West Ham secures narrow FA Cup victory over QPR
West Ham avoided FA Cup humiliation this afternoon, nodding home the decisive goal in extra time to see off Championship opponents QPR 2-1, reports BritPanorama.
Taty Castellanos, who arrived at the London Stadium for £26 million from Lazio just last week, found the net for the first time in claret and blue during the ninth minute of the additional period. The goal came after Crysencio Summerville evaded defender Jimmy Dunne and delivered a pinpoint cross met by a powerful header past QPR’s goalkeeper Joe Walsh.
This victory provides welcome relief for the beleaguered Hammers, who remain mired in Premier League relegation trouble, having failed to secure a single win in their last ten league outings. Recent losses to fellow strugglers Wolverhampton Wanderers and Nottingham Forest have left the east London club languishing seven points adrift of safety.
Such dismal form meant the Hammers appeared ripe for an upset against any half-decent second-tier opposition. The encounter served as a stark reminder of the precarious nature of their season, with the spectre of Championship football next term looming large. The opening goal for QPR arrived deep into first-half stoppage time, following a concerning incident that saw Konstantinos Mavropanos stretchered off with a head injury; West Ham later confirmed that the Greek defender remained conscious.
After Mavropanos’s departure, substitute Pablo Felipe played a key role for West Ham by working the ball inside to Soungoutou Magassa, who found Summerville to score his first goal of the season. QPR equalised in the 65th minute when Rayan Kolli set up Karamoko Dembele, who turned past Summerville and crossed for Richard Kone to head beyond Mads Hermansen.
Castellanos came agonisingly close to settling matters in normal time, thwarted twice by goal-line clearances from QPR captain Dunne, while Walsh tipped his 20-yard strike over the bar. Kone also scrambled a Tomas Soucek header off the line, keeping Rangers in the contest. The extra period saw Walsh continue his heroics, denying both Soucek and Summerville before Castellanos finally broke through.
For QPR, the defeat extends their unwanted record in the competition. They have now suffered elimination at the third-round stage on 53 occasions, more than any other club in FA Cup history. Yet, for West Ham, this win may just serve as a much-needed boost in a challenging season, reminding fans and players alike that even in tough times, determination can prevail.
