Town’s FA Cup campaign came to a third round end for the fifth time in eight years as the Blues lost 3-1 at Hull City. The home side were 2-0 in front at the break via Aaron Mclean and Tom Cairney before half-time sub Jason Scotland pulled one back for Town, but Cameron Stewart sealed the Tigers’ place in round four in injury time.
Midfielder Luke Hyam was named in the Town side for the first time since the Carling Cup tie against Northampton in August and for only the second time under Paul Jewell’s management.
Central defender Ibrahima Sonko, striker Nathan Ellington and midfielder Josh Carson were also back in the team, while Jimmy Bullard missed out against old club due to the flu bug which kept him out of the Nottingham Forest defeat on Monday.
Lee Martin dropped to a seven-man bench which also included Michael Chopra, Joe Whight and Tommy Smith.
The Blues carved out the first significant chance of the game in the fifth minute, Aaron Cresswell breaking on to Daryl Murphy’s pass on the left and crossing just too far in front of Josh Carson.
At the other end, Damien Delaney did well to divert Tom Cairney’s 12th minute freekick wide, then Arran Lee-Barrett bundled Cameron Stewart’s shot behind after it had caught Ellington on the way through.
Hull keeper Mannone palmed an Edwards cross behind on 18 but with nothing in the way of clear-cut chances at either end at this stage, although Lee-Barrett’s rush off the line and Sonko’s inadvertent clearance across his own area might well have led to more significant danger than Aaron Mclean’s blocked shot.
The home side were close to going in front in the 24th minute when Stewart sent a low ball across the six-yard box and Richard Garcia flicked it just beyond the far post.
But a Hull goal — their first in 307 minutes of football - was only three more minutes away. Stewart played the ball down the left for Robbie Brady, who cut in and played a pass in for Mclean who held off Sonko, who really should have got on to the ball, before the ex-Grays Athletic man diverted it beyond Lee-Barrett and into the net.
It was a poor goal to concede from Town’s perspective with the Blues having had more than enough men to deal with the situation. While the players prepared for the restart, ex-Hull man Delaney underwent treatment on what appeared to be the foot which recently underwent surgery before being replaced by Tommy Smith.
In the 32nd minute it was 2-0 to the home side. Tom Cairney hit a 30-yard strike from just to the left of centre, which deflected off Hyam, over the wrong-footed Lee-Barrett and into the net.
There was little further penalty area action in the remaining 13 minutes - a scuffed Grant Leadbitter shot to Mannone aside - with the game looking to all intents and purposes over.
Neither side had played particularly well in what had been a largely scrappy affair on a craggy-looking pitch but the home side had played the better what football there had been and had carved out more chances, taking two of them, even if the second was a touch unfortunate.
The Blues had never really been in control and had created little aside from a couple of crosses from Cresswell and Edwards, and after the goals had never looked particularly like pulling a goal back.
Jason Scotland replaced Nathan Ellington for the second half, Tommy Smith picking up an early yellow card for a foul on Mclean after the one-time Peterborough man had got the better of him as they fought for a bouncing ball on halfway.
Town, who had switched to match Hull’s 4-5-1 with Emmanuel-Thomas wide on the right and Carson in the middle, showed early signs of fight but without creating any actual danger. On 55 Paul McShane joined Smith in referee Craig Pawson’s book for a foul on Cresswell.
But the Blues were showing definite signs that the game wasn’t quite as dead as it appeared at the break and in the 57th minute pulled one back. Hyam played a superb crossfield ball from left to right, which Emmanuel-Thomas deftly took down before taking it infield. The ex-Arsenal man unleashed what’s becoming a trademark piledriver, which Mannone couldn’t hold on to and Scotland slammed home the loose ball.
Town continued to threaten, a break after a Hull corner ending with Carson hitting a low shot which Mannone claimed. But Hull were still having a lot of the ball and soon after, Mclean hit the sidenetting from a promising position on the right with Sonko making a challenge at the last.
Clear-cut chances continued to be rare at either end but on 69 there was a scare for the home side when Mannone came a long way for an Edwards ball played across from the right but got nowhere near it. Emmanuel-Thomas, who had swapped flanks with Murphy, lobbed into the area towards Scotland when he might have shot, but Hull skipper Jack Hobbs cleared.
Michael Chopra replaced Luke Hyam, who had done well on his return to the centre of the midfield, for the final 15 minutes and immediately hit a shot over from the right after good work from Edwards.
Town continued to look for the equaliser and as the game moved into its final 10 minutes, Carson hit a low shot which Mannone did well to get down to and push away as it curled away to his right.
The Tigers were looking a threat at the other end on the break, however, Mclean seizing on an 83rd minute long ball but shooting wide.
After a mazy Murphy run had been ended on the edge of the area, Stewart shot from distance to Lee-Barrett but with Hull by now defending in great numbers. As the game entered injury time, it was the home side again came close to a goal, Stewart hitting a shot just wide.
Town should have equalised deep into injury time when Edwards crossed from the right, Emmanuel-Thomas flicked it on and Leadbitter headed straight at Mannone from six yards. An inch or so either side of the keeper and it would have been a goal.
Moments later, with the whistle almost in the referee’s mouth, Hull added their third. The Blues were caught pushing too many men forward looking for the equaliser, the Tigers broke and sub Jay Simpson found Stewart, who finally beat Lee-Barrett having been the home side’s most threatening player for most of the afternoon. Seconds later, referee Pawson signalled the end of another Town FA Cup campaign.
The Blues had been better after the break and had staged something of a second half fightback, albeit with showing too much quality. Scotland took his chance well and a draw wouldn’t have been entirely undeserved had Leadbitter taken his late opportunity. The third Hull goal was the result of Town throwing too many men forward as they chased the draw.
An early exit from the FA Cup once again, but something which the club probably won’t be too upset about with their Championship status by far their most important concern at the present time.
Town (4-4-2): Lee-Barrett, Edwards, Delaney (Smith 27), Sonko, Cresswell, Carson, Leadbitter, Hyam (Chopra 75), Emmanuel-Thomas, Ellington (Scotland 46), Murphy. Subs: Wright, Whight, Ainsley, Martin.
Hull (4-2-3-1): Mannone, McShane, Hobbs, Cooper, Dudgeon, Garcia (Evans 81), McKenna (Olofinjana 70), Cairney, Stewart, Brady, Mclean (Simpson 90). Subs not used: Peet, Dawson, Chester, Cullen. Referee: Craig Pawson (South Yorkshire). Att: 10,246.