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Amid freezing rain, snow, and a biting breeze from the banks of the Humber Estuary, combined with a determined Hull City side fighting for a top-flight place, this had all the ingredients of a difficult night's task for the visitors.

"We could have scored more but Hull are a strong team and it was a tough tie; I’m very pleased with the performance," he said. "Hull City is very special to me so it was nice to get a good welcome from the fans of fans. The attitude of the lads was superb."

The Rosenior has this city close to his heart, considering part of his family are from Hull and his enjoyable spell in management of the Championship club. This positive association was extended with a magnificent display from his squad, who in the end strolled into the fifth round of the FA Cup.

Deadly Finishing Seals Comprehensive Victory

Seventy-two hours after surrendering a two-goal lead in the Premier League, there was a hint of vulnerability about Chelsea going into this potentially tricky cup clash. The packed Hull support clearly sensed it too, but Rosenior's men handled the task with ease.

The manager made alterations, enacting seven of them to his starting lineup. The match might and perhaps should have been decided long before it eventually was, with two the Brazilian winger and Liam Delap guilty of missing glorious chances to put their side ahead in the opening period.

But, fortunately for the away team, their Portuguese attacker was in a much more clinical mood. He broke the deadlock with a marvellous distance effort, which proved to be the spark for Chelsea to assume control of proceedings. By the final whistle, they had four, with the forward netting three of them for a superb three-goal haul.

Delap's Redemption and Influence

The home side displayed great fight all game, but the clearer opportunities always fell Chelsea’s way. Estêvão ought to have opened the deadlock when he rounded goalkeeper the Hull stopper before unbelievably shooting over. The striker then had a similar horror incident in front of goal against his former club.

He blocked a Phillips's clearance which bounced back from the bar, and Delap began to run away thinking the ball had gone over the line. It had not, and by the time he understood, Hull's defenders had responded to avert the danger.

The player had his head in his hands after that miss, but he was immensely instrumental from that point onward, providing three key passes. The opening was for the first goal as his through ball teed up Neto to score from outside the box. Shortly after the second half began, it was 2-0 as the forward's set-piece went straight in under the keeper's legs.

Contest Sealed and Attention Shifts

Seven minutes after the second goal, the match was put beyond doubt as a magnificent run from Delap teed up Estêvão to slide into an unguarded goal. The hat-trick hero then finished his hat-trick as the provider once again delivered the crucial ball for the striker to coolly convert by a stranded goalkeeper.

At that point, the effort Hull had put in in the first half-hour had long since erased. Their focus must now switch back to achieving a promotion to the top division under Sergej Jakirovic, who rested several key individuals with that aim in mind.

"I think we deserved at least one goal but if we play like this we will be in a strong position in the Championship," the Hull manager commented. "Never surrender, maybe in the upcoming matches this can be a good lesson of how we must play."

Hull showed plenty of endeavour to the final whistle, and they almost got a consolation when Lewis Koumas struck a the upright in stoppage time. But this was the Blues' evening, and another positive step forward for their recently-appointed manager at a stadium he is familiar with intimately.

FA Cup Omens Are Good

The result made for an ultimately straightforward night's performance, and the cup competition omens are good from here for Chelsea. They have played Hull on three previous times in this competition in the past ten years and on each occasion, they have progressed to reach the showpiece. There is still work in that respect, but this was another huge positive for Rosenior.