Hull 2 Brighton 1: Tigers dreaming of Wembley as Steve Bruce targets a 'memorable season'

The Hull manager praised his side after their fifth round victory put them 90 minutes away from a Wembley semi-final appearance

Rory Dollard
Tuesday 25 February 2014 09:35 GMT
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Steve Bruce admitted he was dreaming of FA Cup success after Hull's 2-1 victory over Brighton
Steve Bruce admitted he was dreaming of FA Cup success after Hull's 2-1 victory over Brighton

Hull are 90 minutes away from a first FA Cup semi-final in 84 years and manager Steve Bruce is desperate to treat the club's fans to a Wembley trip.

The Tigers defeated Sky Bet Championship opponents Brighton 2-1 in a fifth-round replay on Monday night, setting up a home quarter-final against Sunderland - the club that sacked Bruce in 2011.

It is a tantalising prospect for everyone at the KC Stadium, with Hull having reached the last eight only five times in their history and the last four for the only time in 1930.

Bruce has had greater success in the competition, winning it with Manchester United in 1990 and 1994, and he is eager to create new memories.

"We've given ourselves a wonderful chance," he said.

"It's a nice position to be in and now we've got to see if we can make it a really memorable season.

"(Wembley) is a wonderful occasion and when you sit back in your cardigan and slippers you remember the FA Cup. I've been fortunate enough to win it and it would be nice to go back there again if we possibly could.

"It's all to play for. We've got to beat Sunderland yet but it is a wonderful day out - the best day you'll have as a player or a coach.

"But more importantly it's for the supporters, if we can give them that it's terrific."

Hull City 2 Brighton and Hove Albion 1 match report

Bruce would have been forgiven for thinking Curtis Davies' looping far post header on the quarter-hour and Robert Koren's deflected free-kick 20 minutes later had killed off Brighton before half-time.

But when Leonardo Ulloa planted a faint header past Steve Harper in the 68th minute, it gave Brighton late hope of a comeback.

"In the first half we were completely in control of it, we just needed a third and the game was over," added Bruce.

"It was almost job done but how often do we see that? Just at the right time Brighton got the goal and fair play to them.

"All of a sudden it was a tie again."

Seagulls assistant manager Nathan Jones cut a dejected figure after the game, bemoaning a missed opportunity and blaming a slow start.

"We didn't come out of the blocks in the first half, we didn't play with any real intensity," he said.

"We didn't show up, that wasn't an Albion performance in the first half. It felt like a bit of an anti-climax the way we played, especially after what we'd done in the first game against them.

"We made a game of it and got the goal but it was a mountain to climb against a good Premier League side."

PA

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