West Ham vs Wolves match report: Nikica Jelavic leaves it late as Hammers progress
West Ham United 1 Wolverhampton Wanderers 0
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Your support makes all the difference.What may or may not be the last FA Cup tie ever played at Upton Park was surely one of the least memorable of all those at the evocative old ground in the past 112 years. At least West Ham won it, just, after manager Slaven Bilic, aware of having a Premier League fixture at Bournemouth this coming Tuesday, diced with their prospects by leaving Dimitri Payet and Andy Carroll in the dug-out until the final quarter of the game.
Carroll offered some badly needed support for Nikica Jelavic in attack and made the decisive goal for his fellow striker with time running out. Unable to set up a shooting opportunity for himself as a long ball was half-cleared, he hooked it forward for the hitherto anonymous Croat, who drove home a shot low into the far corner of the net past Wolves’ goalkeeper Carl Ikeme.
It was his first goal for the club in ten games since joining at the end of the last transfer window, although Wolves should perhaps have been warned: his only previous strike this season was against them for Hull City in August. Until then the Championship side defended solidly, as they had been doing in three successive league victories since tightening up in a 4-5-1 formation.
There was no Benik Afobe as the one striker, and the leading scorer appears to be off elsewhere: “Benik is in talks with Bournemouth and we’ve accepted their bid, for a significant sum,” said manager Kenny Jackett.
Icelander Bjorn Sigurdarson therefore started for the first time in two years before pulling a muscle, Liverpool-style, in the second half with nobody near him. To the disappointment of 3,000 visiting supporters in a near full house, his replacement, Adam Le Fondre wasted Wolves’ best chance of the afternoon (not that there were many) with almost the last kick of the six minutes’ added time.
West Ham: (4-1-4-1) Randolph; Jenkinson, Collins, Reid, Cresswell; Song; Antonio, Obiang, Noble (Payet, 65), Zarate (Carroll, 70); Jelavic (Oxford, 85).
Wolves: (4-5-1) Ikeme; Iorfa, Batth, Ebanks-Landell, Doherty; Van La Parra (Graham,80) McDonald, Edwards, Coady, Zyro (Henry, 80); Sigurdarson (Le Fondre, 55).
Referee: Anthony Taylor.
Man of match: Collins (West Ham)
Match rating: 5/10
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