Hull City 1 Rochdale 0: Cup king Luer fires Tigers into third round
Luer had netted in the 2-2 draw at Accrington in the previous round and also stepped up as Hull won that tie on penalties to set up a meeting with Rochdale, who had knocked out Coventry in a shootout.
Hull manager Steve Bruce made wholesale changes but his Sky Bet Championship side always looked in control against their League One opponents and progressed thanks to Luer’s neat finish.
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Hide AdRyan Taylor fired a curling free-kick just over in the fourth minute as Hull bossed the early stages.
The home side made the most of that dominance when Abel Hernandez slid the ball through for Luer and he shot low into the left corner of Josh Lillis’s goal after eight minutes.
Reuben Noble-Lazarus had Rochdale’s first chance but shot straight at Eldin Jakupovic.
The Tigers nearly went further ahead after 13 minutes when Mohamed Diame, one of nine changes to the Hull side and back from a knee injury which had troubled him since last November, slid the ball into the path of Hernandez but he shot narrowly wide.
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Hide AdHernandez fired over with 20 minutes gone as Hull looked to add a second goal.
Hernandez got back to rob Andrew Cannon as Rochdale made a rare foray into the Hull area just before the half-hour mark. Rochdale wasted the resulting corner.
The visitors won two corners in succession but from the second Cannon headed well over as the first half drew to a close.
Ian Henderson then fired over as Rochdale continued to look for a way back into the tie.
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Hide AdHernandez should have added to the score in the first minute of the second half but he fired over from Andy Robertson’s low cross.
Cannon had a speculative shot from distance but a deflection ensured Jakupovic was not troubled.
Rochdale’s Jamie Allen did well to cut the ball back with 20 minutes left but substitute Moses Adubajo cleared the danger.
Rhys Bennett volleyed wide as the visitors again pressed in search of an equaliser.
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Hide AdHernandez again failed to add to the total as he stabbed wide from substitute Ahmed Elmohamady’s cross with 15 minutes left but the home side had done enough to progress.
Hull: Jakupovic, Taylor (Elmohamady 68), Bruce, Maguire, Robertson, Meyler, Hayden, Clucas, Diame (Odubajo 59), Hernandez (Jahraldo-Martin 78), Luer. Unused substitutes: McGregor, Davies, Huddlestone, Dawson.
Rochdale: Lillis, Rafferty, McNulty, Eastham, Kennedy, Allen, Cannon, Henderson, Vincenti (Bennett 58), Noble-Lazarus (McDermott 66), Andrew (Alessandra 65). Unused substitutes: Tanser, Collis, Rose, Camps.
Referee: M Haywood.