FA Cup Fourth Round: Southend Utd 0-2 Hull City

Matty Fryatt returned to the Hull City line-up to fire the Tigers into The FA Cup Fifth Round at the expense of League Two Southend United.

The striker hit two second-half goals to ruin home boss Phil Brown's reunion against the club he guided to top-flight promotion and sent the visiting supporters back to East Yorkshire dreaming of Wembley.

The sun was out as Southend kicked-off the proceedings, and buoyed by their recent seven match unbeaten run, the Shrimpers were fired-up as the Roots Hall faithful pumped up the volume from the first whistle.

The Hull defence were unable to settle as the partnership of Barry Corr and Kevan Hurst threw their weight around - the former collecting an early caution for a foul on Yannick Sagbo.

And the hosts revealed a secret weapon early in the game, with captain Ryan Leonard unleashing his Rory Delap-esque long throw and it caused the Tigers no need of problems in their tightly-packed surroundings.

His first missile-style launched throw saw centre-half Mark Phillips go head-to-head with the imposing Addoulaye Faye - literally - with the Senegal international coming off worst.

If that put the frighteners on Hull then their nerves were in shreds on 25 minutes. Leonard flung another throw towards the front post as Hurst looked set to meet it head on and score, but Paul McShane bravely threw his head in front of the attacker's to head the ball backwards and just over the bar.

Brown, who had looked in relaxed mood before kick-off, cut an animated figure on the touch line as he shouted shouted instructions to his side.

He did raise a wry smile though as the visiting supporters gave a verse of "Browny, give us a song" in reference to his microphone antics when in charge at the Tigers after securing their top-flight status in 2009.

His smiles almost turned to tears though on 34 minutes as his defence was caught napping for the first time in the game. The majestic George Boyd held the line well as he darted onto a through ball to beat the offside trap and the winger found himself and team-mate Danny Graham two-on-one with Phillips.

He squared to the striker who fired the trigger from 12 yards out but Daniel Bentley got down well to save to his left.

The first-half proceeded like a sparring match as they jostled for possession, with the hosts enjoying the early part, but the visitors taking control in the closing stages as they won a series of corners but were unable to find a breakthrough before the interval - mainly due to a fantastic block from Anthony Straker after Fryatt had let fly for Hull.

The second half started in explosive fashion as Southend began on the attack and they came agonisingly close to a breakthrough on 49 minutes. 

Michael Timlin received the ball and proceeded goalwards before he unleashed a 25 yard strike that left Harper stranded as he could only watch as the ball thundered off the underside of the bar and bounced out for Corr to tamely head the rebound straight into his arms.

The belief was sweeping around the ground as the Shrimpers army lifted the sound levels again, and you could feel the expectancy as Leonard launched another throw into the mixer, but McShane and his defensive comrades managed to scramble the ball to safety.

Hull looked rattled as Southend continued to press - although they did have an opportunity through Graham but he snatched at his effort as Bentley thwarted him again.

Bentley showed great reflexes moments later when David Meyler's 20-yard effort left him wrong-footed as it nicked off a defender on route to goal, the 'keeper just managing to use his outstretched leg to divert the ball wide.

City were turning the screw and it was only going to be a matter of time before they took the lead, and perhaps cruelly for Bentley, that moment came on 62 minutes.

Fryatt celebrates putting Hull into the Fifth Round.

The Southend defence seemed to stand and watch as Fryatt collected the ball just inside the area and side-stepped to the left before firing low across goal for the ball to nestle inside the far post.

Timlin was replaced by Cauley Woodrow on 70 minutes as Phil Brown looked to inject some fresh legs into his side as they battled valiantly to keep their FA Cup hopes alive.

Bruce also introduced Robbie Brady into the fray in place of Graham as his side began to sit deeper and deeper, but his introduction caused dilemmas for Southend's defence as the Tigers looked to pounce on the counter and Brady forced the 'keeper into a save on 83 minutes.

The rain was beginning to lash down at Roots Hall as the battle neared its end, and Harper was called into duty several times as he cleared the danger with a series of punches and catches as the hosts went direct in their attempts to draw level.

You could feel that their hard work would result in a chance and it did - but it's one the usually lethal Hurst will want to forget. A ball was lofted into the area for Woodrow to head down into the path of the striker, but he sent his effort blazing high over the bar.

Southend legend Freddy Eastwood was thrown on up front in a last throw of the dice and a roar of encouragement followed as the fourth official indicted four minutes of additional time - but the hopes were quickly dampened as Fryatt sealed Hull City's place in The Fifth Round with seconds remaining.

He embarked on another mazy run into the area as he cut through the defence and fired low past the keeper to send the travelling fans behind the goal into ecstasy.

Southend United: 17 Daniel Bentley, 3 Ben Coker, 5 Mark Phillips, 6 Luke Prosser, 8 Michael Timlin  (33 Cauley Woodrow, 70), 10 Bradley Corr (7 Freddy Eastwood, 88), 11 Anthony Straker (21 Jack Payne, 80), 12 Will Atkinson, 14 Kevan Hurst, 18 Ryan Leonard (c), 23 Adam Thompson

Subs not used: 1 Paul Smith, 4 Marc Laird, 16 Conor Clifford, 29 Bedsente Gomis.

Manager: Phil Brown

Goals: N/A

Hull City: 22 Steve Harper, 2 Liam Rosenior, 3 Maynor Figueroa, 7 David Meyler, 9 Danny Graham (11 Robbie Brady, 73), 12 Matty Fryatt, 15 Paul McShane, 17 George Boyd, 20 Yannick Sagbo (14 Jake Livermore, 82), 23 Abdoulaye Faye (c), 29 Stephen Quinn (4 Alex Bruce, 88).

Subs not used: 1 Alex McCgregor, 6 Curtis Davies, 10 Robert Koren, 27 Ahmed Elmohamady.

Manager: Steve Bruce

Goals: Matt Fryatt (63 & 90)

Referee: Lee Mason

Attendance: 10,250