Pedro Neto scored his first senior hat-trick as Liam Rosenior’s Chelsea defeated Hull City 4-0 at the MKM Stadium to book their place in the FA Cup fifth round.
The Portuguese forward scored the opening goal from just outside the box as Chelsea got off to a solid end-to-end start.
Up until that point, Rosenior’s old side had shown some promise on the counter, with Liam Miller closing in early on. Chelsea almost took the lead when goalkeeper Dillon Phillips’ loose clearance saw Liam Delap’s sharp shot hit the bar, but only half of the ball went over the line.
Delap wasn’t supposed to score, but he turned provider and scored Neto’s first goal before picking up three assists himself on the night.
Neto didn’t need any help in his second of the match, beating Phillips when a corner kick turned straight and the ball fell through his legs and into the goal.
But Neto will have Delap to thank for his hat-trick, as the 23-year-old set up Chelsea’s third goal for Estevao before teeing the winger home after a deft give-and-go.
After barely putting the gloves on Chelsea in the second half, Hull burst into life with the game already over. Liverpool loanee Luis Koumas expertly beat Torsin and hit the post.
Hull continued their barrage into stoppage time, but in the end could find no consolation against a solid Chelsea defence.
Chelsea are the first team to qualify for Monday’s fifth round draw.
Delap: We support Rosenior.
Chelsea striker Liam Delap told BBC Sport:
“It was a really good night for us. We had some good memories coming back here. It was a good night and the result we wanted.”
When I hit the bar, I thought, “I went in. I should have gone in. Things like this happen, so I’m going to learn from it next time.”
“We showed our dominance in the first half, but we couldn’t convert our chances.The second half was different.
“We need to stay fit and keep our rhythm. We all need to work together because it’s going to be really difficult at the end of the season.”
“It’s always different. There are many reasons why a team is chosen. It’s not always the same 11 players and that’s part of football, but we get the job done.
“I’ve known my new boss for some time. The messages we’re getting, we’re all on board with that and you can see that in the results we’re getting.”
Both managers discuss discriminatory chants
Hull City manager Sergei Yakilović:
“I couldn’t hear it. This is not the place to do that, in a stadium or in a public place. But I couldn’t hear it. It’s certainly not good.”
“The stadium is not the place to do that. That’s why they’re being arrested.”
Chelsea head coach Liam Rosenior:
“I don’t know what happened, I don’t know either, but hateful language about anything, in any form, is not acceptable. I hope it will be addressed. The fourth official said something to me, but I was concentrating on the game. Honestly, I don’t know what happened there.”
