🔗 Share this article

Against a backdrop of sleet, flurries, and a biting wind off the banks of the Humber Estuary, alongside a resolute Hull City side pushing hard for a top-flight place, this had all the ingredients of a difficult evening’s task for Chelsea.

"We could have scored more but the opposition are a strong team and it was a difficult fixture; I am delighted with the performance," the manager stated. "Hull City is very special to me so it was great to get a positive reception from both sets of fans. The attitude of the lads was excellent."

Liam Rosenior holds this city close to his heart, considering part of his family hail from Hull and his enjoyable period in management of the Tigers. This happy association was extended with a magnificent performance from his squad, who in the end sauntered into the next round of the famous old competition.

Deadly Edge Seals Comfortable Win

Three days after surrendering a two-goal lead in the league, there was a sniff of vulnerability about them going into this potentially tricky tie. The packed home support evidently felt it too, but Rosenior's men handled the task with ease.

The manager rang the changes, making seven of them to his starting lineup. The match could and perhaps ought to have been settled long before it eventually was, with two Estêvão Willian and the forward at fault for missing glorious chances to put their side in front in the opening period.

But, luckily for the away team, their Portuguese attacker was in a far more ruthless frame of mind. He broke the deadlock with a spectacular distance effort, which proved to be the catalyst for his team to assume control of the match. By the final whistle, they had 4 goals, with Neto scoring a trio of them for a superb three-goal haul.

Delap's Redemption and Influence

Hull displayed great fight throughout, but the better opportunities always fell Chelsea’s way. Estêvão ought to have broken the deadlock when he rounded keeper the Hull stopper before unbelievably firing over. The striker then had a comparable nightmare incident in front of goal against his old team.

He deflected a Phillips's kick which came off the bar, and Delap started to celebrate thinking the ball had gone over the line. It had not, and by the time he understood, Hull's defenders had reacted to avert the danger.

The player had his head in his hands after that miss, but he was hugely influential from that point onward, registering three assists. The opening was for the first goal as his through ball set up his teammate to finish from outside the box. Shortly after the second half began, it was two as the forward's set-piece went directly in through Phillips's legs.

Contest Sealed and Focus Turns

Seven minutes after Neto’s second goal, the tie was effectively ended as a magnificent dribble from Delap teed up his teammate to tap into an empty net. The hat-trick hero then finished his treble as Delap once again delivered the decisive ball for the striker to calmly convert by a helpless goalkeeper.

At that point, the effort Hull had put in in the opening half-hour had long since forgotten. Their priority must now return to achieving a promotion to the top division under their manager, who left out a number of key individuals with that aim in mind.

"I think we earned at least one goal but if we play like this we will be in a very good situation in the Championship," the Hull manager commented. "Never surrender, maybe in the upcoming games this can be a positive example of how we must play."

Hull showed great endeavour to the end, and they nearly got a consolation when Lewis Koumas hit a post in stoppage time. But this was Chelsea’s night, and another encouraging stride for their recently-appointed head coach at a stadium he knows very well.

Cup Omens Are Good

That resulted in an in the end straightforward night's work, and the FA Cup-shaped omens are good from here for the winners. They have played Hull on three other occasions in this competition in the past ten years and on each occasion, they have gone on to reach the showpiece. Much still done in that regard, but this was another huge tick for Rosenior.