West Ham 2-1 QPR (AET): Hammers scrape previous FA Cup’s worst EVER facet in turgid Championship gown rehearsal, writes JAMES SHARPE – as Nuno Espirito Santo is hit by main damage blow
At least we can say that West Ham have found their level. Taken into extra-time by the worst team in FA Cup history in a turgid kickabout that, more than anything, felt like a dress rehearsal for life in the Championship.
One that went on for 30 minutes too long and one they only just found a way through.
They only did so thanks to new signing Taty Castellanos, whose header in the first half of extra-time sent Nuno Espirito Santo’s side hobbling past the team sat 11th in the second tier and into the fourth round with a first win in 64 days.
If West Ham are somehow to overcome the seven-point gap to Premier League safety, one that feels increasingly cavernous, having a striker who can find the net when it matters is a lifeline on which they desperately need to cling.
This a club that’s spent a long time, and a lot of money, burning through centre-forwards trying to uncover one.
Castellanos, in his second start since joining from Lazio for £26m, and Crysencio Summerville were the few bright sparks.
West Ham scraped past QPR in the FA Cup third round with a 2-1 victory at the London Stadium
Although Nuno Espirito Santo’s side desperately needed a win, this felt like a dress rehearsal for life in the Championship
Summerville gave West Ham the lead in first-half stoppage time, only his second goal for the club, before crossing for Castellanos for the winner, a deep sigh of relief and, perhaps, some hope ahead of a crunch meeting with Tottenham at the weekend?
‘It feels so good,’ said Nuno. ‘In terms of fighting, desire and character, I am very pleased especially in the situation that we are in. We conceded, we bounced back. Happy, happy, happy, and so important for us.
‘Goals breed confidence. Goals change everything. It is going to change our week. We are going to feel better, recover better. We can make a step, improve. Everything is going to be better this week.’
For this really did have all the makings of a West Ham slip-up against a club that’s lost in the third round 52 times, more than any other side in history.
A team that’s won just seven FA Cup matches this century, were knocked out by Vauxhall Motors on penalties in 2002, and last beat top-flight opposition in the competition in 1982.
Even Nuno’s been around the place long enough now to have a sense of such impeding disasters and lined up his team in a back five.
It took West Ham 32 minutes to muster their first shot despite boasting nearly 75 possession. Before then, the closest anyone had got was a header put wide by Rangers striker Rayan Kolli at the back post from a corner.
Some West Ham fans killed the time by brandishing red cards in yet another protest against majority shareholder David Sullivan and co-chair Karen Brady.
As a single black balloon drifted its way across the grass, another show of defiance against the owners, West Ham central defender Konstantinos Mavropanos passed the ball straight into touch.
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Crysencio Summerville put the Hammers ahead in first half stoppage time after a fine move
Richard Kone then pegged the hosts back as the Premier League side struggled throughout
Taty Castellanos scored his first goal for West Ham since his January move to win the tie
Hammers defender Konstantinos Mavropanos was worryingly forced off with a serious injury
Thank goodness, then, for Summerville and Castellanos, who combined for West Ham’s first attempt on goal with Summerville’s curling shot tipped over the bar by Rangers keeper Joe Walsh.
It was not until a concerning neck injury to Mavropanos in the 39th minute, who left the field on a stretcher after a lengthy delay and will be assessed over the coming days, that Nuno switched to a back four and brought on new signing Pablo Felipe to join Castellanos up front.
At this point, both sides were set up in a 4-4-2, which felt a fitting tribute to a standard of contest that felt consigned to a bygone age.
The change, at least, did spark some inspiration for the hosts as both Pablo and Castellanos were involved for the equaliser in the ninth minute of first-half stoppage time when Bowen broke away down the right, played it inside where Castellanos dummied the ball and his man, Pablo found Soungoutou Magassa, who played in Summerville, who drilled the ball past the keeper.
When you’ve not won since November, even against modest opposition, roads to victory are never smooth. QPR pushed and West Ham retreated and, as always happens these days, succumbed. No one could say QPR didn’t deserve it.
A superb drag back and turn by Karamoko Dembele left a bewildered Summerville in his dust. His cross picked out Richard Kone, who got ahead of Wan-Bissaka, another West Ham defender beaten in the air, to nod past Mads Hermansen.
‘The players gave everything to a push a Premier League team until extra-time,’ said QPR boss Julien Stephan. ‘I am very proud of what they showed.’
Castellanos, mind, has not been around the club long enough to know this is the point where West Ham usually collapse.
The 27-year-old continued his crusade for a winner, had a couple of shots blocked by Rangers skipper Jimmy Dunne and saw a long-range effort tipped over the bar by Walsh before finally heading West Ham through.
‘We’ll see you all next year,’ sang the QPR fans. You sense, even after this, they might just be right.
