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Against a backdrop of sleet, snow, and a swirling wind off the waters of the Humber, combined with a determined Hull City side fighting for promotion, this presented all the ingredients of a difficult evening’s task for the visitors.

"We might have scored more but the opposition are a good team and it was a difficult tie; I’m delighted with the performance," he said. "This club means a lot to me so it was great to get a positive welcome from the fans of supporters. The attitude of the lads was excellent."

Liam Chelsea manager has this place dear to him, given some of his family are from Hull and his successful period in management of the Championship club. This happy association was extended with a commanding performance from his squad, who ultimately sauntered into the fifth round of the FA Cup.

Clinical Finishing Seals Comfortable Win

Three days after surrendering a two-goal lead in the Premier League, there was a sniff of vulnerability about Chelsea going into this intriguing cup clash. The capacity Hull support clearly felt it too, but the London side navigated the task with ease.

The manager rang the changes, enacting seven of them to his XI. The match might and maybe ought to have been settled long before it actually was, with two Estêvão Willian and the forward at fault for spurning excellent chances to put their side ahead in the first half.

However, luckily for the away team, Pedro Neto was in a much more clinical frame of mind. He opened the scoring with a marvellous long-range strike, which acted as the catalyst for Chelsea to assume control of proceedings. By full time, they had four, with the forward scoring a trio of them for a superb hat-trick.

The Forward's Redemption and Influence

Hull displayed great fight throughout, but the clearer opportunities consistently fell to the visitors. The winger ought to have broken the scoring when he rounded goalkeeper Dillon Phillips before inexplicably firing over. Delap then had a similar nightmare moment in front of goal against his old team.

He blocked a Phillips's kick which bounced back from the crossbar, and he began to run away believing the ball had gone over the line. It hadn’t, and by the time he realised, Hull's defenders had reacted to clear the threat.

Delap had his head in his hands after that miss, but he was hugely instrumental from that point onward, registering three key passes. The first was for the first goal as his pass set up Neto to score from range. Six minutes after the second half began, it was two as the forward's corner went directly in through Phillips's legs.

Contest Put Beyond Doubt and Attention Turns

Seven minutes after the second, the tie was put beyond doubt as a dazzling dribble from the forward teed up his teammate to tap into an unguarded goal. The hat-trick hero then finished his treble as Delap once again delivered the decisive pass for the attacker to calmly slot by a helpless Phillips.

By that stage, the work Hull had put in in the opening half-hour had long since forgotten. Their priority must now return to achieving a promotion to the Premier League under their manager, who rested a number of first-choice individuals with that goal in mind.

"In my opinion we earned at least one goal but if we play like this we will be in a very good position in the Championship," the Hull manager commented. "Keep fighting, maybe in the upcoming matches this can be a good example of how we must play."

Hull showed plenty of endeavour to the final whistle, and they almost claimed a late goal when a substitute hit a post in stoppage time. But this was the Blues' night, and another positive stride for their new manager at a place he is familiar with very well.

Cup History Are Good

The result resulted in an in the end routine evening’s work, and the cup competition signs are positive from here for the winners. They have faced Hull on three other occasions in this tournament in the past ten years and on each occasion, they have gone on to make the final. Much still work in that regard, but this was another huge positive for Rosenior.