Cheltenham Town vs West Ham United. Carabao Cup Second Round.
Whaddon Road GroundAttendance6,259.
Wednesday 23 August 2017 23:26, UK
Goals from Diafra Sakho and Andre Ayew were enough to send West Ham through to the Carabao Cup third round with a 2-0 win at Cheltenham on Wednesday.
The Sky Bet League Two side had plenty of the ball in the opening exchanges but were made to suffer when West Ham found their feet thanks to two quick goals just before the break.
Sakho opened the scoring with a scuffed shot from the edge of the area, before Ayew doubled the lead a couple of minutes later as he calmly slotted the ball into the corner from a tight angle.
The hosts had a shout for a penalty turned down in the second half when Mo Eisa was bundled over by Arthur Masuaku, but West Ham were otherwise untroubled as they progressed to the next round.
Cheltenham held their own for long periods of the first half but were unable to make their attacks count, as James Collins and Angelo Ogbonna repelled the plethora of long balls sent into the final third, denying the hosts any clear-cut chances.
Collins, celebrating his 34th birthday, was the rock that ensured West Ham would not succumb to a shock at Whaddon Road as he nullified all the threats Cheltenham could muster.
After an underwhelming start to the game, West Ham went ahead in the 40th minute. A neat pass from Mark Noble found its way to Sakho on the edge of the area, allowing the striker to spin into the area and scuff a shot beyond a despairing Jonathan Flatt who could only watch the ball trickle into the corner.
Having opened the scoring, West Ham lost their nervous aura, and doubled their lead three minutes later as Sakho turned provider by laying the ball off to Ayew in the box, with the Ghanaian taking advantage of Flatt's poor positioning to send the ball across the goalkeeper into the bottom corner.
Cheltenham will feel hard done by, as they did not get awarded a penalty when the lively Mo Eisa was pushed over in the area by Arthur Masuaku, which could have turned the tide.
The hosts kept going to end but could not provide the penetration required to get back into the game, as West Ham saw out the closing stages with minimal fuss.
Man of the Match: James Collins
The Welsh centre-back celebrated his 200th Hammers appearance with an impressive display at the back. Up against the robust Danny Wright, the West Ham defender dealt with everything sent his way, as Cheltenham hit a number of high balls into the box, but none troubled Collins.
If it wasn't for the experience of Collins, things could have been far worse for the visitors, as he controlled the back four and refused to be bullied by the opposing forwards, who had their moments, especially Eisa as he caused a few problems with his cunning and pace.
What next?
Cheltenham have another home game at the weekend when they host Exeter in Sky Bet League Two.
West Ham travel to Newcastle in the hope they can pick up their first points of the season when they face Rafa Benitez's side, who are also pointless in the Premier League.
