The great F.A. Cup is today’s huge attraction,
It is time for some ‘magical’ third round action,
And Boro’s great fans, so massive in number,
Have travelled to Hull on the banks of the Humber.

The long road to Wembley’s new stadium starts here,
With the pitch in good nick there’s a great atmosphere,
And the Boro must triumph, for one very good reason,
It’s our only chance now, of Europe next season.

Hull City – ‘The Tigers’ - quickly tore us asunder,
And Southgate looked on with a face just like thunder,
Thankfully a poor cross meant the move did then fail,
And we all could breathe easy, for we’d got out of jail.

The Tigers – now hungry – once again did attack,
And got easily behind us, though the marking was slack,
The hosts really threatened as their fans loudly roared,
And one thing’s for sure: they are not overawed!

After what seemed an age we saw Boro’s best spell,
And the threat from the City we appeared to repel,
Then we spurned enough chances to have had the game won,
But Hull City proved they’d not be easily outdone.

We first saw Viduka and then Julio Arca,
Miss the easiest of chances after losing their marker,
The worst came from Yakubu, of that there’s no doubt,
For he missed two real sitters through messing about.

Twice in a minute the Boro hearts pounded,
Yak seemed certain to score when the ‘keeper he rounded,
Somehow Danny Coles then scooped the ball of the line,
But, at least we’re creating, so that’s a good sign.

Brad Jones, Boro’s ‘keeper, had an almighty fright,
But managed to scupper the Tigers’ delight,
He was well off his line and almost made to pay,
But he managed to claw Elliott’s header away.

Throughout the first half we had chances galore,
But, despite every effort, we just couldn’t score,
Hull were there for the taking so we shouldn’t feel worried,
Had we shown more composure they’d be now dead and buried.

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Stewart Downing went close with a thunderous drive,
But Myhill, in goal, kept the Hull hopes alive,
Pogatetz and Viduka then had bites at the cherry,
When will Boro’s fans be allowed to make merry?

Cattermole’s departure signalled Morrison’s arrival,
And quickly that led to a Boro revival,
Myhill’s then left helpless as Viduka shoots,
To prove that, for class, there are no substitutes.

But Hull were undaunted and won’t be disgraced,
As Forster’s brought on and McPhee is replaced,
He took just two minutes to deliver a ‘bomb,’
And levelled the tie as he scored with aplomb.

Uncomfortable moments were then had by both teams,
As each strove to shatter the other one’s dreams,
Morrison thought he’d scored in a last-minute gamble,
Then Hull hit the post in a great goalmouth scramble.

Hull, to their credit, often had Boro rattled,
Throughout ninety minutes they fought and they battled,
The outcome was doubtful ‘til the very last minute,
Surely, now, we’ll be favourites, at the Riverside to win it.

Important it might be to progress in the Cup,
But the most vital battle is the one to stay up,
It’s the one we daren’t lose or some thousands will hate us,
That’s the fight to retain hard-won Premiership status.