Soccer gossip: Inquests on Leeds, Hull, Doncaster. Blades, Millers

Just over 4,000 supporters turned out at rain-sodden Valley Parade, but they were rewarded for their stoicism with a classic round-three cup tie which saw Nahki-Wells inspired City rise from the dead after trailing 2-0 with just seven minutes to go to secure extra time - before unlikely match-winner Stephen Darby fired home in the 115th minute to book the hosts a place in the last 16 of the League Cup for the first time in 24 years.

But while Darby was the talk of the city - with claret-and-amber fans dreaming of a plum fourth-round tie with one of the big guns such as Manchester United, Liverpool or Chelsea - boss Parkinson heaped praise on Doyle for getting the surface in pristine condition despite the incessant rain in the first half of the week which has saturated the north.

Despite the rain deluge, City’s pitch was devoid of surface water and puddles with their new verti-drainage system, installed in the summer, doing its job and the game never in doubt.

Parkinson said: “Mick Doyle was definitely my man of the match. He gets ten out of ten from me.

“Sometimes you have unsung heroes in football clubs and the effort Mick and his team put in to get it on was outstanding.

“I don’t think anybody thought it would be, but the surface was fantastic. Once the teams are here, nobody wants to see it called off, so it was fantastic.”

The draw for the fourth round takes place this evening, with Sheffield Wednesday failing to book their place in the hat after losing at 2-0 at Dave Jones’ old club Southampton - as the Owls slumped to their straight fifth straight reverse.

A double from Jay Rodriguez booked the Saints’ passage, with Jones criticising his porous defence, who have leaked twenty goals in ten league and cup games this term.

He said: “We made just as many chances as them, but we have to keep the back door shut. It is simple. There is no magic formula.”

“The goals we are conceding are poor. The players who are in there have a responsibility to make sure they don’t do that. That’s hard on them, but we haven’t got time to mess around and molly-coddle them.”

Huddersfield Town remain keen to take out-of-favour Leicester City striker Jermaine Beckford on loan, according to reports in the Midlands, while Barnsley director Don Rowing has revealed that the club have been approached by two parties interested in buying the club.

Reds multi-millionaire owner Patrick Cryne is keen to sell the Oakwell club, with an Italian consortium reportedly one of those interested in taking over.

Talks have been held with two parties, but as of late, no concrete offer has been forthcoming with Rowing refusing to confirm or deny the Italian link.

Rumours linking Arab businessmen with a move has also been dismissed as speculation by Rowing, with rumours regarding the club’s possible asking price having also been dismissed.

Rowing said: “We have been approached by interested parties for the club, but at this stage there have been no concrete offers.

“At this stage, it’s really enquiries as to what we would want for the club and going away to think about that and then we will see what comes from it.”

Meanwhile, Hull boss Steve Bruce has handed a vote of confidence to axed £2.6m German striker Nick Proschwitz - yet to find the net for the Tigers after his summer move from FC Paderborn.

Bruce has taken the 25-year-old - City’s most expensive recruit since returning to the second tier - out of the firing line in recent weeks and placed him on the sub’s bench.

But the Tigers chief is confident he will come good, given time.

He said: “I had a conversation with Nick last week and said: ‘I just want you to take a back seat and look at things from there.’

“Believe me, it can be the best thing to do with a foreign player when they first come. It gives them a chance just to settle in.

“I think he got caught up in all the ferocity of the Championship and that wasn’t easy for him.

“He’s disappointed, of course he is, he came here to play football and score goals.

“But taking a back seat will give me a chance to have a look at him and work with him, but also give him a chance to bed in.

“I’m certain he’ll still have a big part to play here because he’s something different that we haven’t got.”

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