Philip Buckingham watched Hull City beat Huddersfield Town 1-0 in the Capital One Cup and says momentum is continuing to build as Nick Proschwitz strikes an unstoppable winner and Steve Bruce bloods former Arsenal new boy Conor Henderson.
THESE are heady times to be a follower of Hull City. If a Premier League odyssey were not enough to capture the imagination, a rare Capital One Cup adventure is slowly building pace. After stumbling past League One's runaway leaders Leyton Orient in the second round, Championship outfit Huddersfield became the latest victim to fall before Steve Bruce's side last night.
A place in the last 16 of this often-maligned competition for the first time since 1977-78 is the Tigers' latest reward and leaves them just 90 minutes adrift of history. The League Cup quarter-finals represent unchartered waters. Bruce will not be preoccupied by such a landmark so long as the Premier League is on his mind, but will have still enjoyed his side's progress past the potential banana skin of Huddersfield.
Nick Proschwitz, his one-time record signing, was to thank. Producing an unstoppable finish from 12 yards out on the hour mark, the striker delivered an overdue instalment of last summer's £2.6m transfer fee. The victory should have been more straightforward, with Proschwitz lashing a golden chance over the bar following his opener, but in this competition of such little joy for the Tigers, few left the KC Stadium grumbling.
Momentum, too, is building. Since losing at Chelsea 2-0 on the opening day of the season, City have lost just one of six league and cup games that have followed. And there was no disgrace in being edged out by title favourites Manchester City. This weekend's visit of West Ham United, with City back to the basics of the Premier League, has that air of confidence still firmly intact.
Of City's starting XI only veteran Steve Harper was alive when his employers last reached the League Cup fourth round in the Autumn of 1977. He was just two and a half when City conquered Oldham Athletic to set up a trip to Arsenal and one of nine changes from the side that won 3-2 at Newcastle. Only Liam Rosenior and Stephen Quinn survived the overhaul. Compared to the previous round's trip to Leyton Orient, this was relative continuity.
The League Cup was equally far down Huddersfield's priority list and Mark Robins went one better than his former Manchester United team-mate with 10 alterations. The inevitable lack of fluency affected both sides, but it was undoubtedly City who controlled the first half.
Yannick Sagbo, showing tricky feet from the left flank, the busy Stephen Quinn and Abdoulaye Faye, a leading contender to fill in for the injured James Chester, all offered up impressive contributions. So too Proschwitz. There was no questioning his appetite in City's attack and only a timely covering Murray Wallace tackle denied him a chance when controlling the weighted pass of Quinn.
Soon after it was the turn of strike partner Matty Fryatt to come close twice inside a minute. The first opportunity came from the clever pass of Proschwitz but despite beating Alex Smithies in the Terriers' goal, the ball struck the base of the upright. An arguably better chance came on the edge of the box 30 seconds later. Choosing to shoot instead of rolling in Proschwitz to his right, Fryatt's shot was lashed high over the bar.
Huddersfield had chances of their own in between the Tigers' territorial dominance. Faye's sliding challenge to deny Daniel Carr a clear shot on goal was superb following Sean Scannell's pass, while Oscar Gobern sent a powerful header over the top from Calum Woods' right wing cross.
City's slick passing, meanwhile, promised more than it delivered. On more than one occasion, intricate moves pulled Huddersfield here and there, but lacked the telling conviction inside the final third. Quinn, Sagbo and Fryatt combined well to slide in Boyd bursting into the box before his attempts to shoot were twice blocked. Sagbo had the final chance of the first half but he could not control his effort from Proschwitz's knock down.
Although City struggled to replicate their authority immediately after the break, they still produced the telling moment on the hour mark. Liam Rosenior's ball down the right flank found Boyd in a rare pocket of space and when his flick meant for Fryatt bounced onwards, Proschwitz arrived to lash home his first goal of the season. Just as he had showed with four goals in the reserves last week, the German striker still has a predatory streak.
With a firm grip on proceedings, the Tigers sought a winner to kill off Huddersfield. Abdoulaye Faye's back-post header almost gave Gedo a goal three minutes after his introduction, but the Egyptian could not add the finishing touch on the stretch.
Gedo was joined by debutant Conor Henderson for the final quarter of an hour as City attempted to squeeze out the win. Proschwitz, though, was guilty of a bad miss with 11 minutes left. Smithies' woeful attempts to clear fell straight to the centre-forward but his effort lacked every ounce of class his opener had boasted.
Huddersfield threw caution to the wind in the closing stages in search of the equaliser that would bring extra-time. Solid defending, particularly from Alex Bruce, ensured their late adventure came to nothing. A place in the last 16 brings a little slice of history for the Tigers and tonight's fourth round draw will shape if this run could yet roll into the quarter-finals.Hull City: Harper; Rosenior, Faye, Bruce, Dudgeon; Sagbo, Meyler, Quinn, Boyd; Proschwitz, Fryatt. Subs Gedo (for Fryatt, 68), Henderson (for Quinn, 74).
