Hull City Under-21s exited the East Riding Senior Cup at the semi-final stage after suffering defeat via a penalty shootout.
After drawing 2-2 in normal time, which also saw City goalkeeper Tom Macauley receive a red card, the Tigers lost 4-2 on penalties at the Roy West Centre.
Conor Sellars named a mixed team of Under-21s and Under-18s for the fixture. Oliver Green captained the side while there was an unnamed trialist starting for City. Under-16s duo Stan Hewitt and Joe Batty were also named on the substitutes bench.
The Tigers had the first opportunity of the game as a quick free-kick was played to McCauley Snelgrove, who evaded his marker with a clever spin. However, his shot from the edge of the penalty area went narrowly wide of the goal. At the other end, Dan Clancy’s lofted effort was high and wide.
It was end-to-end chances throughout the fixture as Keegan Green picked out the run of Jaedyn Chibanga, who fired over the bar before Joe Wood was denied by a diving Macauley at his front post.
Ralph Nkomba then hit the post as he latched onto Snelgrove’s chipped pass. The forward rounded the onrushing Tom Rouse but could only see his effort hit the inside of the post. Fellow first-year scholar Ronnie Kelly was next to take aim, after he was picked out at the back post by Keegan Green, but the striker could only head over the bar.
On the 31st-minute, the Tigers opened the scoring as a long pass released Sincere Hall through on goal. The winger drove into the Hedon penalty area before clinically converting his one-on-one into the far corner.
Hedon equalised just four minutes later as a floated free-kick towards the six-yard area wasn’t fully cleared by the Tigers defence, which allowed Clancy to rifle home from close-range.
The Humber Premier League side crafted a few chances before the half’s end, with Wood’s free-kick deflecting wide before the winger saw a curling attempt deflect narrowly wide off Keegan Green. From the resulting corner, Macauley produced a stunning reaction save to push away Clancy’s header.
It took the Tigers just four minutes into the second-half to re-take the lead as Hall teed up Nkomba inside the Hedon penalty area. The striker’s first-time effort found the bottom corner, despite goalkeeper Rouse getting a hand to the shot.
Sellars’ side pushed for another goal as Rouse denied Hall one-on-one before Oliver Green fired over after a good initial one-two between Snelgrove and Hall crafted the opportunity.
Hedon equalised from the penalty spot in the 63rd-minute as Wood was fouled by Keegan Green in the area. Ryan Whincup stepped up and smashed his spot-kick into the back of the net to level the scoreline.
Both teams looked to win it in normal time as Kelly saw his attempt held by Rouse while Harry Giles was off-target from range. Kelly was then denied twice by Rouse over the space of eight minutes, with Snelgrove finding the striker on both occasions, before Macauley received a straight red card for handling the ball outside of the penalty area.
Substitute goalkeeper Ben Voase was immediately called into action to save from the resulting free-kick, which was drilled low and hard from 20-yards out.
With the game level at the full-time whistle, the fixture would be decided by a penalty shootout. City went first as Oliver Green converted.
Clancy, Snelgrove and Will Broadley all converted their penalties respectively before Rouse saved the Tigers’ third spot-kick, denying Harry Wallis.
Joe Start netted his penalty to give Hedon the advantage before Rouse guessed correctly to keep out Hall.
Substitute Finlay Southcoat then dispatched the winning penalty by placing his finish into the top corner to send Hedon through to the final of the East Riding Senior Cup.
Hull City (4-3-3): Macauley; K. Green, Leckie, Wallis, Trialist; O. Green (C), Snelgrove, Nkomba; Chibanga, Kelly (Voase 86’), Hall.
Subs Not Used: Onoh, Hewitt, Batty.
Hedon Rangers (4-3-3): Rouse; Whitehead (Rooks 68’), Harrison (C), Chadburn, Smith; Start, Giles, Broadley; Wood, Clancy, Whincup (Southcoat 81’).
Subs Not Used: Matson, Cooper, Petch.