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Against a backdrop of sleet, snow, and a biting breeze off the waters of the Humber, combined with a resolute home side fighting for a top-flight place, this had all the makings of a difficult night's work for the visitors.

"We could have scored more but the opposition are a strong team and it was a tough fixture; I’m very pleased with the display," he said. "This club is very special to me so it was nice to get a positive reception from the fans of fans. The application of the lads was excellent."

Liam Chelsea manager holds this city dear to him, given part of his family are from Hull and his enjoyable period in management of the Championship club. This happy association continued with a commanding performance from his squad, who ultimately strolled into the next round of the FA Cup.

Clinical Finishing Seals Comprehensive Victory

Three days removed from letting slip a 2-0 advantage in the league, there was a hint of fragility about them going into this intriguing cup clash. The packed home support evidently sensed it too, but Rosenior's men navigated the task with ease.

The manager made alterations, enacting seven of them to his XI. The match might and perhaps should have been settled long before it eventually was, with both Estêvão Willian and the forward at fault for missing glorious opportunities to put their side ahead in the first half.

However, luckily for the away team, their Portuguese attacker was in a much more clinical mood. He broke the deadlock with a spectacular long-range effort, which acted as the spark for Chelsea to take control of proceedings. By full time, they had four, with Neto scoring a trio of them for a superb hat-trick.

The Forward's Redemption and Impact

The home side displayed great spirit all game, but the clearer chances always fell Chelsea’s way. The winger ought to have opened the scoring when he rounded goalkeeper Dillon Phillips before unbelievably shooting over. The striker then had a similar horror moment in front of goal against his old team.

He deflected a the goalkeeper's clearance which came back from the crossbar, and he began to celebrate believing the ball had gone over the line. It had not, and by the time he realised, Hull's backline had reacted to avert the threat.

Delap had his head in his hands after that moment, but he was hugely instrumental from that point onward, registering 3 key passes. The opening was for the opening goal as his pass teed up Neto to score from range. Six minutes after the restart, it was two as Neto's corner went straight in through the keeper's legs.

Contest Put Beyond Doubt and Focus Shifts

Soon after the second goal, the tie was put beyond doubt as a magnificent dribble from the forward laid on Estêvão to tap into an unguarded goal. The hat-trick hero then finished his treble as the provider again played the decisive pass for the attacker to calmly slot by a stranded goalkeeper.

By that stage, the effort Hull had put in in the opening half-hour had been forgotten. Their focus must now return to securing a return to the top division under their manager, who left out several key players with that goal in mind.

"I think we deserved at least one goal but if we perform like this we will be in a strong situation in the Championship," he said. "Keep fighting, maybe in the upcoming games this can be a good example of how we must play."

Hull showed plenty of effort to the final whistle, and they almost claimed a late goal when a substitute hit a post in injury time. But this was Chelsea’s evening, and another positive step forward for their recently-appointed manager at a place he is familiar with very well.

Cup Omens Look Good

That resulted in an in the end straightforward night's work, and the FA Cup-shaped signs are positive from here for the winners. They have faced Hull on three previous occasions in this tournament in the past ten years and every single time, they have progressed to make the final. There is remains to be done in that regard, but this was another huge positive for Rosenior.