Hull City 2 Brighton 1: Cup’s significance increases with Wembley now in sight for Tigers

A haul of 30 Premier League points in the bank already – the total they managed in the entire relegation campaign of 2009-10 – with 11 games to go and now a tidy bonus in the shape of only the Tigers’ sixth appearance in the 
FA Cup quarter-finals.

A juicy last-eight instalment against a side Hull have already done the double over this term in Bruce’s former club Sunderland now awaits at the KC early next month, with the glittering prize at the end of that being a trip to Wembley and a first semi-final place since 1930.

Bruce, after the 1-1 draw at the Amex eight days ago, showed his displeasure in no uncertain terms after the Tigers’ cup replay with Albion was scheduled for last night, as opposed to tonight, due to UEFA regulations.

But he will not be so bothered now, with Hull negotiating two games in the space of three days with two victories, putting him in perfect heart ahead of Saturday’s clash with his boyhood club Newcastle United.

Hull booked their first quarter-final appearance since 2008-09 courtesy of first-half goals from Curtis Davies and captain-for-the-night Robert Koren and while a 69th-minute goal from Leo Ulloa ensured the hosts had to sweat before ensuring their passage, victory was deserved.

Despite the meagre attendance of 10,795, the ‘W’ of Wembley and not the ‘R’ word of relegation is the one which will hopefully keep Tigers fans occupied in April and while the Cup was hardly a main priority for Bruce before a ball was kicked this season, it has now assumed a fair degree of importance.

Bruce made six changes from the side which dismantled sorry Cardiff at the weekend, with a new frontline in Sone Aluko and Matty Fryatt starting, along with Yannick Sagbo – employed on the left – Steve Harper, James Chester and Koren.

Being hypercritical, Bruce admitted to not being wholly satisfied with the Tigers’ eye-catching success over the Welsh club, citing a laboured opening which followed on from the sluggish beginning down at the Amex.

His words were heeded, with the confident Tigers, with Ahmed Elmohamady a buccaneering outlet down the right, penning the visitors back from the off, with their high-tempo start yielding a 14th-minute opener.

It proved the softest of concessions from Albion with Koren’s deep corner seeing Davies rise above two half-hearted challenges from Matt Upson and Rohan Ince, his looping header almost apologetically dropping into the net off the near post, with Jake Forster-Caskey failing to clear under pressure from David Meyler.

It was Davies’s first- goal in the FA Cup, with an appropriate chant of “We’re going to Wembley” soon emanating from home fans in the sparse crowd.

The fact that the visitors brought little to the attacking table in the first half added to their sense of well-being, with Hull assuming virtually total control and very much looking a division above their south-coast rivals.

Another meek moment nine minutes from the interval helped double the hosts’ tally.

Koren’s routine curling free-kick appeared to take the slightest of contacts off the outstretched leg of Stephen Ward, which was enough to deceive Peter Brezoven, who could only divert the ball in – with the Hull midfielder claiming the goal. Even accounting for the strength-sapping itinerary of playing Saturday-Monday, Brighton’s first-half efforts had more to do with collective ineptitude than tiredness.

To be fair, Brighton and showed much more hunger in the second period, when they belatedly realised they were in a cup tie with their incentive being a first appearance in the last eight since 1985-86.

Their noisy band of 486 supporters, handed a 552-mile round trip on a Monday night, finally had something to shout about when Lewis Dunk thundered a shot against the woodwork following Ward’s inviting cross.

Just before the hour, a rare goal for Maynor Figueroa almost put the tie to bed for Hull, with his goalbound shot blocked by Inigo Calderon before more stoic defending from Ward denied a goal for Aluko.

It looked a matter of time before Hull contrived a third, but 21 minutes from time Ulloa flicked in his 11th goal of the campaign following a well-delivered free-kick on the left from David Lopez.

Brighton pushed bodies forward in their quest to force extra-time, with Ulloa’s curling shot going close late on and Solly March seeing his effort held by Harper, but the night belonged to Hull.

Hull City: Harper; Elmohamady, Chester, Davies, Figueroa; Koren, Livermore, Meyler (Quinn 84), Sagbo; Aluko (Boyd 76), Fryatt. Unused substitutes: McGregor, Rosenior, Bruce, Huddlestone, Faye.

Brighton and Hove Albion: Brezovan; Calderon, Dunk, Upson, Ward; Ince (March 60), Andrews, Forster-Caskey; Lopez (Obika 89); Ulloa, Rodriguez (LuaLua 46). Unused substitutes: Ankergren, Greer, Bruno, Chicksen.

Referee: A Marriner (West Midlands).