Football news - AFC Wimbledon hit four to stun West Ham in FA Cup fourth round
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ByEurosport
Updated 26/01/2019 at 22:05 GMT
FA Cup fourth round, Cherry Red Records Stadium - AFC Wimbledon 4 (Appiah 34, Wagstaff 41, 46, Sibbick 88) West Ham 2 (Perez 57, Anderson 71)
AFC Wimbledon's English midfielder Scott Wagstaff (L) celebrates scoring their third goal with AFC Wimbledon's Ghanaian striker Kwesi Appiah (C) during the English FA Cup fourth round football match between AFC Wimbledon and West Ham United
Image credit: Getty Images
AFC Wimbledon shocked Premier League West Ham 4-2 in the FA Cup fourth round on Saturday, recalling the very best of the club's heritage.
Manuel Pellegrini made six changes to his West Ham XI, but this was a still a relatively strong side which ought to have had enough about them to defeat Wimbledon.
Kwesi Appiah deservedly gave the League One strugglers a 34th-minute when his deflected effort left Adrian helpless. And it was double joy for the hosts four minutes before the half-time break when Scott Wagstaff pounced on a Pedro Obiang mistake to race clear and slot home to give Wimbledon a remarkable two-goal lead at the interval.
The Hammers made a triple change at the break - Felipe Anderson, Ryan Fredericks and Lucas Perez coming on - and it was Perez who breathed fresh life into the tie with a goal after Wagstaff had scored his brace and given Wimbledon an amazing three-goal lead.
Anderson then ramped up the pressure on the hosts with a stunning free-kick as the West Ham onslaught continued, but teenager Toby Peter Sibbick settled the game for the hosts with a bullet header with only minutes remaining, as Wimbledon evoked memories of their famous 1988 FA Cup victory over Liverpool.
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Toby Sibbick of AFC Wimbledon scores his team's fourth goal
Image credit: Getty Images
TALKING POINT - Wimbledon recall the glory days with stirring performance
After a day of shocks in the FA Cup, there are only three Premier League teams to have confirmed their place in the fifth round - Manchester United, Manchester City and Watford - at this stage. Millwall stunned Everton earlier on Saturday night, Shrewsbury drew 2-2 with Wolves, but AFC Wimbledon's victory over West Ham is the biggest upset of the day. Eight points adrift of safety and rock bottom of League One with only three home wins all season, Wimbledon were simply far hungrier and showed more desire than their illustrious opponents in the first-half - and their third goal at the start of the second period proved insurmountable. It was a performance the 'Crazy Gang' of 1988 would have been proud of.
MAN OF THE MATCH - Scott Wagstaff (AFC Wimbledon)
The 28-year-old led the line brilliantly for Wimbledon, scoring his first ever brace in professional football. Before today, he had scored just two goals in his last 44 appearances in all competitions.
PLAYER RATINGS
AFC Wimbledon: Ramsdale 7, Watson 7, Thomas 7, Oshilaja 7, McDonald 7, Nightingale 7, Wordsworth 8, Connolly 8, Pinnock 8, Appiah 8, Wagstaff 9. Subs: Sibbick 7, Jervis 6, Soares 6.
West Ham: Adrian 6, Antonio 6, Ogbonna 5, Diop 5, Masuaku 5, Obiang 3, Noble 5, Snodgrass 6, Diangana 4, Carroll 4, Hernandez 5. Subs: Fredericks 6, Anderson 7, Perez 6.
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AFC Wimbledon's Scott Wagstaff celebrates scoring their second
Image credit: Reuters
KEY MOMENTS
34' - GOAL! AFC Wimbledon 1-0 West Ham: The League One strugglers have their noses in front - and believe it or not, it's been coming! A wonderful through ball from Wordsworth releases Appiah whose shot takes a deflection and Adrian, at full stretch, can't keep it out.
41' - GOAL! AFC Wimbledon 2-0 West Ham: IT'S TWO TO WIMBLEDON! My goodness. West Ham are crumbling! But what is Obiang doing? With the West Ham defence playing a ridiculously high-line, he loses possession on halfway, Wagstaff eats up a lot of ground to race clear before slotting the ball past Adrian.
46' - AFC Wimbledon 3-0 West Ham: Incredible scenes! Wagstaff - who only has two League One goals this season - now has two against Premier League's West Ham! Appiah dinks a cross into his path, Wagstaff gets in front of his defender and his deft flick ends up in the corner of the net. Unbelievable stuff - and now West Ham really do have a mountain to climb!
57' - GOAL! AFC Wimbledon 3-1 West Ham: Perez, the substitute, breathes fresh life into this contest! Fredericks crosses for Antonio whose first-time shot is saved by Ramsdale but Perez reacts quickest and finishes with aplomb.
71' - GOAL! AFC Wimbledon 3-2 West Ham: Nightingale concedes a foul in a dangerous position, and Anderson makes them pay with a stunning free-kick. He gets it up and over the wall, and the Ramsdale is powerless to prevent the ball ending up in the top corner.
88' - GOAL! AFC Wimbledon 4-2 West Ham: UNBELIEVABLE STUFF! Wimbledon have their fourth - and surely that's the match! Wordsworth stands up a cross to the back post and teenager Sibbick, just on as a substitute - powers it in at the back post.
KEY STATS
- West Ham have conceded four goals in a single FA Cup game against a side from the third tier or below for the first time since January 1936 when they lost 4-0 to Luton Town in a third round replay.
- This was just the second time that AFC Wimbledon have progressed from an FA Cup proper tie against a side from a higher division, and the first since they beat Scunthorpe United in a first round replay in 2011-12.
- AFC Wimbledon scored two or more goals in a match against a side from a higher division than themselves in the FA Cup proper for the very first time.
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