Hull City 0 Crawley Town 1: Hull get footballing lesson in Cup defeat to Crawley

The 20-year-old Norwegian, on loan from Manchester United, maintained Crawley only won because “they worked hard as a team” and because Hull “were not 100 per cent”.

In reality, Crawley gave King and his team-mates a footballing lesson to deservedly book their place in round five for a second successive season.

They made a mockery of the two-division gap against a Hull side who appeared guilty of complacency after making seven changes – King included – from their starting XI for last week’s 1-0 win at Reading in the Championship.

Hull manager Nick Barmby denied complacency was a factor after Matt Tubbs’s 57th-minute winner on a bitterly cold afternoon at the KC Stadium.

But it was a claim that sounded hollow as a revamped line-up were simply not up to the task against a team 45 places below them in the footballing pyramid – the widest gulf in all the fourth-round ties.

Indeed, a 3-0, 4-0 or even 5-0 scoreline would not have flattered the visitors, who came agonisingly close to putting the issue beyond doubt in the 77th minute when Sanchez Watt, the former Leeds United and Sheffield Wednesday winger, struck the post from 12 yards on his Crawley debut.

Hull had their moments against a team for whom goalkeeper Scott Shearer was outstanding, but, for the most part, were second best to opponents who showed more quality, intelligence and will to win.

King, however, must have been playing in a different game as he contended that Crawley were no better than workmanlike.

“I didn’t even think they were good,” he said.

“I just think they worked hard together as a team.

“I didn’t think they were that good, but that’s football; you work hard and, eventually, you get rewarded.

“We weren’t good either, but I think they deserved to win.”

Hull’s first-half performance was embarrassing, shambolic.

Even accounting for the catalogue of changes, which clearly had an unsettling effect, there was no excuse for their abject passing and lack of creativity.

Crawley were stronger, sharper and quicker to the ball, their passing as cool as the January weather.

There was an early warning for the home side when Tubbs’s acrobatic scissors-kick flew narrowly over the crossbar, followed by another close shave when Tyrone Barnett ghosted into the penalty area to draw a smart stop from Vito Mannone.

Hull did not manage an effort until the 27th minute, Liam Cooper heading harmlessly wide from Tom Cairney’s floated free-kick, but they almost went in front when Robbie Brady’s shot from distance was brilliantly turned round the post by Shearer.

When Cairney drew another fine stop from Shearer just after the break, one sensed that Hull – no doubt inspired by some stern words from Barmby at half-time – might finally start to justify their Championship status.

But it was Crawley who regrouped and reclaimed the initiative, three times going close in as many minutes.

First, Pablo Mills had a shot turned round the post by Mannone, who then repelled a 40-yard strike from Kyle McFadzean.

McFadzean then headed narrowly wide from a long throw before Tubbs latched on to a through ball to give Crawley the advantage, slotting home past Mannone from 10 yards.

Three minutes later, with an hour gone, Shearer produced another splendid stop to deny Richard Garcia, which, in retrospect, was something of a turning point.

Had that gone in, the complexion of the game might have changed completely; as it was, Hull soon began to look like a spent force – a feeling strengthened when King blazed high, wide and handsome from just inside the penalty area in the 64th minute, one minute before being replaced by Seyi Olofinjana.

Tempers flared when Crawley’s assistant manager Paul Raynor was sent to the stands amid complaints from the home bench that Crawley’s backroom staff were trying to get one of the Hull players sent off, but it was the archetypal handbags at dawn.

Afterwards, Barmby said it was “disappointing when you’re getting opposition staff trying to get players sent off” and added that “we certainly wouldn’t do that”.

Evans said Barmby was “grabbing at straws”, adding: “I watched Nicky Barmby play for his country with great pride and distinction, but Nicky’s an altar boy, is he? I don’t think so.

“We’ve come here and we’ve outplayed his team.”

There could be no argument about that, with Crawley’s players keeping their focus firmly on the pitch.

They conjured three more chances towards the end: Watt having a header turned over by Mannone, Barnett seeing a goal-bound shot blocked by Joe Dudgeon and Watt sending the follow-up against the post.

Hull almost equalised at the death when substitute Mark Cullen was denied from close range, but a replay would have been rough justice on the hard-working visitors.

Crawley played a blinder from start to finish and were relatively comfortable, worthy winners.