Pedro Neto Fires Hat-Trick as The Blues Deliver Manager Rosenior with Joyous Homecoming to Hull

Amid freezing rain, flurries, and a biting wind off the waters of the Humber Estuary, combined with a determined home side fighting for a top-flight place, this had all the ingredients of a difficult evening’s work for the visitors.

"We could have scored more but Hull are a good team and it was a difficult tie; I’m very pleased with the display," he said. "Hull City is very special to me so it was great to get a positive reception from the fans of supporters. The attitude of the players was excellent."

The Chelsea manager has this place dear to him, given part of his family are from Hull and his enjoyable spell in management of the Championship club. His positive association was extended with a commanding performance from his squad, who ultimately strolled into the fifth round of the famous old competition.

Deadly Finishing Secures Comfortable Victory

Three days after surrendering a two-goal advantage in the league, there was a hint of fragility about them going into this potentially tricky tie. The capacity home crowd clearly sensed it too, but Rosenior's men navigated the challenge with ease.

Rosenior rang the changes, making multiple of them to his XI. The tie could and perhaps ought to have been settled earlier than it actually was, with two Estêvão Willian and the forward at fault for spurning excellent opportunities to put their side ahead in the opening period.

However, fortunately for the away team, their Portuguese attacker was in a far more clinical frame of mind. He broke the deadlock with a marvellous long-range strike, which proved to be the spark for Chelsea to take control of the match. By full time, they had four, with the forward scoring three of them for a superb three-goal haul.

Delap's Redemption and Influence

Hull displayed great spirit all game, but the clearer opportunities always came Chelsea’s way. Estêvão should have opened the deadlock when he went past keeper Dillon Phillips before unbelievably firing over. The striker then had a similar nightmare incident in front of goal against his former club.

He deflected a the goalkeeper's kick which came off the crossbar, and Delap began to celebrate believing the ball had gone over the line. It had not, and by the time he realised, Hull's backline had reacted to clear the danger.

The player had his head in his hands after that moment, but he was hugely influential from that point onward, providing 3 key passes. The opening was for the first goal as his through ball teed up Neto to finish from range. Six minutes after the restart, it was 2-0 as Neto's corner went directly in under Phillips's legs.

Tie Put Beyond Doubt and Attention Shifts

Soon after the second goal, the tie was put beyond doubt as a dazzling dribble from the forward laid on his teammate to slide into an unguarded goal. Neto then completed his hat-trick as Delap once again delivered the crucial pass for the attacker to coolly convert past a helpless Phillips.

By that stage, the work Hull had done in the opening half-hour had been erased. Their priority must now switch back to achieving a return to the top division under Sergej Jakirovic, who rested a number of key players 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," he said. "Keep fighting, maybe in the upcoming matches this can be a positive lesson of how we should play."

Hull showed great endeavour to the final whistle, and they nearly claimed a consolation when a substitute struck a post in stoppage time. But this was the Blues' night, and another encouraging step forward for their recently-appointed manager at a place he knows intimately.

Cup History Are Promising

That made for an in the end straightforward evening’s performance, and the cup competition omens are positive from here for Chelsea. They have faced Hull on three other times in this competition in the past ten years and every single time, they have gone on to reach the final. There is remains to be done in that respect, but this was another huge positive for Rosenior.