Boro Edge Past Hull In Thriller
Middlesbrough beat Hull in a truly remarkable FA Cup tie at the Riverside.
Seb Hines lashed Boro into the lead on his debut and Mark Viduka made it 2-0 after Yakubu's shot hit the post.
Yakubu scored a penalty after Stewart Downing was fouled before Andy Dawson's header and Jon Parkin's penalty - after Steve McPhee was fouled - made it 3-2.
Viduka then thundered in a right-foot shot, before Dawson struck again with a magnificent 30-yard free-kick that flew in off the bar, but Boro held on.
It was a breathtaking second half, with six goals scored in 20 crazy minutes, and Boro boss Gareth Southgate will have breathed a massive sigh of relief at the end.
Yet it all started quite tamely, with Boro pretty much on top from the first whistle.
Can Middlesborough beat Bolton on Saturday?
Gamebookers Betting Odds:
Middlesborough Win: 7/5 (2.4)
Bolton Win: 19/10 (2.9)
Draw: 11/5 (3.2)
Julio Arca's left-foot drive clipped the outside of a post and then Damien Delaney brilliantly made a block to deny Viduka.
Just after the hour mark, they got the goal their dominance deserved. Hines, playing his first ever game for the club, cut in from the left and fired a right-foot shot into the corner.
Viduka nearly doubled the lead soon after, skipping past two defenders and cutting in from the right only to drag his shot wide of Boaz Myhill's right-hand post.
But it took the big Australian just four minutes after the interval to double the advantage.
A cross fell to Yakubu and he slammed a shot against the post from 20 yards, Viduka following up to slam home the rebound.
Boro were enjoying themselves and a third was not long in coming. Yakubu smashed a shot against the bar and as Downing collected the rebound, he was bundled over in the box.
Nigerian striker Yakubu nonchalantly sent Myhill the wrong way and the majority of the crowd must have presumed it was all over.
Not likely. Hull grabbed one back straight away, Dawson glancing home a header past the stranded Schwarzer.
Then it was really game on, as Abel Xavier inexplicably fouled McPhee just inside the area and Parkin slotted in the penalty.
Just as the Tigers sensed a truly astonishing comeback, Boro raced up the other end and Viduka rammed a shot across Myhill and into the far corner from 15 yards.
But still Phil Brown's side would not give in. A free-kick 30 yards out was magnificently curled into the top corner, crashing in off the underside of the crossbar by Dawson.
It was a wonderful goal, but try as they might Hull just could not grab that all-important fourth goal to send a breathless game into extra-time.
Can Middlesborough beat Bolton on Saturday?
Gamebookers Betting Odds:
Middlesborough Win: 7/5 (2.4)
Bolton Win: 19/10 (2.9)
Draw: 11/5 (3.2)
