Hull’s 1st FA Cup final in its 110-year history
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HULL reached the FA Cup final for the first time in its 110-year history as the Premier League side twice came from behind to beat third-tier club Sheffield United 5-3 in a lively encounter on Sunday.
Hull manager Steve Bruce will take his team to Wembley Stadium on May 17 for the final against 10-time winner Arsenal, which beat second-tier Wigan in a penalty shootout on Saturday.
“If you had said 10 years ago that Hull will play Arsenal in the FA Cup final, people would have been scratching their heads,” Bruce said. “It just shows you what can be done.”
Hull is now just one game away from emulating Wigan’s surprising run to the title last year. But the team will need to improve vastly on its first-half performance in order to win the club’s first major trophy after Sheffield United, which won the last of its four FA Cups in 1925 and last played in the Premier League in the 2007, twice led at the National Stadium.
But Hull was transformed after halftime, with Matty Fryatt restoring parity at 2-2 before Tom Huddlestone and Stephen Quinn gave the northeast team what appeared to be a comfortable cushion. Even though Jamie Murphy pulled a late goal back for United, David Meyler quickly responded to secure Hull’s first trip to a major final.
If Hull does manage to etch its name onto the FA Cup, it won’t be the one Hull owner Assem Allam wants to see. The Egyptian businessman was rebuffed by the FA earlier this week in his attempt to change Hull City to Hull Tigers, a name he believes would help the team earn more international fans and exposure.
In Premier League, Demba Ba rescued Chelsea for the second time within five days when he scored the winner at Swansea.
The striker, a fringe player for much of the season, struck on 68 minutes and the 1-0 victory kept the London club two points behind leader Liverpool.
Substitute Ba snatched the late midweek goal that took Chelsea to the Champions League semifinals at the expense of Paris Saint-Germain.
Swansea had to play most of the match a man down after Chico Flores was dismissed in the 16th minute for two reckless tackles at the Liberty Stadium.
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