Classy Tigers unstuck by Toffees in five-goal thriller as Ilicali looks on
WINNER: Everton substitute Andros Townsend celebrates after scoring the winner. Picture credit: Hull City
Hull City 2 - 3 Everton (aet)
Emirates FA Cup
By Sam Hawcroft, Hull City correspondent
Prospective Hull City owner Acun Ilicali will surely have been impressed as he saw the Tigers edged out by Everton in a thriller of a Third-Round FA Cup tie that went to extra time.
Even though Ilicali’s private plane flew over the MKM Stadium before the match, there was no hoped-for James Bond-style entry by the Turkish media mogul.
But Ilicali, guest of honour in the directors’ box, must have thought the opening light show - complete with flamethrowers in front of a packed East Stand - was right up his street. And he couldn’t have asked for a better start.
A foul on the right gave George Honeyman the chance to swing in a dangerous free-kick in the first minute of the game. Tyler Smith got his head to it and planted it past Asmir Begovic for his first goal in a Black and Amber shirt. The noise from three sides of the stadium had not been so deafening in ages – it all but drowned out the PA.
Then, just three minutes later, Tom Eaves nearly made it two, but his header was tipped over by Begovic.
SO CLOSE: Tom Eaves and substitute Josh Hinds nearly level for City at the end. Picture credit: Hull City
On 15 minutes, Eaves’s shot from the left was punched out by Begovic as the Tigers continued to put the pressure on; a few minutes later Keane Lewis-Potter, making his 100th appearance for City, shot well over - as “You’re getting sacked in the morning” rang out from the East Stand.
The owners of the royal-blue flag that read “Benitez get out of our club” would no doubt have approved, in reference to the visiting manager.
But the Toffees’ first real attacking move of note resulted in their equaliser, very much against the run of play.
Anthony Gordon played in Demarai Gray after a brilliant one-two, and Gray put it past Nathan Baxter from about ten yards. Moments later, Everton were nearly in front when a shot from Andre Gomes on the right bounced off the post, with the Tigers defence nowhere.
The Tigers were lucky not to concede a penalty when the ball bounced off Jacob Greaves’s arm in the area, to the anger of the 4,000 Toffees fans in the North Stand. Now Everton were finding their groove, and it was the City fans’ turn to chant “We want Allam out”.
Surely regime change at the eastern end of the M62 will be made official before any change of manager on Merseyside.
CLASS: Tom Huddlestone had a big influence when he came on. Picture credit: Hull City
On the half-hour mark the tide finally turned, and Gomes did get that second goal, exploiting the weaknesses in City’s defence for all they were worth. He blasted in a diving header, unmarked, from about ten yards after Jonjoe Kenny had cut the ball back from near the byline.
This one was very much not against the run of play. Then on 34 minutes, Gordon shot well over.
City continued to press at the other end, and an equaliser never looked out of the question, but by now every time Everton got anywhere near the Tigers area they looked dangerous, City less so.
In the single minute of added time at the end of the first half, Honeyman took another free-kick, hoping for a carbon-copy of his first-minute effort, but this time it only resulted in Greg Docherty shooting yards over just before the half-time whistle blew.
There was to be no takeover fanfare at half-time, either. But even though Ilicali is in the business of flashy entertainment on national TV, few fans would have honestly believed the news would be announced in such a fashion.
‘YOU CAN DO IT’: Grant McCann speaks to his players before extra-time. Picture credit: Hull City
These things are usually accompanied by dry statements from official authorities, and that’s how it will likely be next week.
City came out brightly after the break, and it wasn’t long before the first chants of “Acun, give us a wave” came from the East Stand. He didn’t, though - either because he couldn’t understand the Hull accent or because his name is actually pronounced “A-june”.
But Everton looked dangerous with almost every attack, and on 56 minutes Gordon had a shot well saved by Baxter.
Around the hour mark, Gray made two runs into the box, the first easily anticipated by Baxter, the second forcing a corner. It came to nothing, though, after which City boss Grant McCann made a triple substitution, bringing on George Moncur, Tom Huddlestone and Ryan Longman for Greg Docherty, Richie Smallwood and Randell Williams.
It didn’t take long for the trio to make their mark – and in what style.
STUNNER: Ryan Longman after scoring one of the goals of the day. Picture credit: Hull City
On 70 minutes City registered their first shot of the half (as against Everton’s four), and they made it count. From a pass by Moncur, Longman hit a shot from the right about 20 yards out that curved beautifully past Begovic to level things up. The home contingent of the crowd of just over 16,000 – the largest for nearly two years – went wild.
What a rip-roaring Cup tie this was turning out to be – it was end-to-end as Gray raced away and saw a similar curving effort float just wide. BBC Sport bosses will have been rubbing their hands as this primetime match was living up to its billing.
Some frantic defending ensued as Everton won corner after corner and threw men forward to try to avert extra time, and on 82 minutes Gray saw a cross flash right across the face of goal, but it was ruled offside. Seconds later, Lewis-Potter stormed into the penalty area and smashed a shot on to the left-hand post.
As the clock ticked towards extra time, on 87 minutes Smith shot well over after Longman had played him in from the right, then Everton substitute Abdoulaye Doucoure had a go at the other end, also firing well above the target.
As the 90 came up on the clock and four added minutes were announced, Honeyman came off the worse in a brave last-ditch attempt to throw himself under the runaway train that was Solomon Rondon breaking free into the penalty area.
IN CONTROL: Tyler Smith, who scored his first goal for City. Picture credit: Hull City
He recovered eventually and was booked a few minutes later, just after Smith again came close to winning it at the death – but extra-time it was.
The first few minutes was all City, as they won a corner in the first minute and continued to press. Gray then made another foray into City’s box, but it was well blocked by Greaves.
But in the ninth minute, Everton retook the lead through a brilliant long-range effort by substitute Andros Townsend. He took a clever step to the right about 25 yards out, and thundered a swerving shot past the flailing Baxter.
The second period of extra-time began, and again the Tigers came out attacking – two corners within the first four minutes - and from the second one a goalmouth scramble saw Begovic make a critical stop from Eaves; Josh Hinds, on for Tyler Smith, agonisingly poked the follow-up just wide.
A row Z-er from Everton substitute Jean-Philippe Gbamin in the 28th minute was followed by another Honeyman free-kick which only resulted in an Everton counter-attack, but City’s immense number 10 put in a textbook tackle to avert the danger.
So, City’s Cup exploits will go no further this year – but this will be seen as a minor setback in the long run. Acun Ilicali was the talk of the town today, and it surely can’t be long before an exciting new era under his ownership begins in earnest.