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Amid sleet, snow, and a biting wind off the waters of the Humber Estuary, combined with a resolute Hull City side pushing hard for a top-flight place, this presented all the ingredients of a difficult evening’s task for Chelsea.

"We could have scored more but the opposition are a good team and it was a tough fixture; I am delighted with the performance," he said. "This club is very special to me so it was nice to get a positive welcome from the fans of supporters. The application of the players was excellent."

The Rosenior holds this place dear to him, considering some of his family hail from Hull and his enjoyable period in management of the Championship club. His positive association was extended with a commanding display from his squad, who ultimately sauntered into the next round of the famous old competition.

Clinical Edge Secures Comfortable Victory

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

Rosenior rang the changes, enacting multiple of them to his XI. The tie might and perhaps should have been settled long before it actually was, with two Estêvão Willian and Liam Delap at fault for missing glorious chances to put Chelsea ahead in the first half.

But, luckily for the visitors, Pedro Neto was in a far more ruthless mood. He broke the scoring with a marvellous long-range strike, which proved to be the spark for Chelsea to assume command of the match. By full time, they had four, with Neto netting a trio of them for a superb hat-trick.

Delap's Response and Influence

Hull displayed plenty of spirit all game, but the clearer opportunities always came to the visitors. Estêvão ought to have opened the scoring when he rounded goalkeeper the Hull stopper before inexplicably firing over. Delap then had a comparable nightmare incident in front of goal against his former club.

He deflected a Phillips's kick which bounced back from the crossbar, and Delap began to run away believing the ball had crossed the line. It had not, and by the time he realised, Hull's backline had reacted to avert the danger.

The player had his head in his hands after that moment, but he was immensely instrumental from that point onward, providing three key passes. The opening was for the first goal as his pass teed up Neto to score from range. Shortly after the second half began, it was two as Neto's set-piece went straight in through the keeper's legs.

Tie Sealed and Focus Turns

Seven minutes after Neto’s second goal, the tie was put beyond doubt as a dazzling dribble from Delap laid on Estêvão to slide into an unguarded goal. The hat-trick hero then finished his treble as Delap once again delivered the decisive ball for the attacker to calmly slot by a stranded goalkeeper.

By that stage, the effort Hull had done in the opening thirty minutes had been erased. Their priority must now switch back to achieving a return to the Premier League under Sergej Jakirovic, who rested a number of first-choice players with that aim in mind.

"In my opinion we deserved at least one goal but if we play like this we will be in a strong situation in the Championship," the Hull manager commented. "Never surrender, maybe in the next games this can be a positive lesson of how we must play."

Hull showed great effort to the end, and they nearly claimed a late goal when a substitute struck a the upright in injury time. But this was Chelsea’s evening, and another positive stride for their recently-appointed manager at a place he is familiar with intimately.

Cup History Are Promising

The result resulted in an in the end routine night's performance, and the FA Cup-shaped signs are positive from here for the winners. They have faced Hull on three previous times in this tournament in the last decade and on each occasion, they have progressed to reach the final. Much still work in that respect, but this was another significant positive for the Chelsea boss.