Hull City safely negotiated a visit to the League Two side Southend United as Matty Fryatt’s second-half double proved enough for victory at Roots Hall against their former manager Phil Brown in the FA Cup fourth round.

Steve Bruce had made nine changes, with record signings Nikica Jelavic and Shane Long ineligible, so Fryatt and Danny Graham led the attack and goalkeeper Steve Harper came into the side along with Abdoulaye Faye and David Meyler.

The Premier League team, though, had more than enough quality to see them through, with the Shrimpers – going well in the promotion race – restricted to a few chances, the best falling to striker Barry Corr.

The heavy rain in Essex had made the Roots Hall pitch very heavy, and there was an early robust challenge from Corr on Yannick Sagbo, which earned him a swift yellow card from the referee, Lee Mason.

Despite fielding such a changed side from their last Premier League game, at Norwich, which they lost 1-0, Hull soon settled and started to take control of midfield.

The Southend striker Corr, though, continued to cause the visitors’ defence a few problems as the Hull centre-backs struggled to keep their footing at times. On 23 minutes, Faye upended Anthony Straker just inside the Hull half and was straight into the referee’s notebook.

Harper produced a fine save at point-blank range to turn over a bullet header from Corr after a long throw into the Hull penalty area, but the visitors should have been ahead on 34 minutes. George Boyd beat the offside trap down the left and crossed to Graham for what looked a tap-in. However, the striker, making his first appearance since New Year’s Day, scuffed his shot straight at the keeper.

Faye’s header from Boyd’s curling free-kick was also saved and Southend’s defence produced a last-ditch tackle on Fryatt in the six-yard box as the Premier League side finished the first half in the ascendancy.

Southend almost went into the lead at the start of the second half when a 30-yard strike from Michael Timlin crashed against the crossbar, but Corr’s follow-up header was straight at the keeper.

The deadlock was finally broken by the visitors just after the hour, when Fryatt latched on to a loose ball in a crowded box and drove a low effort into the bottom right corner.

Robbie Brady came on for Graham after 73 minutes as the Hull manager, Steve Bruce, tried to freshen up his front line. Stephen Quinn was then unfortunate not to get on the end of Boyd’s left-wing cross after arriving on the break at the far post.

Southend pressed in the closing stages, played out during heavy rain, but other than a couple of scrambles in the Hull area, they never really threatened to force a replay, and Fryatt made sure Hull reached the fifth round when he cracked home a second goal in stoppage time after collecting a ball down the right and cutting in at the near post.

• FA Cup
• Southend
• Hull City

theguardian.com