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| Eldin Jakupovic produced the winning save to send Hull through |
A MAGNIFICENT save from Eldin Jakupovic enabled Hull City to triumph in a tense penalty shoot-out and claim a place in the quarter-finals of the Capital One Cup last night.
The Hull keeper kept out the first spot kick from Riyad Mahrez and Hull went on to score from all their five attempts and clinch a deserved win a tie they dominated for long spells.
Earlier, Leicester had served up a ton of frustration for their fans before they finally went ahead in the 100th minute with a controversial goal.
Substitute Jamie Vardy looked offside when he broke clear. His shot was saved by Jakupovic, but Mahrez followed up to score. The outcome was to be different in the shoot-out.
Hull's equaliser five minutes was similar. This time, Abel Hernandez pounced on the loose ball after veteran Mark Schwarzer could only push out a shot from Chuba Akpom.
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| Riyad Mahrez gave Leicester the lead in extra time |
It has seemed that making history was clearly not a priority for Hull manager Steve Bruce. He knew a victory would take them past the fourth round of this competition for the first time in their history.
But, even with Wembley looming closer, he chose to rest all but three of the team that lifted them to second in the Championship with a win over Birmingham last Saturday - and his gamble paid off.
At least he went two better than Leicester's Claudio Ranieri, who warned he would rest virtually all his first choice players and was as good as his word as only Marc Albrighton survived from their win over Crystal Palace.
Even without Vardy, they created a chance inside 20 seconds when Andrej Kramaric powered a shot inches past the post from nearly 30 yards, but it was to be their only threat of the first-half as the focus switched to Ranieri's defence.
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| Abel Hernandez equalised, giving Hull the chance to win on penalties |
The fringe players in front of keeper Mark Schwarzer soon looked vulnerable as a slick three-man passing move finished with Mo Diame setting up Greg Luer with a close-range chance that he could only strike against full-back Ritchie de Laet.
They were exposed again in the 11th minute when indecision allowed a cross to reach Shaun Maloney, who dragged his shot wide of the post.
With Tom Huddlestone and Isaac Hayden running affairs in midfield, Hull went on to control the rest of the half, yet created only one more opportunity when Maloney stepped over Andy Robertson's cross to leave Diame with time and space for a shot that he hurriedly mishit over the bar.
Diame, a man with a point to prove to Bruce after being left out of the last two league games, produced a more convincing case for a recall 12 minutes after the restart when he almost caught Schwarzer by surprise with a low shot that shaved a post.
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| Leicester were left empty-handed after losing out in the shootout |
Diame was impressive again two minutes later when he reached the byline and crossed to the far post where Ryan Taylor directed his header narrowly off-target. Leicester, meanwhile, were strictly second-best in every area of the pitch.
And, while Ranieri was keen to rest Vardy, the Foxes' fans were chanting for "England's No.1" with a only an hour gone and, five minutes later, the striker went on in place of Shinji Okazaki.
Vardy livened up Leicester, but Hull continued to look far more dangerous. Maguire claimed in vain that a header had crossed and, in extra time, Abel Hernandez demanded a penalty when he went down inside the area - but the substitute was booked for diving.
The goals finally arrived from Mahrez and Hernandez, but, in the end, it needed a penalty shoot-out to settle the tie.
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