The FA Cup sponsored by E.ON fourth round
Hartlepool United v West Ham United
Victoria Park
Saturday 24 January
12.40pm
Referee: Lee Mason
WHUTV - ACTION AND REACTION I MATCH REPORT
Hartlepool United: Lee-Barrett, Sweeney, Nelson, Clark, Humphreys, Monkhouse, Jones (Foley 85), Liddle, Robson, Mackay (Henderson 56), Porter
Subs not used: Budtz, McCunnie, Collins, Power, Rowell
West Ham United: Green, Faubert, Collins, Tomkins, Ilunga, Behrami, Parker, Noble, Collison (Boa Morte 64), Cole (Sears 78), Di Michele (Mullins 75)
Subs not used: Stech, Neill, Spector, Tristan
Booked: Cole, Ilunga, Collins
Goals: Behrami 44, Noble 45 pen.
Attendance: 6,849
MINUTE BY MINUTE
94 min - Referee Mason blows for full time. A good win for West Ham United, who are still unbeaten away from home since 29 October. It is six matches without defeat in all competitions too.
93 min - Less than a minute to go and the hosts appear to have finally run out of ideas. Boa Morte is fouled wide on the left. Surely that's the game won now?
92 min - This might be tempting fate, but the draw for the fifth round will be shown live on Setanta Sports One on Sunday at 6.15pm.
91 min - The ball ricochet's off Monkhouse's shin into the arms of Green.
90 min - Hartlepool are still battling away. Green does well to punch clear Robson's corner. There will be three minutes of added-time.
89 min - If West Ham United hold on, they will be through to the fifth round for the first time since season 2005/06, and we all know where that run ended...!
87 min - Scott Parker has been immense today.
86 min - Robson wins a corner off Faubert but the ball is cleared. Noble leads the counter-attack and finds Sears, but the teenager''s shot flies over the top.
85 min - David Foley, who scored in the third round win over Stoke City, replaces Jones.
84 min - The visiting supporters are cheering every completed pass now as the home fans start to make for the exits.
82 min - Hartlepool are still knocking the ball around confidently enough. They have given a good account of themselves this afternoon.
80 min - After a stern examination before the break, Tomkins has looked solid and composed during the second half.
79 min - Perhaps sensibly, Zola chooses to replace Cole with England Under-19 international Freddie Sears.
77 min - The home fans are calling for a red card for Cole again after the forward challenges Lee-Barrett for a loose, boucing ball. Mason ticks him off, but nothing more.
75 min - Hayden Mullins comes on for Di Michele.
74 min - Lee-Barrett denies Cole again! This time the striker streaks clear of the home defence and tries to slot the ball under the goalkeeper. It hits his body and bounces off the outside of the post and out for a corner, which is cleared.
72 min - West Ham United are trying to take the sting out of this game by keeping possession of the ball. It's working, for now.
68 min - The home fans haven't given up hope yet. They are still urging their heroes on loudly.
65 min - Ritchie Jones lets fly from 25 yards but the shot is a yard too high. Hartlepool might be two goals down, but they are not going out of the FA Cup without a fight.
64 min - Zola makes his first change, replacing Collison with Luis Boa Morte.
62 min - Green does superbly well to divert Gary Liddle's goalbound header over the crossbar. The goalkeeper was back-peddling and had to adjust to tip the effort out for a corner.
60 min - Collins is booked for a foul on Joel Porter.
57 min - Today's attendance is 6,849, with 856 West Ham United supporters among them.
56 min - Hartlepool bring on Liam Henderson for Michael Mackay up front. Henderson has made just one substitute appearance this season and has not scored a goal this term.
55 min - Scott Parker completes the longest back-pass in history...possibly. He was inside the Hartlepool half when he played the ball back to Robert Green.
53 min - The second half has started in mundane fashion. The two goals just before half-time might have knocked the wind out of Hartlepool's sails.
48 min - Ben Clark fouls Di Michele wide on the right. Noble's quick free-kick finds Behrami, whose cross is clawed behind by the goalkeeper for a corner, which is subsequently cleared.
46 min - Noble gets us back underway.
HALF-TIME
45 min - GOAL! Gianfranco Zola will be more than happy as we enter the single minute of added-time. He will be even happier after Nelson is penalised for handball inside the home penalty area. It's a chance for Noble to net his third penalty in four matches. He does just that, driving the ball inside Lee-Barrett's right-hand post to put the Hammers two goals up at the break. There are whispers that the offence took place outside the box. Seconds after the re-start, the whistle goes for half-time.
44 min - GOAL! Behrami drives West Ham United into the lead just over a minute before half-time. Di Michele rolls the ball in from the left to Collison, who skips past one challenge but it tackled as he rounds a second defender. The ball breaks to Behrami on the edge of the penalty area and he makes no mistake, shooting low past Lee-Barrett's outstretched left hand. Cue pandemonium behind the goal.
42 min - Monkhouse is penalised for a trip on Collison. Noble takes the resulting free-kick, the loose ball falls to Tomkins, but he can only stab wide with his left foot.
41 min - Cole's low shot is held low down by Lee-Barrett. Both are heavily involved in the action this afternoon.
39 min - A big melee in the Hartlepool penalty area after Cole clashes with Lee-Barrett. The striker slides in and appears to catch the goalkeeper as both go for the ball. After sorting things out, referee Mason books Cole and Ilunga.
38 min - Brilliant goalkeeping by Lee-Barrett keeps the game scoreless. Di Michele's through ball looks perfect for Cole, but the goalkeeper is out quickly to dive at the feet of the striker and ball squirms to safety,
37 min - Jones' free-kick is headed back into his own danger zone by Faubert, but Porter's volley is wild and does not threaten Green's goal.
