Not a thriller, but long wait for win is over

PERSEVERANCE REWARDED AS INJURIES BITE

- By BARRY COOPER

Hull City's Darko Gyabi goes down with an injury

(GEORGE WOOD/ GETTY IMAGES)

It was by no means a game that will live long in anyone’s memory, apart from David Akintola and Dillon Phillips, as the pair made the difference to help Hull City win an FA Cup tie for the first time in six years.

City's 4-3 win on penalties against Blackburn Rovers gave boss Sergej Jakirovic a first shootout win as a coach, and ensured they would be ball number 23 in last night’s draw for the fourth round.

Phillips, who kept a clean sheet in 120-plus minutes of action, made two saves in the shootout with Akintola guiding home what proved to be the winning kick, and ensured there would be Sunday afternoon delight for the home supporters who braved the elements.

Here, City reporter Barry Cooper looks back on what was a long, but ultimately successful afternoon in the East Yorkshire rain...

If ever the word attritional could be used to describe a game, it would be this one. The first half was as poor as it gets, and while City did improve in the second half and should have won it long before it got to extra-time and then penalties.

For the majority of the near-7,000 crowd, they deserved the winning moment for sticking it out on a cold, wet day in East Yorkshire, but it wasn’t pretty or enjoyable for the most part.