What madness is this? Boro actually living up to expectations winning one of these talked-up Must Win games and scoring three goals in the process? Truly, these are strange times.

I'll admit it: I wasn't sure we could actually beat Hull. I was on the verge of writing Boro off after they had squandered countless chances to drag themselves out of the sediment of the drop zone, and when Hull equalised after barely six minutes of being behind my heart sank faster than a Titanic constructed out of masonry. The gut-wrenching feeling of false hope drowned out by a wave of bitter disappointment was all too familiar.

Of course, we defied precedent and went on to win the game, and with favourable results elsewhere hope is now blooming around Teesside once again. We're still not safe but after one uplifting win we don't seem nearly as deep in trouble as we did a weekend ago. And if this is madness, there is method in it.

Phil Brown had stated that the game was a "Must Not Lose" for Hull, but unless that statement was an unsuccessful bluff his team let him down. Far from being steely and impenetrable, the Tigers were acquiescent to the attacking intents of probably the most gung-ho team the Riverside stadium has bore witness to since Steve "Dutch" McClaren threw on four strikers in those memorable UEFA Cup second legs three seasons ago.

Gone are the days when a lethal strike force of Hasselbaink, Viduka and Yakubu plundered almost fifty goals between them in that odyssey of a season, but Southgate clearly remembered the gambit because there were no fewer than five attacking players in the starting line-up. Alves and King started up front with Tuncay and Aliadiere pushing forwards from nominal midfield positions and Stewey Downing also getting forward with relish. Matthew Bates was given the midfield anchor role, but given he's a defender by trade the team was essentially split in half: five stayed back to defend and the other five threw themselves at Hull.

Hull had set up with a five man midfield but the primacy of "Must Not Lose" was clearly lost on them, because Boro were ahead within three minutes. The goal was a product of the excessive firepower on the field- Alves exchanged passes with King and his early shot was parried into the path of Tuncay, who slotted the rebound from a tight angle. There were simply too many strikers for Hull to pick up.

Of course, this being Boro, a bright start is only the light at the entrance of the tunnel. Hull won a corner which went out to former Riverside regular Nick Barmby, and his ball back into the box was headed in by Manucho. Less than ten minutes gone and back to level terms.

It was perhaps fortunate that the setback occurred so early because there was plenty of time to recover from the blow. We could have actually gone behind as Mendy was put clean through, but Brad Jones made a heroic lunge to thwart him. Crisis averted, we went ahead again shortly before half-time, and for all the hordes of forwards on the pitch it was a pair of defenders who did the damage. Anthony McMahon was an unusual taker of the corner, but his ball got through to the toe of Bates, who half-volleyed home at close range.

It set up a tense second half that saw all kinds of drama: Ali had a penalty claim, Wheater had to make a goal-line clearance and Stewey cut inside from the by-line and smashed a right-foot shot into the Hull keeper from point blank range. The tension was almost unbearable and true to form there was a last-minute goal. For a change it went in the right end, and instead of a heart-breaking climax there was an ecstatic.

In one of those twists of fate football offers up with unerring regularity, the final goal was a tale of two former players. One-time Boro captain George Boateng was dallying in possession just outside his own area in the last minute of normal time when the tireless Aliadiere hassled him into making a mistake and losing his footing. The ball ran free for Marlon King - ex of Hull City - who raced through on goal and finished emphatically to spark scenes of wild celebration across the ground.

King has always been a controversial character even before he first drew attention at Nottingham Forest, and Phil Brown was remorseless in the post-match interview, claiming that King's long list of clubs was evidence of his unsavoury personality. Clearly the two had fallen out at the end of King's loan spell at Hull, and Southgate astutely sensed that the striker had a point to prove against the Tigers. Consider it proven.

Hull are a weird old team. At the beginning of the season they looked like the unlikely success story of the year, and with Boateng now playing for them I wished them nothing but good fortune, but since Christmas they've been in free fall and now look like one of the teams we could climb above if we're to avoid relegation. Their nose-dive in form and league position must be terrifying for their fans and this result was doubly significant because it puts us much closer to them. They may be in 15th but they're only four points clear of us, and if they carry on they could even drop beneath us.

The other results of the day were also beneficial. We were the only team in the bottom eight to win and with the travelling circus that is Newcastle United only managing a draw we're now level with them. Sunderland are hardly safe either, sitting just two points above us, and it looks like two of the North East teams could go down.

All this means we still have hope. The manner of the win - the three goals and Southgate's uber-offensive tactics in particular - shows we still have some fight left in us and if we beat Fulham at home next weekend and see another round of favourable results then we might even be out of the relegation places by next Monday. Of course, Fulham are no mugs under Roy Hodgson and have started winning away recently, so nothing is set in stone. It's still a Must Win and until we've won it dreams of survival are just flights of fancy. It's down to the team to make the dream a reality.