball against the crossbar.

Minutes later Clarke performed heroics to clear Damien Delaney's goalbound header off the line after Ray Parlour's free-kick.

From another set piece, Flahavan stretched to brilliantly claw away Andy Dawson's curling 25-yard free-kick as Hull continued to press.

The goal eventually came just before the break when Lee Peltier, making his debut after joining on loan from Liverpool, tumbled over Efe Sodje's leg.

Although the resulting penalty from Windass was parried by Flahavan, Windass stabbed home the rebound.

Hull could have doubled their lead in the opening stages of the second period, but Flahavan pushed away Elliott's angled left-footed shot, and Forster could not force home the rebound.

Southend started to finally show some fight, with Freddy Eastwood more central to the attacking play, but Hull were again denied by the woodwork after hitting the visitors on the break.

Elliott released Forster, who twisted onto his right foot 15 yards out and blasted a shot against the underside of the crossbar.

Hull found the vital second goal when Flahavan failed to gather Dawson's free-kick and Windass pounced to fire home from point-blank range.

Dawson was again the provider for Windass' hat-trick goal, as he swung in a deep cross from the left for his team-mate to score with a magnificent first-time right-footed volley from 12 yards.

Moments later, Windass held the ball up and played in Ricketts, who rolled an angled right-footed shot into the net via the far post to complete the rout.

Teams:

Hull Myhill, Ricketts, Turner, Delaney, Dawson,Parlour (Coles 88), Ashbee, Peltier (Marney 83), Forster,Windass (Vaz Te 86), Elliott.

Subs Not Used: Duke, Bridges.

Goals: Windass 43, 73, 79, Ricketts 81.

Southend Flahavan, Francis, Clarke, Sodje, Hunt,Campbell-Ryce (Harrold 71), Gower, Maher, Foran, Eastwood,Bradbury.

Subs Not Used: Collis, Prior, Hammell, Moussa.

Booked: Foran, Sodje, Hunt.

Att: 19,629

Ref: L Mason (Lancashire).