Hull came from behind to beat Stoke 2-1 at the KC Stadium to ease the pressure on Phil Brown.
Goals from Olofinjana and Hesselink cancel out Potters opener
Hull City came from behind to beat Stoke City 2-1 at the KC Stadium to ease the pressure on under-fire manager Phil Brown.
Many presumed that another defeat for Hull and Brown would have been sacked but having been given a vote of confidence from the board earlier in the day, the Tigers seemed refreshed.
However they fell behind just as they were beginning to stamp their authority on the game when Matthew Etherington got in behind Bernard Mendy to smash past Matt Duke in the Hull goal on 29 minutes.
That was the way it stayed until just after the hour mark when Seyi Olofinjana curled home from 25 yards to leave Thomas Sorensen with no chance.
Both sides began to tire at the end and the visitors' cause was not helped when captain Abdoulaye Faye was dismissed for two yellow cards with three minutes to go and substitute Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink made him pay when he thundered home after Sorensen could only parry Jimmy Bullard's speculative effort.
Hull started with determination and Bullard, playing as Brown made five changes for what had been billed as a do-or-die match for the manager, was immediately to the fore.
The former Fulham man had his first chance when he fired well over after five minutes and then went closer with a low shot that went narrowly wide moments later.
Ricardo Fuller shot from similar range as Stoke enjoyed their first chance but Matt Duke, continuing to deputise for the injured Boaz Myhill, parried.
Mendy made an even more ambitious attempt for Hull from just inside the Stoke half but it flew wildly into the crowd.
The Frenchman then played in recalled striker Jozy Altidore but the American shot across the face of goal.
Richard Garcia managed to get a shot away as he closed in on keeper Thomas Sorensen but Glenn Whelan slid in to deflect behind.
Opener
Mendy, however, showed his weakness in defence when he was booked for a late challenge on Etherington as Stoke launched a counter-attack.
Garcia should then have done better as Stephen Hunt floated in a cross to the back post but Sorensen dealt easily with his header.
Mendy was found wanting as Etherington raced onto a long ball from Ryan Shawcross down the right and burst into the area to give Stoke the lead after 30 minutes.
Etherington was completely unchallenged as he ran through and beat Duke at the near post.
The goal came against the run of play but Hull responded well and Altidore headed narrowly wide after Garcia had twice been given an opportunity to cross.
Olofinjana looked to have an even better chance before the interval but opted to pass instead of shooting and Stoke cleared.
Hull were then fortunate not to go 2-0 down as Anthony Gardner almost turned the ball into his own net after 54 minutes.
Etherington played a one-two with Fuller and his cross looked goalbound after being diverted by Gardner but the wrong-footed Duke just managed to get a touch to force it wide.
That save kept Hull in the game and Olofinjana claimed a superb equaliser just after the hour that made amends for his earlier profligacy.
Collecting the ball from Hunt, the Nigerian turned two Stoke players on the edge of the area and then clipped a curling shot over Sorensen and into the top corner.
It was his first goal since scoring for Stoke against Arsenal a year ago and the manner of it begged the question of why he did not shoot earlier, or when he was similarly placed at Burnley last week.
Hull caused further alarm in the Stoke area when Sorensen failed to claim an Altidore header but Craig Fagan was unable to scramble the ball in.
Survived a scare
Hull survived a scare with eight minutes remaining when Whelan lofted in a free-kick and Ryan Shawcross hit the bar with a looping header.
Stoke were left hanging on after Faye was dismissed with eight minutes remaining as a late challenge on Nick Barmby earned a second yellow card.
Pulis responded by taking off substitute Tuncay Sanli, who had been on the field just six minutes, and putting on Andy Wilkinson.
The extra defender did not help and Vennegoor of Hesselink, who had himself just come off the bench, was on hand to score the winner after a Bullard shot was beaten out by Sorensen.
