WEST HAM 1 MANCHESTER
UNITED 2
Emirates FA Cup sixth-round replay | 13 April 2016 |
Upton Park | Attendance: 33,505 | Scorers: Rashford
54, Fellaini 67; Tomkins 79
Manchester United booked an Emirates FA Cup
semi-final date with Everton at Wembley by
impressively overcoming West Ham United in a
thrilling sixth-round replay at Upton Park.
In the last-ever cup tie at the Hammers’ historic
home, a wonderful goal by Marcus Rashford and a
close-range strike by the recalled Marouane Fellaini
put the Reds in control in the second half.
James Tomkins’ header led to a nervy final 10
minutes, with David De Gea producing more
heroics, but the visitors held out to stay on course
for a 12th triumph in football’s oldest knockout
competition, and there was further good news late
on when Wayne Rooney returned after two months
out through injury.
West Ham started the brighter of the two teams
and Enner Valencia found himself in space in the
box but shot weakly at De Gea. But the Reds
gradually settled into the game, with Fellaini firing
a shot that flicked off Angelo Ogbonna’s boot and
was then tipped over by Darren Randolph.
Half-chances came and went for both sides but the
best opening arrived for Rashford 10 minutes
before the interval. The 18-year-old escaped two
markers superbly and played Jesse Lingard through
on goal, but Randolph came out to block the
winger’s attempt. Soon after, with the visitors now
on top and the rain teeming down in East London,
an unmarked Rashford couldn’t connect cleanly
with Tim Fosu-Mensah’s cross and the sides went
in level.
HALF-TIME STATISTICS
Possession : West Ham 44% United 56%
Shots at goal : West Ham 5 United 6
Shots on target: West Ham 3 United 2
Corners: West Ham 1 United 6
The Reds displayed some great attacking intent at
the start of the second period and Lingard’s strike
hit the goal stanchion, before De Gea clung on to
Cheikhou Kouyate’s long-range effort.
But Louis van Gaal’s side were in command and
the breakthrough came in the 54th minute.
Rashford collected Anthony Martial’s pass, made
room for himself and curled a brilliant sixth goal of
the season past Randolph into the top corner.
The hosts fired a couple of speculative efforts at
De Gea in a bid to get back into the game but it
was the Reds who doubled the advantage midway
through the second period. Lingard crossed to
Martial, who controlled the ball eight yards out and
fired a shot on goal that clipped off Tomkins and
was then diverted in by Fellaini.
The home supporters fell silent but the Hammers
kept pressing and, after De Gea made an
astonishing point-blank save from Michail Antonio,
the Reds conceded. Andy Carroll, who had netted a
seven-minute hat-trick in his side’s last outing
against Arsenal but had been subdued all night,
knocked a far-post corner back across goal for
Tomkins to head home.
The goal spurred West Ham into life and led to
some fingernails being bitten among the 5,000 fans
in the away end as the Hammers laid siege to De
Gea's goal. The Spanish goalkeeper prevented
Chris Smalling from putting through his own net,
Carroll headed a presentable chance over and De
Gea made a stunning late double save from
Kouyate and Carroll. Kouyate's second attempt in
that attack actually found the net but he was
rightly flagged offside.
After four minutes of stoppage time, with Rooney
now on the pitch, referee Roger East blew his
whistle and United can look forward to a last-four
clash with Everton on 23 April.
FULL-TIME STATISTICS
Possession: West Ham 44% United 56%
Shots at goal: West Ham 20 United 10
Shots on target: West Ham 9 United 4
Corners: West Ham 5 United 7
THE TEAMS
West Ham: Randolph, Cresswell, Tomkins, Kouyate,
Ogbonna, Noble, Payet, Valencia (Moses 62),
Lanzini (Emenike 74), Antonio, Carroll.
Subs not used: Adrian, Obiang, Collins, Hendrie,
Oxford.
Booked: Carroll
United: De Gea, Fosu-Mensah, Smalling, Blind, Rojo
(Valencia 68), Carrick, Fellaini, Lingard, Herrera
(Schneiderlin 76), Martial, Rashford (Rooney 89).
Subs not used: Romero, Young, Mata, Memphis.
Booked: Carrick, Rojo, Herrera
MATCH REACTION
Louis van Gaal : "I’m happy for the players, the club
and the fans. The spirit in the team is very good. It
was a fantastic result and I’m happy I shall go to
Wembley as a manager. Now we have to reach the
final – then I will be even more happy."
Michael Carrick : "It was massive – a great
opportunity for us to get to Wembley. West Ham
are flying and it's a tough place to come. We
believed we would come here and win and we have
done that."
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