36 min - Noble finds Di Michele 20 yards out. He turns, but his curling shot is easily gathered by Lee-Barrett diving low to his left.
34 min - Ilunga gets forward again. His low cross is met by Cole and goalkeeper Arran Lee-Barrett, who bravely dives at the forward's feet to divert the ball to safety. The left-back is having a field day here. The Hammers should use him as an outlet as often as they can.
32 min - Ilunga plays a one-two with Di Michele and finds Cole inside the box. The striker's shot is blocked and falls to Noble, whose strike also hits a Hartlepool defender. That was a half-decent chance.
30 min - James Collins is earning his money today. He has made countless clearances with both his head and his feet.
29 min - The action on the pitch has died down a bit. Neither side can create a decent opening.
25 min - There is a minor celebration in the visiting end as the stadium announcer tells the West Ham United fans they will be allowed to take an earlier train back to London this afternoon. The announcer then adds that he 'cannot guarantee either service will get them back to London this evening', much to the amusement of the home fans!
23 min - Porter finds Robson wide on the left, but he slices his shot horribly wide.
22 min - Porter wins a corner off Ilunga. Robson takes it short to Jones and then crosses, but he is offside.
21 min - The home crowd are incensed. Tomkins appears to be fouled by Mackay but the assistant referee awards a corner, only to be over-ruled by referee Lee Mason. Cue boos all-round.
20 min -The Hammers have another free-kick in Hartlepool territory. The ball falls to Collins but is cleared before he can get a shot away.
18 min - This is good, entertaining stuff. Collins' header drops to Monkhouse 25 yards out, he hits a first-time half-volley that fizzes narrowly wide.
17 min - Ilunga gets forward again down the left. He could be a real attacking outlet this afternoon. The ball is worked to Collison, but his shot is driven off-target.
16 min - Faubert, Cole, Noble and Di Michele combine to release Ilunga, but his cross floats harmlessly wide.
15 min - Ilunga does well to block Mackay's shot and the ball bounces into the arms of Green.
14 min - The home crowd are in full voice here, as are the West Ham United contingent. This is what the FA Cup is all about!
11 min - Hartlepool are right in this game. Sweeney's lofted pass finds Andy Monkhouse on the right wing. He cuts inside Parker and lets fly with his left foot, but the ball goes well wide of the far post.
10 min - Nelson does well to clear as Cole prepares to shoot from close-range.
8 min - Porter beats James Tomkins before crossing. The ball hits Ilunga and goes out for a corner. The flag-kick eludes Robert Green and is headed goalward by Michael Mackay, only for Parker to stab it clear from just in front of the line.
7 min - Hartlepool hit back down the right flank, but Antony Sweeney's cross is to deep. A second centre seconds later is headed clear by James Collins.
6 min - As if to prove that point a sweeping move involving Herita Ilunga and Jack Collison ends with Noble curling a 20 yard shot narrowly wide.
5 min - The playing surface at Victoria Park is very good, allowing West Ham United to find their passing rhythm early on.
4 min - Carlton Cole is brought down by Nelson, but Noble's free-kick comes to nothing.
2 min - Julien Faubert crosses from deep and a stretching Michael Nelson can only head the ball on to the top of his own crossbar. Mark Noble's resulting corner is cleared to Scott Parker, whose long-range shot flies well over.
1 min - As you might expect, Hartlepool are on the front foot from the start, but Joel Porter's attempted through ball is too strong.
West Ham United manager Gianfranco Zola was true to his word in naming a strong line-up to face Hartlepool United today.
The Hammers boss made just two changes to the side that beat Fulham 3-1 in the Premier League last Sunday, with captain Lucas Neill dropping to the substitutes bench and Matthew Upson being rested.
Into their places came Julien Faubert at right-back and England Under-19 defender James Tomkins, making his FA Cup debut, at the heart of the back-four. In Neill's absence, Scott Parker was named captain.
The atmosphere is growing at Victoria Park.. The home terraces are filling up quickly on what is a clear, sunny, bright day in the north east.
Hartlepool United have named their side, with Chris Turner making one change from the side that beat Northampton Town 2-0 in their last League One outing, with Antony Sweeney replacing Jamie McCunnie at right-back.
Zola will be keen to see Tomkins in action this afternoon. The youngster was handed the captain's armband for Tuesday's reserve team match against Fulham and has recently returned from a successful loan spell at Championship side Derby County.
The scene is set for a good game this afternoon. The sun is shining and the North Sea is poking its head over the stands. The centre circle is covered by a huge FA Cup tarpaulin now as the players head back to the dressing rooms to make their final preparations. James Collins is the last Hammer to leave the playing surface.
Ten minutes to kick-off and Hartlepool's anthem, a version of Rolf Harris classic 'Two Little Boy's is belting out over the public address system. The away end is filling up rapidly now as the 900-plus West Ham United supporters make for their seats.
Both teams are in the tunnel waiting to take to the field. H'Angus The Monkey, whose predecessor is now the town's Mayor, is there to greet them as 2Unlimited's 'Get Ready For This' blares out.
The two captains meet referee Lee Mason and his assistants for the pre-match coin-toss while a team of mascots do a lap of the pitch to a loud round of applause. Eight-year-old Hayden Crowhurst from Crawley is West Ham United's mascot for the day.
The teams swap ends to attack towards their own sets of supporters in the first half. Hartlepool's players conduct a huddle and then get us underway.