Paul Goddard admits that it was hard to concentrate on football at
Reading with the tragic backdrop of events in America unfolding
that afternoon.
The game did of course go ahead - despite rumours that it would be postponed - and there was a minute's silence in memory of those killed, respectfully observed, before the game.
"It is very hard to talk about football when something of that magnitude happens," says Paul.
"We all sat, like most of the population probably, watching the television in disbelief.
"It is just so, so sad, and a game of football after that is seemingly a little bit irrelevant, though we are professionals.
"But it was a very tragic day."
Talking of the football, though, he admits:
"Obviously we are very disappointed; I thought we started the game very well and could possibly have got one or two goals in the first twenty minutes or half an hour.
"It might have been a completely different game if we had but from then on it was a tough cup tie."
And, reflecting on the penalty shoot out, he adds:
"You'd probably put your mortgage on Jermain normally, but when he missed the psychological balance swung their way, Scott missed his and that was it.
"He wanted to take it, and was happy to take the last one as well.
"It just shows you that football is a real tough game.
"The young man has had a great rise and a good start to the season with the U21s and in the space of three or four days a disappointing miss at Derby and then he missed the chance to win us the tie.
"By his own admission he didn't feel very good in the game and said he didn't play too well apart from the first 20 minutes.
"But good luck to Reading, they worked their socks off."
Paul refuses to accept that the Hammers' poor cup record against lower league sides is inevitable and says:
"I've got good memories of this competition, because I have been all the way in it and scored in the final.
"I don't believe in jinxes, it is just one of those things; on another day Jermain would have scored and we'd all be bouncing up and down."
The game did of course go ahead - despite rumours that it would be postponed - and there was a minute's silence in memory of those killed, respectfully observed, before the game.
"It is very hard to talk about football when something of that magnitude happens," says Paul.
"We all sat, like most of the population probably, watching the television in disbelief.
"It is just so, so sad, and a game of football after that is seemingly a little bit irrelevant, though we are professionals.
"But it was a very tragic day."
Talking of the football, though, he admits:
"Obviously we are very disappointed; I thought we started the game very well and could possibly have got one or two goals in the first twenty minutes or half an hour.
"It might have been a completely different game if we had but from then on it was a tough cup tie."
And, reflecting on the penalty shoot out, he adds:
"You'd probably put your mortgage on Jermain normally, but when he missed the psychological balance swung their way, Scott missed his and that was it.
"He wanted to take it, and was happy to take the last one as well.
"It just shows you that football is a real tough game.
"The young man has had a great rise and a good start to the season with the U21s and in the space of three or four days a disappointing miss at Derby and then he missed the chance to win us the tie.
"By his own admission he didn't feel very good in the game and said he didn't play too well apart from the first 20 minutes.
"But good luck to Reading, they worked their socks off."
Paul refuses to accept that the Hammers' poor cup record against lower league sides is inevitable and says:
"I've got good memories of this competition, because I have been all the way in it and scored in the final.
"I don't believe in jinxes, it is just one of those things; on another day Jermain would have scored and we'd all be bouncing up and down."