Bristol City 1-0 West Ham United
Emirates FA Cup third-round replay, Ashton Gate, Tuesday 16 January 2024, 7.45pm GMT
Ten-man West Ham United were dealt a third-round exit from the Emirates FA Cup at the hands of Bristol City, with Tommy Conway’s early strike subjecting the visitors to a 1-0 defeat in the Ashton Gate replay.
The teams were reacquainted in the West Country little over a week after their 1-1 draw at London Stadium, and Conway – who scored the equaliser in the first match – duly finished the EFL Championship outfit’s first real clear-cut chance to earn the crucial advantage.
Saïd Benrahma was given his marching orders shortly after the interval, and though Tomáš Souček and Emerson led the charge for a way back into the clash, City held on to secure progression to the fourth round.
A senior debut off the bench for Northern Ireland international forward Callum Marshall was one of few positives for David Moyes’ men on the night, who will now look to bounce back to winning ways at Sheffield United in the Premier League on Sunday.
Boss Moyes made four changes to the XI that started the first running of the tie, with Aaron Cresswell, Benrahma, Maxwel Cornet and Danny Ings coming in for Edson Álvarez, Jarrod Bowen, Pablo Fornals and Lucas Paquetá.
The Hammers found themselves on the back foot within the first three minutes of the contest, when Conway latched onto a loose pass, rounded Łukasz Fabiański and finished from a tight angle to make it 1-0.
A first James Ward-Prowse corner gave the visitors a sniff of an opportunity in the eighth minute, but City cleared comfortably and then Ross McCrorie had a shot at goal with his side looking the more comfortable in possession in the early stages.
Lively wideman Anis Mehmeti was next to have a go for the hosts, though his strike from range blazed off target, and then Ings skewed an attempt narrowly wide at the other end a minute later.
With West Ham gradually growing into the game, another Ward-Prowse ball into the box this time evaded Konstantinos Mavropanos lurking at the back post, and then Cornet was at the centre of a couple of close-range chances but just couldn’t convert.
Good link-up play between Emerson and Benrahma teed up Ings little under ten minutes before the break, and after Cameron Pring managed to clear with the goal gaping, home stopper Max O’Leary took a couple of attempts to get the ball to safety from the resultant corner.
The Robins had the last say of the half, with Fabiański needed to turn a 20-yard Mehmeti shot around the post before McCrorie headed tamely on target, but the score remained unchanged at ref Darren England’s whistle.
The Irons’ task was steepened six minutes into the second 45, when Benrahma was shown a red card for retaliating to a heavy challenge from Joe Williams close to the touchline.
Cresswell and Taylor Gardner-Hickman were each shown a yellow card after a coming-together close to the hour mark, shortly before O’Leary produced a smart stop to tip over a Souček volley.
A speculative Emerson shot rolled wide as West Ham continued to fight for a leveller, but City responded immediately and Fabiański did well to palm away an angled drive from substitute Nahki Wells in the 71st minute.
Academy starlet Marshall was given ten minutes to try and spark an opportunity to help take the tie to extra-time, along with fellow youngster Divin Mubama, but Bristol City saw out four minutes of added time for the win.
Bristol City: O’Leary, Tanner, Vyner, Dickie, McCrorie (Bell 61), Williams, James ©, Pring, Gardner-Hickman (Knight 75), Mehmeti (Cornick 75), Conway (Wells 61)
Subs not used: Bajic (GK), Knight-Lebel, Roberts, Nelson, King
Goal: Conway 3
Booked: Williams, Gardner-Hickman
West Ham United: Fabiański, Coufal (Johnson 66), Mavropanos, Zouma ©, Cresswell (Marshall 80), Emerson, Souček, Ward-Prowse, Benrahma, Cornet, Ings (Mubama 81)
Subs not used: Areola (GK), Anang (GK), Ogbonna, Casey, Scarles
Booked: Cresswell
Sent-off: Benrahma
Referee: Darren England
Attendance: 25,616
