Stevenage produced a famous victory in the FA Cup as they dumped League One Hull City out – winning 6-5 on penalties after a 1-1 draw.
This contest was the freest of free hits for Stevenage. Struggling in League Two before that much-needed win over Port Vale on Tuesday night they were up against a Hull side who were top of League One prior to the weekend’s games and on a run of three straight victories.
And they made a good fist of it before a joyous win in the drama of the shoot-out.
The work rate that has been omnipresent for this season was there as usual and it caused the Humbersiders some problems.
A penalty from Tom Eaves seemed set to be the match-winning goal until substitute Elliot List blasted an effort out of nothing into the roof of the net with 11 minutes to go.
Had they lost 1-0 there would have been plenty of praise for a battling performance that ultimately fell just short against higher-league opposition.
Extra-time though gave them a chance to snatch victory but it fell to penalties.
That method of deciding the victors had seen them beat Concord Rangers in the previous round but lose to Portsmouth in the Carabao Cup.
And it was goalkeeper Jamie Cumming who sent the few in attendance into rapture with two big saves.
Stevenage had made a surprise with their selection, leaving out Luther James-Wildin and Scott Cuthbert from the 11 that started on Tuesday, while Romain Vincelot dropped to the bench.
Hull on the other hand made 10 changes from the side that beat Ipswich Town on the same night.
But Alex Revell would have been delighted with the performance of his side in the first half. They had a couple of chances but it was defensively where they shone.
Hull had more possession as you would expect but Boro kept them out fairly comfortably, restricting the visitors to efforts from distance.
Hull at first were happy to ass it about and try and pin Stevenage back while they probed for the moment to go forward.
But when they did get in Jamie Cumming was equal to the efforts.
Martin Samuelsen had the majority of Hull’s best chances throughout and he had the Tigers’ best opportunity in the first period.
It came from a right-wing cross from Thomas Mayer after Stevenage just allowed him too much time, one trait that the boss would have mentioned during the half-time break.
The chipped cross was towards the tall Samuelsen but unmarked he headed down and wide.
Cumming dived to his left twice to palm efforts away, the first after Eaves had brushed Remeao Hutton aside, and the second when James Scott got in a similar position.
But at the other end there was enough chances to leave a sense of hope in the home dressing room.
Danny Newton had a couple of them, beaten to a low cross at the near post by Jordy De Wijs, and then pinging a shot out of nothing that George Long in the Hull goal had to smother.
That out of nothing effort followed one of the same ilk by Aramide Oteh, a shot that was arrowing towards the bottom corner until Long pushed it around the post.
The positivity that there would have been present in the dressing room during the break was transferred onto the pitch, with Boro enjoying a decent start and a bit of possession in the final third.
One vin shout for handball was the best they could muster in that period and all of a sudden it was a penalty at the other end which changed the momentum.
It was a foul by Arthur Iontton on Samuelsen and while it was soft, the leg of the Boro player did snake out in front of the attacker and impede his forward movement.
Eaves took it confidently and buried it in the bottom corner to the right of Cumming. The keeper did go the right way mind you and any lack of quality in the hit would have meant it was saved.
The response though in the next five minutes was excellent from the hosts and they almost equalised.
Tom Pett got down the right and his cross found Newton. The striker didn’t know too much about it as he was running forward but he deflected it back the way it came and Long had to get down well and at full stretch to hang on to the ball.
But slowly Hull resumed their possession and that seemed to be that.
List’s introduction wasn’t really heralded as the turning point but it proved crucial and seven minutes after coming on he equalised.
Charlie Carter looked as if he had let the chance slip, and turned away annoyed at himself, but behind his back it ran loose and List pounced, slamming the effort into the roof of the net.
A minimum of seven additional minutes were added at the end of normal time but neither side could create a potential winning chance and for the second round running, extra-time was needed at the Lamex.
The extra 30 minutes saw Stevenage perhaps the better team. Certainly Hull’s fluidity on the ball wasn’t as dominant as it had been an in Newton, the hosts had someone running himself into the ground to get chances.
One snapshot needed Long to tip over the top while the start of the second period in extra-time he produced a wriggling run that would have delighted even Ricky Villa and his Argentinian team-mate, the late Diego Maradona who was honoured with a minute’s applause at the start of the game.
There were no goals though and it meant another shoot-out.
And after Tom Pett had his shot saved the very first kick, Cumming produced the heroics, first stopping one from Eaves, who went the same way as his successful one, and then diving full length to his left to push Sean McLoughlin’s effort wide.
A famous win.
Stevenage: Cumming, Coker, Prosser, Carter (Vincleot 88), Marsh (List 72), Newton, Hutton, Vancooten, Iontton (Read 66), Pett, Oteh (Smith 97).
Subs (not used): Johnson, Akinwande, Smith, Marshall.
Goal: List 79
Booked: Hutton 64, Newton 98, Vincelot 115
Hull City: Long, Coyle, De Wijs (Fleming 82), Batty, Eaves, Scott (Chadwick 79), Samuelsen (C.Jones 91), A.Jones, McLoughlin, Slater, Mayer (Lewis-Potter 60).
Subs (not used): Cartwright, Arthur, Sheaf.
Goal: Eaves (pen) 52
Booked: Slater 69
Sent-off:
HT: Stevenage 0 Hull City 0
FT: Stevenage 1 Hull City 1
HT ET: Stevenage 1 Hull City 1
Referee: Sam Allison (Trowbridge)
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