David Moyes was left with a rueful feeling of ‘what if’ after West Ham United’s Emirates FA Cup challenge for 2023/24 came to an end at Bristol City on Tuesday night.
Tommy Conway’s third-minute goal, taking advantage of a loose back pass from the Hammers, was enough to settle a tight a replay at Ashton Gate, following the 1-1 draw between the teams at London Stadium nine days ago.
Moyes was left to reflect on a missed opportunity, both at home in east London and in the second running of the tie, as his team were unable to make the most of their opportunities.
Danny Ings, Maxwel Cornet and Tomáš Souček all went close in the West Country, but there would be no equaliser for the visitors, who had to play most of the second half with ten men after Saïd Benrahma was dismissed for retaliating to a heavy Joe Williams challenge.
One positive for the boss to reflect on was a senior debut for Northern Ireland youngster Callum Marshall, as he told West Ham TV at the final whistle.
It’s a tough one.
We probably should have won the tie at our place a week ago, but we didn’t and we put ourselves under pressure.
We gave away a goal with a short pass, but we should have been in to score – we overhit a pass for Danny Ings to score in the same action – and it was a calamity in that minute.
We had good periods and good control in the game, but we couldn’t take our chances when we got them.
Tonight’s not about blaming anybody, tonight is about us as a team and a Club. We should have got the job done at London Stadium and even tonight I felt as it we would still have enough to get it done.
We had enough chances to get something, but the games are tight. We’ve won a few and drawn a few tight ones, but tonight was tight and it went against us.
We still made some chances after the red card.
We kept trying to find a way of being a team who could attack and get something from it. We, for a good chunk of it, did a good job. They had a few openings later on when we were trying to find ways of getting it.
[Being] down to ten men and a goal down made it difficult. Let’s be fair, we had been the better team in the first half even though we hadn’t scored, and I was hoping our play would continue in the second half and we would score, but when we went to ten men [so soon after half-time] it made it nearly impossible.
I’ve been really impressed with Callum Marshall.
We want to bring him on and nuture him in the right way. He’s a great lad who scores goals and he’s a lover of football, which I really like, because it means he wants the ball and wants to play the game. He’s a good boy.
Those Academy boys have really impressed me.
But there is a huge step from playing in the Academy and doing well to playing in the Premier League and doing well. It’s an incredible journey to make that but I’m glad that we’re trying to get some of them game time. I’m pleased we’re getting some of them nearer the first team.
Up until two or three weeks ago, we had no injuries.
We’d got through the whole of the European campaign so far and Premier League games with no injuries, and two players are also away at AFCON at the moment which makes the numbers look worse.
I love coming back into Bristol.
I know the city really well and I had some really good times here during my career, but just not tonight.
