City needed penalty kicks to beat plucky Rovers
Yuri Ribeiro of Blackburn Rovers controls the ball whilst under pressure from David Akintola(Image: Getty Images)
It’s been 2,199 long days since Hull City last tasted victory in the FA Cup third round, when they were 3-2 winners at Rotherham United in January 2020, but they finally ended that run.
David Akintola’s winning penalty kick after an awful game finished 0-0 against Blackburn Rovers sealed their passage through into round four for the first time in six years.
As first halves of football go, there can’t have been too many worse in recent memory when it came to entertainment and attacking intent. Few expected this to be a thrilling tie when the draw was made last month, and based on the crowd that turned up, coupled with the display from both sides, it lived up to the billing.
Even being 4-0 down to Boro at the start of December felt, in some perverse kind of way, more entertaining. The second half was mildly better before extra-time reached levels of excitement not previously seen, with David Akintola hitting the crossbar, before spot-kicks proved decisive with Sergej Jakirovic winning his first as boss and City finally getting through and winning a cup tie.
Jakirovic went strong with only three changes from the side he picked to face Watford last Sunday in a game that didn’t go ahead, with Dillion Phillips handed a first start since the League Cup clash at Wrexham in August. Akin Famewo and Darko Gyabi also started, along with Liam Millar and Oli McBurnie. There were eight changes made by Rovers with ex-City man Sean McLoughlin named on the bench. There was a late change to City’s line-up with Kasey Palmer coming in for Matt Crooks, who felt a tight hamstring in the warm-up.
City were forced into another early change with Darko Gyabi going down with nobody near him and immediately holding his head in his hands. He was able to limp off, looking somewhat upset, and was replaced by Regan Slater.
An awful first 20 minutes saw Rovers settle the better, before the lively Palmer had two shots blocked and from that, Coyle’s cross was headed over by Millar.
Brandon Powell was booked after half an hour for a lunge on the marauding Coyle, in one of the more exciting moments of a first half that had started as low-key as was physically possible.
The high point of a depressing first half in near sub-zero temperatures and driving rain was a shot from Millar, which was blocked by Toth in the Rovers’ goal. So much of a spectator, he must have developed frostbite.
Early in the second half, Connor O’Riordan was booked for hauling down McBurnie after a neat turn in the middle of the park, before Millar angled over his volley from Amir’s short corner.
Kristi Montgomery was replaced by Moussa Baradji 10 minutes into the second period after landing awkwardly, in what had been a half of mild improvement from the home side.
The hosts were playing with a little more intent but were struggling to carve out meaningful chances to test Toth in the Rovers goal, despite raising the tempo from below zero into something resembling first gear. Yuki Ohashi was on for the final 20 minutes in place of Nathan Dlamini, while Aodhan Doherty replaced Powell.
Ndala scooped over after Amir won the ball and played him through inside right channel. Sean McLoughlin then came on for Erin Cashin, and De Neve was replaced by Yuri Ribeiro for the final 15 minutes of normal time.
Less than nine minutes were left when David Akintola and Kyle Joseph replaced Palmer and Ndala, and had a chance at the death but couldn’t sort his feet out. Amir’s shot deflected into the side-netting as City pushed to avoid extra time. Cathal McCarthy replaced Millar in added time. City’s attacking threat summed up by Amir’s corner in the final minute being cleared at the near post.
At the start of extra time, George Pratt came on for Rovers, replacing O’Riordan and then Slater was flattened inside the Rovers box, only for the referee to give a goal-kick. A perplexing decision.
Hughes’ cross was met by McBurnie who forced a five save from Toth, before Akintola crunched one off the bar Axel Henriksson then forced Phillips into his first save after 103 minutes. Doherty should have scored in the second half of extra time when he raced clear but could only poke wide at the near post.
Matty Jacob was next to join the never-ending contest when he came on for Drameh, who looked to have picked up an injury and after what felt like a lifetime, it went to penalties.
Dillon Phillips saved twice from the penalty spot, with David Akintola scoring the winning goal to send City through to the fourth round of the FA Cup, and make it worth the wait.
Hull City: Phillips, Coyle (c), Famewo, Hughes, Drameh, Amir, Gyabi, Palmer, Millar, Ndala, McBurnie. Subs: Pandur, Akintola, Egan, Jacob, Joseph, Slater, Parker, McCarthy.
Blackburn Rovers: Toth, Gardner-Hickman, Miller (c), De Neve, Henriksson, Cashin, O’Riodan, Montgomery, Atcheson, Powell, Dlamini. Subs: Michalski, Pickering, Ribeiro, McLoughlin, Ohashi, Baradji, Tyjon, Pratt, Doherty.
Referee: Will Finnie
Attendance: 6,627 (around 400 from Rovers)
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