Bristol City’s Tommy Conway stuns West Ham as Saïd Benrahma sees red

For David Moyes, a bitter evening on his old stomping ground ended with a sour taste. Not that he could have any complaints, with his West Ham side turning in a barely lukewarm performance that deservedly ended with Bristol City advancing to the FA Cup fourth round. They never truly recovered from Tommy Conway’s early strike after an error by Konstantinos Mavropanos and Saïd Benrahma’s straight red card, for a petulant kick, a few minutes into the second half ensured a forgettable trip and a tempestuous affair went from bad to worse.

For Moyes, this was an uncomfortable night that also exposed the apparent chasm between the quality of his missing star performers – Lucas Paquetá, Jarrod Bowen, Mohammed Kudus and Michail Antonio were among those absent – and those on the periphery. Simple passes went awry and Moyes went ballistic when Tomas Soucek was penalised for a foul throw as full time approached. No wonder Moyes wants to strengthen before the transfer deadline.

Moyes, even with his squad noticeably short of ammunition, knew West Ham risked travelling home with a bloody nose if they performed anything below their optimum levels. His bench contained four teenagers with a handful of appearances to their names and two goalkeepers. Moyes is among those in the pictures in the tributaries of this smart stadium, with the Scotsman part of the City side that won the Freight Rover Trophy on the club’s visit to Wembley in 1986. Before kick-off he dismissed the suggestion defeat would be a “complete upset” given City’s standing in the Championship and their display in the first fixture nine days earlier.

Things could hardly have started any worse for the visitors. With two minutes and 48 seconds gone, Conway was wheeling away in celebration and saluting the Lansdown Stand, named after the club’s longstanding Bristolian billionaire owner, Stephen. It was a painful goal from a West Ham perspective and the travelling supporters stationed in the Atyeo Stand, behind Lukasz Fabianski’s goal in the first half, had the misfortune of having the best view in the house.

The strike stemmed from a clearance by the Bristol City goalkeeper Max O’Leary, who went to ground to prevent Danny Ings latching on to a through ball, but the catalyst was a mistake by Mavropanos. The West Ham defender undercooked a routine backpass and Conway nipped in to steal the ball, compose himself and slot into the far corner. West Ham will have been only too aware of his finishing given his superbly taken goal forced this replay.

West Ham had chances to level in the first half but it was a disjointed display. Ings, in his fifth start of the season and first since November, swivelled on the edge of the area and dropped a shot wide and City defender Cam Pring was alert to deny Maxwel Cornet a clear strike inside the six-yard box. Cornet also sent an acrobatic shot wide after Emerson’s shot from distance pinballed off Kurt Zouma and into Tomas Soucek, who failed to make clean contact. Just before the interval Ross McCrorie sent a powerful header at Fabianski from a corner.

A rousing Moyes half-time team talk and could West Ham get back on track? Little more than three minutes into the second half, Benrahma’s stupidity left them with an even bigger challenge. The flashpoint arrived after Emerson and George Tanner collided.

Joe Williams flew into a challenge on Benrahma, which the winger did not take kindly to. The Algerian responded by seeking afters, thrusting his studs towards Williams, his left boot into his groin and right boot into his armpit. The referee, Darren England, got a handle on the wreckage and booked Williams before, once Benrahma rose from receiving medical treatment, sending the forward down the tunnel. Taylor Gardner-Hickman and Aaron Cresswell then ended up with a booking apiece after another contretemps.

O’Leary was rarely troubled but pulled off an instinctive fingertip save to prevent Soucek volleying in Cornet’s cross midway through the second half.

Zouma earlier wellied a hopeful volley into the West Ham support, much to the joy of the home fans. At the other end the substitute Nahki Wells, who replaced Conway, forced Fabianski into a stop with a stinging strike from the angle.