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Amid freezing rain, flurries, and a biting wind from the banks of the Humber Estuary, alongside a resolute home side fighting for a top-flight place, this had all the ingredients of a challenging evening’s work 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," the manager stated. "Hull City is very special to me so it was nice to get a good welcome from the fans of fans. The application of the lads was superb."

The Rosenior has this city close to his heart, given part of his relatives are from Hull and his successful period in management of the Tigers. This positive association was extended with a magnificent display from his team, who ultimately sauntered into the next round of the FA Cup.

Clinical Finishing Secures Comprehensive Win

Three days after letting slip a 2-0 advantage in the league, there was a sniff of fragility about Chelsea going into this potentially tricky cup clash. The packed Hull support clearly felt it too, but Rosenior's men handled the challenge with ease.

Rosenior rang the changes, making multiple of them to his XI. The match could and maybe should have been settled long before it eventually was, with both Estêvão Willian and the forward at fault for spurning glorious opportunities to put their side ahead in the opening period.

But, fortunately for the away team, their Portuguese attacker was in a much more clinical frame of mind. He opened the scoring with a marvellous long-range strike, which proved to be the spark for Chelsea to assume control of proceedings. By the final whistle, they had four, with the forward scoring three of them for a brilliant hat-trick.

The Forward's Response and Influence

The home side showed great spirit all game, but the clearer chances always fell Chelsea’s way. The winger ought to have opened the scoring when he went past keeper Dillon Phillips before inexplicably firing over. Delap then had a similar horror moment in front of goal against his former club.

He blocked a Phillips's kick which bounced off the bar, and Delap started to celebrate believing the ball had gone over the line. It hadn’t, and by the time he understood, Hull's backline had responded to avert the threat.

Delap had his head in his hands after that moment, but he was immensely instrumental from there on out, providing 3 key passes. The first was for the first goal as his through ball teed up Neto to score from range. Six minutes after the restart, it was 2-0 as Neto's corner went directly in under Phillips's legs.

Contest Put Beyond Doubt and Focus Turns

Seven minutes after the second, the tie was effectively ended as a magnificent run from Delap teed up Estêvão to tap into an unguarded goal. The hat-trick hero then finished his hat-trick as the provider once again delivered the decisive pass for the attacker to coolly slot past a stranded Phillips.

At that point, the work Hull had put in in the first thirty minutes had long since forgotten. Their priority must now switch back to achieving a promotion to the Premier League under their manager, who left out a number of key individuals 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 league," he said. "Never surrender, maybe in the next matches this can be a positive example of how we should play."

Hull showed great endeavour to the final whistle, and they nearly claimed a late goal when Lewis Koumas struck a the upright in stoppage time. But this was the Blues' night, and another positive step forward for their new manager at a place he is familiar with intimately.

Cup Omens Look Promising

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