West Ham United's dreams of reaching the FA Cup final for the second year running were ended at the fourth round stage today as Watford grabbed a 1-0 victory at Upton Park.
A goal from winger Anthony McNamee in the closing stages of the first half was enough to secure a safe passage through to the last 16 for the Hornets and leave Alan Curbishley cursing his team's misfortune, as injury and bad luck struck once again.
The Hammers boss had made four changes to his starting line-up following last week's 2-2 draw at Newcastle United. With Anton Ferdinand injured and Calum Davenport cup-tied, Christian Dailly and Jonathan Spector were called upon to form a central-defensive partnership, allowing new signing Lucas Neill to make his debut at right-back.
Shaun Newton made his first start since returning from a six-month ban for a positive doping test, in place of the injured Yossi Benayoun, while Bobby Zamora came in for the suspended Marlon Harewood to partner Carlton Cole in attack.
Hammers made a bright start and came close to taking the lead inside the opening two minutes, as Luis Boa Morte's corner from the left was met by Bobby Zamora, whose header hit the top of the crossbar before bouncing into the arms of the grateful Ben Foster.
The visitors responded well to the early scare, though, and thought they had opened the scoring themselves on 15 minutes, when former Hammer Malky Mackay nodded down for Damien Francis to prod home from two yards out, but the effort was ruled out for offside.
On 19 minutes, Nigel Quashie saw a fierce low volley saved by Foster, and the Watford keeper was called into action again just three minutes later, superbly blocking Newton's close-range effort after the midfielder had been released by Boa Morte.
Christian Dailly then saw a powerful header cleared off the line by Jordan Stewart and, as the half-hour mark approached, it was the hosts who looked in control and more likely to claim the first goal of the afternoon.
However, Watford once again responded in determined fashion, and came close to finding a breakthrough 10 minutes before the break, when Henderson's looping header was cleared from under his own crossbar by Cole.
The relief proved short-lived, though, as the visitors did find their breakthrough just three minutes before the interval. A cross from the right was misjudged by Carroll, who raced to the edge of his area but failed to collect, and the ball dropped to McNamee, whose acrobatic overhead kick from 12 yards out bounced into the empty net as Spector tried in vain to clear.
Hammers were then dealt another damaging blow at the start of the second half, when debutant Neill became the latest defensive injury casualty, limping off with an ankle injury to be replaced by Ghanaian international John Pantsil.
On 50 minutes, Zamora created an opening when he turned between two defenders on the edge of the area to leave himself in the clear, but the striker's right-footed effort sailed straight into the arms of Foster.
Six minutes later, Zamora wasted an even better chance, heading Newton's cross over the bar from just eight yards out. Moments later, Cole went down in the area under a challenge from Mackay but was booked by referee Howard Webb for what he deemed to be a dive.
Newton then fired wide from a good position in what turned out to be his final contribution of the match, as Curbs introduced Teddy Sheringham from the bench to spearhead a 4-3-3 formation, before Matthew Etherington then replaced Boa Morte.
However, despite the attacking switch, Hammers still found it difficult to break down a resolute Watford defence, marshalled superbly by Mackay and another ex-Hammers veteran, Chris Powell.
Sheringham was almost on hand to stab home a loose ball dropped by Foster from a corner, while Cole fired just over the bar from 20 yards out, but it wasn't until the 85th minute that Hammers created the clear-cut opportunity that would have earned them a replay.
Unfortunately, the ball dropped to a defender - Spector - who could only lift his close-range effort up and over from Foster, with Zamora unable to convert the rebound as it was cleared off the line.
Watford visit Upton Park again in the Premiership in just two weeks' time, and it's clear that Hammers will need to produce a far better performance in what really will be a 'cup final' against their fellow relegation strugglers.
A goal from winger Anthony McNamee in the closing stages of the first half was enough to secure a safe passage through to the last 16 for the Hornets and leave Alan Curbishley cursing his team's misfortune, as injury and bad luck struck once again.
The Hammers boss had made four changes to his starting line-up following last week's 2-2 draw at Newcastle United. With Anton Ferdinand injured and Calum Davenport cup-tied, Christian Dailly and Jonathan Spector were called upon to form a central-defensive partnership, allowing new signing Lucas Neill to make his debut at right-back.
Shaun Newton made his first start since returning from a six-month ban for a positive doping test, in place of the injured Yossi Benayoun, while Bobby Zamora came in for the suspended Marlon Harewood to partner Carlton Cole in attack.
Hammers made a bright start and came close to taking the lead inside the opening two minutes, as Luis Boa Morte's corner from the left was met by Bobby Zamora, whose header hit the top of the crossbar before bouncing into the arms of the grateful Ben Foster.
The visitors responded well to the early scare, though, and thought they had opened the scoring themselves on 15 minutes, when former Hammer Malky Mackay nodded down for Damien Francis to prod home from two yards out, but the effort was ruled out for offside.
On 19 minutes, Nigel Quashie saw a fierce low volley saved by Foster, and the Watford keeper was called into action again just three minutes later, superbly blocking Newton's close-range effort after the midfielder had been released by Boa Morte.
Christian Dailly then saw a powerful header cleared off the line by Jordan Stewart and, as the half-hour mark approached, it was the hosts who looked in control and more likely to claim the first goal of the afternoon.
However, Watford once again responded in determined fashion, and came close to finding a breakthrough 10 minutes before the break, when Henderson's looping header was cleared from under his own crossbar by Cole.
The relief proved short-lived, though, as the visitors did find their breakthrough just three minutes before the interval. A cross from the right was misjudged by Carroll, who raced to the edge of his area but failed to collect, and the ball dropped to McNamee, whose acrobatic overhead kick from 12 yards out bounced into the empty net as Spector tried in vain to clear.
Hammers were then dealt another damaging blow at the start of the second half, when debutant Neill became the latest defensive injury casualty, limping off with an ankle injury to be replaced by Ghanaian international John Pantsil.
On 50 minutes, Zamora created an opening when he turned between two defenders on the edge of the area to leave himself in the clear, but the striker's right-footed effort sailed straight into the arms of Foster.
Six minutes later, Zamora wasted an even better chance, heading Newton's cross over the bar from just eight yards out. Moments later, Cole went down in the area under a challenge from Mackay but was booked by referee Howard Webb for what he deemed to be a dive.
Newton then fired wide from a good position in what turned out to be his final contribution of the match, as Curbs introduced Teddy Sheringham from the bench to spearhead a 4-3-3 formation, before Matthew Etherington then replaced Boa Morte.
However, despite the attacking switch, Hammers still found it difficult to break down a resolute Watford defence, marshalled superbly by Mackay and another ex-Hammers veteran, Chris Powell.
Sheringham was almost on hand to stab home a loose ball dropped by Foster from a corner, while Cole fired just over the bar from 20 yards out, but it wasn't until the 85th minute that Hammers created the clear-cut opportunity that would have earned them a replay.
Unfortunately, the ball dropped to a defender - Spector - who could only lift his close-range effort up and over from Foster, with Zamora unable to convert the rebound as it was cleared off the line.
Watford visit Upton Park again in the Premiership in just two weeks' time, and it's clear that Hammers will need to produce a far better performance in what really will be a 'cup final' against their fellow relegation strugglers.