Live Blog

Final Thoughts: Everton made this game unduly hard on themselves, though referee Kevin Friend should be mortified by his performance today.

120+2’ - Everton are trying to end the game with a fourth here, have had a couple of pops at goal. There’s the final whistle, whew. Everton go through to the next round with a 3-2 win at Hull City thanks to an extra time winner from Andros Townsend.

117’ - Townsend twists and turns and wins a freekick deep on the right. Rondon is finally coming off, and Cenk Tosun is on.

113’ - Lively mazy run from Dobbin wins him a corner. Looked a lot like Gray there. Taken short, Townsend into the box, Godfrey’s header is blocked. Blues win a throw-in and keep the ball deep. Godfrey gets a yellow card for timewasting.

109’ - Another corner for the Tigers. Deep corner, headed back into a messy box, and Begovic makes an incredible save!! Point blank range and the rebound goes just wide. Phew.

108’ - A Hull counter leads to a corner. Low corner cleared away. Cross back in and Begovic gathers and the Blues can breathe.
Dobbin almost gets away on a long ball.

105’ - Blues have made a fourth change with an exhausted Demarai Gray off, and Lewis Dobbin has come on. Somehow Rondon still stays on.

Extra-time Halftime: Blues lead again, but can they hold on this time? Plenty of tired legs here, and somehow Rondon is still on the pitch.

105+1’ - Gbamin plays Rondon in, a good tackle prevents a shot but gives the Blues a corner that is wasted.

103’ - Late challenge from Allan, Hull freekick from a dangerous spot. Partly cleared and a foul by Hull relieves the pressure.

98’ - TOWNSEND!! Andros Townsend ladies and gentlemen! Cuts in from the right and with his right foot this time releases a swirling shot that embarrasses the Hull goalie. It’s 3-2 Everton with about twenty minutes of extra time to play!

94’ - Gray gets caught offside. A minute later, he goes on a mazy run through the Hull defence, but runs out of gas pulling the trigger and his shot is blocked.

92’ - Hull holding the ball in the Everton half. Everton’s three subs haven’t done much have they?

90’ - And we’re underway. Refs late back to the pitch after the pre-extratime break. Kevin Friend probably getting fitted for glasses there.

Second Half Thoughts: Never seen a manager play for a draw while leading quite like Rafa Benitez. That is all.

90+7’ - There’s the fulltime whistle, and we’ll be going to extra time.

90’ - Rondon pulled down on a counter attack, and Friend decides there’s no foul!! Ridiculous. That’s three penalties the Blues have been denied that would likely all have been given if this game was at Goodison Park!

88’ - Doucoure gets on the end of Townsend’s cross, but can’t keep his header down.
Now Gomes going off with Jean-Philippe Gbamin coming on.

86’ - The hosts are finishing this half the stronger side, the Blues have been quiet with Gordon off.

83’ - Whew! Everton get lucky as a Hull shot goes off the base of Begovic’s post!

78’ - Townsend freekick blocked for a corner. Whipped in low and goalie pushes it out for another one. Townsend takes it low again, cleared.

73’ - Doucoure on now for Kenny, and the Blues have belatedly switched to a 4-3-3.
Gray cuts in and his shot seems to come off an outstretched arm, but ref Kevin Friend is not interested, and of course there’s no VAR.

70’ - Oof, what a goal. Huddlestone does well to win the ball, and all three of the home side’s subs combine for a fantastic shot that curls around Begovic into the far post. 2-2, just like that.

66’ - Andros Townsend coming on for.. Anthony Gordon. Gordon’s been one of the brightest players on the pitch, so of course to Benitez he’s the one to take off.

62’ - Double change for the hosts, with former Premier League player Tom Huddlestone coming on. Reminder that teams can make up to five changes.

55’ - Everton have a couple of chances now, but can’t take advantage. Gray loses the ball and looks to he hurt by a sliding challenge. He’s up and limping away.

53’ - Coleman leads a break upfield, Gray’s centre falls to Rondon but he can’t corral it with a free Gordon waiting, and it’s cleared. Is Rondon really the worst centreforward the Toffees had in.. decades?

50’ - Ben a scrappy start to the half here. Hull freekick lofted into the box, big Greaves gets to the ball and heads it wide, but the hosts want a penalty that is not forthcoming.

46’ - Second half underway.

Halftime Thoughts: Everton overcame a nightmare start to lead at the break. They have wrested control away from a Hull City side that started really strong, but it’s been the 3G show that has gotten it done for the Blues - Gray, Gordon and Gomes have come to play today.

45+1’ - Mykolenko brings down Williams from about the same spot where the freekick for Hull’s goal came from. He’s been booked too. Begovic punches clear, the shot back is well over.
There’s the halftime whistle, Toffees lead 2-1.

40’ - Gordon wins a freekick. Kenny swings it in, Godfrey’s shot is blocked for a corner. Gray takes it, skims into the box and a Hull ricochet sends it out for another corner. Keane almost gets to it but the hosts can clear.

36’ - Gray looking to play in Mykolenko charging forward, goalie rushes out to gather.
Smith wins a corner off Godfrey even though the ball went off the Hull player last. Deep corner, but foul on Gomes ends the play.

