Declan Rice and Jarrod Bowen helped West Ham United see off a spirited Kidderminster Harriers side in the FA Cup fourth round.
Alex Penny almost wrote his name into the history books as non-league side Kidderminster Harriers nearly stunned West Ham United to march into the fifth round of the FA Cup for just the second time in their history.
However, two stoppage-time strikes – one in regular time and another in extra time by Declan Rice and Jarrod Bowen respectively – saw the Hammers come out of the tie unscathed. David Moyes’s side went into the game as heavy favourites, but there was little of that on show at Aggborough Stadium.
West Ham were abject in the first half, but picked up their game in the second half of regular time. Substitute and talisman Declan Rice came off the bench to steady the midfield and score an injury-time equaliser to help his side save face.
All the key moments from @khfcofficial ? @WestHam as Jarrod Bowen snatches a dramatic late winner ⚒#EmiratesFACup pic.twitter.com/wMxbCjQMob
— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) February 5, 2022
The game eventually went into extra time and was mere seconds away from a penalty shootout. However, Jarrod Bowen was in the right place at the right time to bundle home what turned out to be the winner.
West Ham got away with one on the night, but they will need to do much better to challenge for the top four in their upcoming Premier League games. For now, we take a look at how the Londoners fared on the night.
Alphonse Areola: 4/10
His failure to communicate with Kurt Zouma saw all hell break loose in the West Ham penalty area in the lead up to Kidderminster’s goal. In the end, neither of them cleared the danger, permitting Alex Penny to score into an unguarded net. He had several ‘nearly’ moments between the posts as Kidderminster took the game to their far superior opponents. The Frenchman will need to do much better if he has any intentions to replace Lukasz Fabianski as the club’s first-choice goalkeeper.
Ben Johnson: 4/10
The youngster did not inspire confidence and instead gave the ball away too many times. He also looked suspect in defence and failed to read the opponents. Johnson was eventually taken off for Aaron Cresswell in the 63rd minute.
Kurt Zouma: 5/10
He was probably the best of West Ham’s defensive starters on the night. The Frenchman gave a decent account of himself defensively but failed to make use of his distribution to kick off attacks of his own.
Issa Diop: 3/10
He lasted just 45 minutes before being replaced by Craig Dawson at the break. The first half showing was a textbook example of how not to defend as the 25-year-old huffed and puffed to no avail. In fact, given his performance at the back, it was a miracle that Kidderminster scored just once.
Ryan Fredericks: 4/10
He was defensively okay and got forward more often in comparison to Johnson. Despite some good forays up the field, Fredericks lacked the killer final ball that could have made all the difference. He will need to do much better if he wants more opportunities to impress.
Mark Noble: 3/10
A club legend, he was afforded a rare start on the night. Age has caught up with the veteran midfielder as he looked slow and ponderous in the middle of the park. Kidderminster, to their credit, hurried him from the word go, and the Hammers star had no answer. It came as no surprise when he was taken off for Tomas Soucek in the second half.
Alex Kral: 3/10
A forgettable night for the Czech footballer who failed to stamp his authority in the middle of the park. He was rightfully taken off for Declan Rice at half-time and should have no complaints about the decision.
Nikola Vlasic: 3/10
A disappointing display by the Croatian who failed to take his opportunity. He lacked imagination and was unable to create any clear cut opportunity. Pablo Fornals replaced him in the 77th minute.
Said Benrahma: 4/10
The Algerian returned to English shores following his participation in the Africa Cup of Nations. To say that he left his ability behind would be an understatement. He failed to impress in the opening half and barely created anything of note. Benrahma also gave away the ball on numerous occasions to add to his side troubles.
Andriy Yarmolenko: 3/10
Another West Ham player that put in a bad performance in the final third. The Ukrainian contributed nothing in both attack and defence and was shoddy in all respects. He even gave away the ball, handing the initiative to the home side on the right flank.
Jarrod Bowen: 5/10
The Englishman was arguably the best of West Ham’s attackers. However, given some of the performances on offer, it is hardly worth celebrating. Bowen led the line in Michail Antonio’s absence and did his best to link the midfield with the attack. He gains brownie points for scoring at the death to send his side through to the FA Cup fifth round.
Substitutes
Declan Rice: 7/10
The Englishman brought about an immediate improvement in the midfield as West Ham upped their ante. He was on hand to drive home a stoppage-time winner that sent the game to extra time. The difference Rice makes to the West Ham midfield is clear, and it was on display at the Aggborough Stadium.
A superb strike drew his side level in second-half stoppage time before they went on to win the match in extra time. A truly impressive performance by arguably the Hammers’ best player.
Declan Rice’s game by numbers vs Kidderminster:
93% pass accuracy
84 total touches
75 minutes played
6 attempted long passes
4 successful long passes
3 attempted dribbles
2 successful dribbles
2 ground duels won
1 chance created
1 goalOn to save the day! ⚒? pic.twitter.com/1CmRmvXpI7
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) February 5, 2022
Craig Dawson: 5/10
He offered more solidity than Diop and steadied the Hammers rearguard. Dawson also added to West Ham’s offensive threat on set pieces.
Aaron Cresswell: 5/10
He was better than Johnson but did little of note.
Pablo Fornals: 5/10
He struggled to create much and largely looked short of ideas. Fornals did play a key role in setting up Bowen’s last-gasp winner.
