City bow out of Cup in Stevenage spot-kick drama
MUCH-CHANGED TIGERS CRASH OUT ON PENALTIES TO LEAGUE TWO STEVENAGE
Sean Mcloughlin suffered penalty heartbreak as Hull City were dumped out of the FA Cup by lowly League Two strugglers Stevenage in one of the shocks of the second round.
The Tigers looked to be on course for a place in tonight’s third round draw when Tom Eaves struck to put the visitors in front seven minutes into the second half.
Stevenage, though, deservedly pulled level eleven minutes from time through substitute Eliiott List to take the tie into extra-time and eventually penalties.
Despite a George Long save from the first spot-kick, the Tigers saw Eaves miss and then needing to keep his side in the shoot-out, Mcloughlin saw his kick pushed away by on loan Chelsea goalkeeper Jamie Cumming to see Boro win 6-5 following their 1-1 draw.
Jordy de Wijs was back in the City starting XI, as boss Grant Mccann named a completely different side to the one which won so convincingly at Ipswich in midweek.
De Wijs hadn’t been involved since the defeat at Swindon Town in League One, and he replaced Jacob Greaves, in a host of changes by the City head coach.
There was also a complete reshuffle elsewhere, as George Long started in goal, Lewie Coyle came in as captain, and de Wijs was joined by Mcloughlin and Alfie Jones.
Dan Batty, James Scott, Martin Samuelsen, Regan Slater, Thomas Mayer and Eaves also enjoyed starts.
Batty was first to try his luck inside the first minute following good work from Eaves and Samuelsen, but he could only slice his shot wide.
The pair were then involved in the first effort on target, Eaves dropping into the centre circle to pick it up, switched it out to Mcloughlin who pushed it on to Scott, and his cross found Samuelsen to head tamely at Cumming.
Boro were certainly keen to impose themselves on the League One leaders, and should have taken the lead after quarter of an hour, when somehow Danny Newton saw his effort from six yards blocked by a combination of Long and de Wijs.
Straight up the other end, Eaves took the ball down well inside the box and volleyed at Cumming’s post, only to see it batted away before Mayer did well down the right to beat a man before poking into the near post where Samulsen headed just wide.
Long was then needed to get down quickly to divert a goalbound effort from Danny Newton wide, before having to be alert again to keep out Aramiude Oteh’s effort out.
The open theme of the occasion continued, and Scott was next to go close.
He cut inside and curled an effort at Cumming’s top left corner, with the young Chelsea loanee making a fine stop.
Despite a bright start to the second period, City strung a few passes together and that saw Samuelsen get on it inside the box, he tried to touch it past a defender but was sent to the ground. Referee Allison pointed straight to the spot.
Eaves stepped up and found the bottom corner to give his team the lead.
Boro, clearly not too downhearted by that came back and once again, Long’s reactions were needed to keep the Tigers in front.
With an hour on the clock, as he so often likes to do, Mccann made a change bringing on Lewis-potter in place of Mayer.
Scott will feel aggrieved to have not had himself a penalty, but Stevenage’s positive play was rewarded eleven minutes from time when they equalised.
Substitute List took advantage of City’s inability to clear inside their own box, and he turned to thump into the roof of the net – and in truth, it was nothing more than the home
side deserved for their efforts.
So used to his changes making the difference, Mccann had to witness it happening against the Tigers.
De Wijs, having come off worst in an aerial challenge with Oteh, needed a spell of treatment before being replaced by Brandon Fleming, and Billy Chadwick, replaced the disappointing Scott.
Samuelsen then had two chances in the space of a few seconds, but couldn’t find the bit of quality needed to finish either, and in truth, for all his good play, the Norwegian should have had a hat-trick.
Seven minutes of injury-time were not enough for City to fashion a winner, and to extra time we went.
There was little in the way of clear-cut chances in the added half-an-hour, with both sides cancelling each other out with the tie drifting towards penalties.
Long pulled off an early save in the shootout, but once Eaves saw his kick saved, the momentum turned towards the home side with an air of inevitability about the hosts going on to win.
Mcloughlin’s kick was a tame one, saved with relative ease by Cumming, who capped a fine performance to knock out the Tigers, and leave them to focus on a league campaign which has the clear target of promotion.
Key moment: Elliott List’s equaliser. City looked to be edging towards the third round courtesy of Tom Eaves’ penalty, but the tie was turned on its head when the substitute crashed in to take it to extra-time.
Good day? Jamie Cumming – made a number of fine saves to keep City at bay, before his penalty save in the shoot-out proved decisive. Opposition star: Danny Newton – a constant threat for the home side. Used his experience to give the visitors a tough afternoon. Will wonder how he didn’t get on the scoresheet.
Bad day? Sean Mcloughlin – a steady afternoon was turned sour with his rather soft penalty kick proving to be the decisive one which saw the Tigers exit the cup, and Boro go through.
Ref watch: Sam Allison – both sides will probably feel like decisions went against them on the day, with City having a couple of penalty shouts in addition to the one they won.
Quite a niggly game in truth and not an easy one to control.
Up next: Doncaster on Wednesday night. A Yorkshire derby awaits the Tigers on home soil following an extended run of away games. Darren Moore’s Rovers are in decent form, unbeaten in their last four.