33’ - Two quick chances for the host, Begovic saving well both times.
Rondon pounces on a loose ball and finds Gordon for a shot that is well over. The youngster is caught by a sliding tackle after the ball is gone, but of course, no VAR so no foul.

31’ - GOMES! 2-1 Everton now! Lovely bit of play here from Gordon, finding Kenny wide open on the right. The fullback’s cross is attacked well by Gomes who stoops to head it in, as the goalie makes a mess of it.

28’ - Michael Keane almost scores! A one-two with Gordon finds him as the furthest player forward and he tries to get it in at the far post but the goalie saves well.

27’ - Handball in the box! Greaves’ arm was far away from his body and Gordon had the ball controlled. But of course, VAR is only in use at the Premier League grounds so the Toffees do not get an obvious penalty here.

24’ - Gray tests Baxter at the near post from distance and wins a corner. Gray overhits it.

23’ - POST! Gordon with a great run into the box and stops with the ball, but drags his shot at the near post just wide, hitting the outside of the post.

21’ - GOAL! Gray makes it 1-1 with a real moment of quality. Twisted and turned past his man, then played a lovely give-and-go with Gordon before slotting home at the far post.

19’ - Gomes and Gray getting muscled off the ball and Hull get a shot going over. Boos ringing out from the traveling support. Deservedly so.

16’ - The 6’4” Eaves runs away from Coleman and fires in a shot that Begovic parries away for a corner that is cleared away.

13’ - Everton have nothing here as they’re already resorting to long ball while the home side are stroking the ball around with ease.

7’ - Gray beats his man down the left and wins a corner. Low and goes out off Gordon.

6’ - Cross into the box, looping header from Eaves and Begovic saves really well to keep it from becoming 2-0. Corner into the box, Hull win the header again but it goes wide.

3’ - Looks like it’s Godfrey - Keane - Coleman in the back, Mykolenko and Kenny are the wingbacks. The home crowd are loving this start.

1’ - Underway at Hull. Gray immediately brings down Mills for a freekick. Swung into the box and goal for the hosts. A new low for Everton here. 1-0 at the 45 second mark. Neither Mykolenko nor Rondon really attacked the ball.

Lineups

Rafa Benitez has picked his side for the Cup clash today, and he’s gone again with the ultra-conservative 5-4-1, with new signing Vitaliy Mykolenko getting the start. Seamus Coleman will line up in the backline and no room for Lucas Digne again. It’s a two-man midfield again unfortunately, with Allan and Andre Gomes in the middle, Demarai Gray and Anthony Gordon.

Meanwhile Jordan Pickford gets a break with Asmir Begovic starting, and Salomon Rondon leads the attack. Nathan Patterson will be on the bench along with the returning Andros Townsend. Ellis Simms will have to be wondering what he can do to get some game time even as Cenk Tosun makes the bench ahead of him.

Everton

Starting XI: Begovic, Kenny, Coleman, Keane, Godfrey, Mykolenko, Allan, Gomes, Gordon, Gray, Rondon

Subs: Pickford, Dobbin, Doucoure, Gbamin, Holgate, Onyango, Patterson, Tosun, Townsend

Hull City

Starting XI: Baxter, Greaves, Smallwood, Docherty, Eaves, Honeyman, Lewis-Potter, McLoughlin, Williams, T. Smith, Bernard

Subs: Ingram, Cannon, Longman, Moncur, M. Smith, Fleming, Huddlestone, Hinds, Mills

Preview

Everton are a team in crisis right now - one win in twelve games will do that. Pressure is mounting on manager Rafa Benitez whose press conferences are becoming more and more combative as questions continue to get asked of his selections, tactics and general demeanor especially in regard to senior player Lucas Digne.

Today’s trip to Hull City is a chance for the Blues to put aside a lot of the turmoil surrounding the club by kicking off what will hopefully be a long FA Cup run. The hosts are having their own struggles in the Championship, but an upset will be on their minds especially seeing how meekly Everton have surrendered in recent games.

Match Details

Competition: FA Cup Third Round

Date and start time: Saturday, January 8th at 9:30 a.m. PT / 12:30 p.m ET / 5:30 p.m. BST

Stadium: KCOM Stadium, Kingston-upon-Hull, England, United Kingdom

Capacity: 25,586

Weather: 44°F/7°C, light rain, 84% chance of precipitation, 11 mph winds

How to Watch/Listen

TV: N/A - United States; BBC One - United Kingdom; DAZN - Canada, beIN Sports HD 3, SuperSport Variety 2 ROA

Radio: evertontv, BBC Radio 5 Live

Live stream: Fubo, ESPN+, BBC Sport Web, BBC iPlayer, ESPN Play Sur, beIN SPORTS CONNECT, DStv Now, RUSH, Sony LIV, JioTV

Gamethread: Live blog above starting one hour before game time

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Information from LiveSoccerTV.com

Last Meeting

The Blues last faced the Tigers in the 2016-17 season when they were up in the Premier League. That season they drew away 2-2 before winning the home game 4-0. Everton have played Hull away twice in the FA Cup in the past, drawing 1-1 both times in 1927 and 1964.