West Ham were held to a goalless draw by League One side Shrewsbury in a forgettable affair that the impressive hosts came closest to winning
West Ham United will not relish a replay against Shrewsbury Town, and not only because of the imposition on their schedule. The League One team proved pesky opponents for their Premier League visitors, who never looked superior to Paul Hurst’s team.
Joe Hart had hoped to make a triumphant return to the town of his birth but a clean sheet was the extent of his success. It was an uncomfortable outing all-round for David Moyes’ men. Hart evidently forgot to pack appropriate headwear so shortly after kick-off, in order to shield his eyes from the low-hanging sun, he had to don a cap thrown to him by one of the travelling fans. Hart is perhaps Shrewsbury’s most famous son after Charles Darwin and the theory soon evolved that if this clash was to be about the survival of the fittest, then the underdogs would prevail.
Shrewsbury were by far the more vigorous side, robust in the tackle and dynamically mean with the amount of space offered to their supposedly superior opponents. This was West Ham’s third match in six days and David Moyes redeployed seven of the players who drew with Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday, the only non-regulars being Reece Burke and Josh Cullen, a pair of 21-year-olds recently returned from loan stints at Bolton Wanderers.
Most of Moyes’s troops did not look like they relished this duel. After Cheikh Kouyate failed to get a telling touch to a dangerous cross by Cullen in the ninth minute, any whiff of a first-half breakthrough by the away team vanished. The Premier League side displayed next to no fluidity and found it as hard to create openings against their hosts as most League One teams have done this season, with Shrewsbury having conceded only four goals in their 12 home league matches this season. Javier Hernandez, West Ham’s lone striker, got only a few more touches than anyone in the 9,535-strong crowd before being substituted in the second half.
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Paul Hurst’s men were more than committed and compact – they also showed themselves to be nimble passers and movers. And, as the first half progressed, they forced Hart, at least, into earnest action. The keeper’s first save, admittedly, was more straightforward than it might have been, the goalkeeper needing only to fall on the ball to snaffle a scuffed effort by Ben Godfrey after West Ham’s failed to deal with a free-kick by Shaun Whalley.
Mat Sadler’s shot in the 35th minute packed much more power and demanded a solid save from Hart, who had to repeat it moments later when Alex Rodman let fly from a similar position at the left-hand corner of the West Ham box.
The Premier League team managed to secure slightly more possession in the second half but it would be going too far to suggest they enjoyed it. Nor did they muster any sort of flourish that might have given the travelling fans cause to cheer. Shrewsbury looked to be their equals, at least, and for that caps must be doffed to Hurst and his team. Jon Nolan, the classiest performer on the day, nearly crowned the hosts’ display by nicking a winning goal near the end, but he was unable to keep his shot down from six yards out after a cross from the left hurtled at him through a slew of bodies.
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West Ham boss David Moyes avoided a second FA Cup upset in Shropshire as his side struggled to a 0-0 draw with Shrewsbury at the New Meadow.
Almost 15 years to the day since his Everton side had lost 2-1 at the Gay Meadow, Moyes’ side endured another fright as they were outclassed by their League One opponents.
Joe Hart captained West Ham on his return to the side where he began his career, and found himself much the busier of the two goalkeepers in a first half where it was Shrewsbury who played like a Premier League side.
Paul Hurst’s side pressed with energy and all too often for Moyes' liking won the ball back in the Hammers half. Only wayward finishing stopped Shrewsbury from taking the lead in the first half, with centre-back Matt
Sadler finding himself in space inside the area only to see his low shot blocked by Hart.
Alex Rodman also forced the England No.1 into action, driving infield from the left and curling a low shot towards the bottom corner that Hart parried.
Meanwhile West Ham’s £36million frontline of Andre Ayew and Javier Hernandez played like virtual strangers, scarcely creating a chance between them before the Ghanaian drove straight at Manchester United loanee Dean Henderson in the Shrewsbury goal in the 43rd minute.
The second half was no easier for the Hammers. Even when the hosts were down to 10 men as Sadler underwent treatment for a cut head, it was Shrewsbury making the running.
Chances were few and far between for both sides, though the dangerous Jon Nolan will forever wonder what might have been had team-mate Rodman not stolen the ball off his feet when he was primed to unleash a volley at Hart’s goal.
Meanwhile West Ham were struggling to keep their passing accuracy over 50 per cent, though moving Josh Cullen into a central position briefly handed the Hammers a greater level of control on the game.
The 21-year-old Cullen would pay the price for entering the engine room, losing a tooth after a high boot from Shrewsbury captain Abu Ogogo. It typified a thunderous cup tie in which the only real quality came from the hosts, flying high in League One.
Their moment to win the tie came in the 86th minute but after substitute Stefan Payne somehow managed to keep the ball in play, Nolan contrived to volley well over. Still he will have another shot at glory when Shrewsbury travel to the London Stadium later this month.
Should both sides put in repeat performances, it would be no surprise if it is the Shrews who make it to round four.
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