The Sky Sports hope of a giant killing was put to bed on Tuesday evening with West Ham coming out of the tie victorious.
Goals from Jack Wilshere and Pablo Fornals ensured the Hammers were in the bowl/hat/container for the next round draw.
PRE-GAME
As the coach of an underage Gaelic football team, I had training from 6:30-7:30pm. Meaning it was a tight time restraint to get training over, kit packed up and home for kick-off. But I was determined to do it.
Normally I try to squeeze some extra time out of our allocated slot but tonight, once my Fitbit indicated 7:30pm, the whistle was blown. A quick de-briefing, followed by various questions such as ‘is that it?’, I was then letting everyone go, reminding them to get home and get Sky Sports on to watch the mighty Hammers!
That seems to ignite lots of slagging off and jokey comments, unfortunately the majority were aimed at me! Extra running at the next training it seems!
A quick drive home, dinner in the microwave, I get the TV and match on. 14mins gone, not bad timing, we’ll say nothing about the speed I was driving. To any policemen reading this, ignore that last bit.
Dinner on lap, it’s time to watch the game.
THE GAME
Having missed the first 15 minutes of the match, it wasn’t until later that I was made aware by the commentator that Antonio had gone off with a hamstring injury.
Bloody disaster! He had been looking so good so far this season, the West Ham Way!
The first half of the match was a fairly scrappy affair. Lots of fouling and Newport looking like they were the Premier League side and us the League Two side.
Diop appeared to be struggling with the game. Outmuscled for a goal chance and almost put the ball in his own net but thankfully he seemed to ride his luck.
Thankfully in the 43rd minute Wilshere scored. He played a ball through the middle that got caught under the feet of the defender. Wilshere had continued his run, managed to get the ball from the defender and slotted it into the bottom corner, scoring his first competitive goal for his boyhood club. 0-1
The goal seemed to kick a bit of life into West Ham and just before the half ended a great through-ball to Fornals left him 1v1 with the keeper but the shot was saved.
The second half continued in very much the same vain as the first half.
Newport had a chance where a ball across the six yard box was missed at the back post. It wasn’t as bad as Watford’s miss at the weekend but wasn’t a kick in the arse of it.
Finally a chance to breathe. West Ham get another goal in the 65th minute. A great ball played back in the area to Fornals allows the Spaniard to put the ball away. I’m still trying work out if Ajeti was jumping over the ball to dummy it or trying to win a penalty but 0-2 nonetheless!
The game seemed to peter out after this. Although Newport did have a chance to pull one back when a ball out from Roberto to Conor Coventry was dealt with by the youngster allowed Newport to get a shot away which hit the crossbar.
OVERVIEW
Maybe I’m being harsh but it wasn’t a great game. Perhaps all my rushing about at training and trying to rush home meant I was full of adrenaline which they died down during the game?
Positives though from the match would be Roberto in goals, although he still scares the brown stuff out of me every time the ball goes near him.
I also thought Wishere had a great game, he better stay fit as he maybe needed more now with Antonio being sidelined.
The big negative from the match is the loss of Antonio. It seems to be a hamstring tear.
Now I’ve torn both my hamstrings and the worst one was a six week layoff, the other four weeks. So was shocked to read he could bole out for three to four months! If the club needs the name and number of a good physio, I can pass on mine’s details.
Anyhow, we have came through a possible giant killing and next up is Oxford United. Typical that it was Oxford who put out Millwall!
That’s two years in a row we’ve missed out on a fixture against our fiercest rivals! Last year we got knocked out of the FA Cup by Wimbledon who drew Millwall in the next round!
No doubt the TV companies will have us picked out again in the next round. I just hope it’s not a Tuesday evening so I’m not rushing about like a headless chicken or as some would say a Carlos Sanchez!
COYI!
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