FIFTH ROUND REPEAT
Derby County 0 West Ham 2
In one of the odd repercussions of FA Cup television match staging, West Ham knew before their game that, should they beat tonight’s Division One opponents Derby County, they would face Manchester United away, in a repeat of their fifth round contest back in March 2015.
To win or to lose then offered slightly less than it would otherwise had done. Nevertheless, West Ham started well and have the ball in the net after just minute, Antonio and Souček linking well to set up Bowen for a neat finish on the edge of the six yard box.
It’s his third in two, and although it’s lower league opposition, it’s the first time they have scored a goal this early in a competitive match for some time. This kind of thing was happening right across last season – perhaps now those open gates will have an element of flood about them in the weeks to come.
We needn’t have worried. The game trundles at a gentle pace in front of what is a healthy 25,000 crowd but it isn’t until early in the second half that Hammers seal a place in the fifth round, Antonio heading home Bowen’s deflected cross from the right wing, off Davies.
Bowen then has a late chance after a neat ball through from Benrahma, but is denied by Derby keeper Joe Wildsmith, following good approach play from Emerson. So the reward is indeed a fifth round tie away at Manchester United in March, exactly eight years since they were denied a win there thanks to a 187th minute Manchester United equaliser from Anthony Martial.
13 Alphonse Areola, 2 Ben Johnson, 24 Thilo Kehrer, 33 Emerson, 21 Angelo Ogbonna (captain), 27 Nayef Aguerd, 12 Flynn Downes, 28 Tomas Souček, 8 Pablo Fornals, 9 Michail Antonio, 20 Jarrod Bowen
Substitutes: 22 Saïd Benrahma, 10 Manuel Lanzini, 3 Aaron Cresswell, 72 Divin Mubama
Goalscorers: Jarrod Bowen, Michail Antonio
