WEST HAM UNITED v STOKE CITY
FA CUP SPONSORED BY EON SIXTH ROUND
SUNDAY 13 MARCH 2011
KICK-OFF: 2PM
FULL AUDIO COVERAGE - WEST HAM TV
LIVE TEXT COMMENTARY FROM THE BRITANNIA STADIUM
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• West Ham United travel to the Britannia Stadium for the second time this season and go there on the back of a 3-0 home win against Stoke City in the Barclays Premier League on Saturday 5 March. In all they have played three times against Stoke this season, with two wins and a draw to date.
• Last week's success saw the Hammers make it back to back wins in the Barclays Premier League for the first time since February 2010. However, Birmingham City's midweek 1-1 draw at Everton meant Avram Grant's men dropped into the bottom three on goal difference.
• West Ham picked up their first Premier League point of the season at Stoke on Saturday 18 September. Scott Parker netted a first-half opener at the Britannia Stadium before Kenwyne Jones headed in an equaliser after the break.
• Avram Grant was absent from that game as he was observing the Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur.
• Before last Saturday's match, Stoke had previously been to the Boleyn for a Carling Cup fourth-round tie on 27 October 2010 - losing 3-1 after extra time to the Hammers.
• The Hammers are on a high. In all competitions, Avram Grant's men have lost just once in seven matches - with five wins.
• The team will be well supported on Sunday, with 4,500 fans making the trip to the Potteries. In all, eleven coaches will be making the trip for the ITV-televised game. Supporters should note that no alcohol will be served in the away end at the Britannia.
• West Ham manager Avram Grant guided Portsmouth to a 4-0 Carling Cup fourth-round victory over Stoke last season. Frederic Piquionne scored twice in that tie at Fratton Park.
• West Ham's biggest away win at Stoke came courtesy of a 4-1 Division Two victory on 29 March 1958. Vic Keeble scored twice and John Dick and Mike Grice once apiece as the Hammers continued their march towards the title and promotion to Division One.
• The replay - should it be required - has provisionally been set for Tuesday 5 April, kick-off at 7.45pm.
• The FA Cup sponsored by EON semi-final draw will follow after Sunday's game, live on ITV1.
Last time out
Saturday 5 March 2011
Barclays Premier League
West Ham United 3-0 Stoke City
West Ham United: Green, Tomkins, Da Costa, Upson, Bridge, Noble, Hitzlsperger, Parker (Gabbidon 90), Piquionne, Cole (Obinna 86), Ba (O'Neil 82)
Subs: Boffin, Jacobsen, Spector, Hines
Goals: Ba 21, Da Costa 29, Hitzlsperger 83
Saturday 5 March 2011
Barclays Premier League
West Ham United 3-0 Stoke City
Stoke City: Begovic, Wilson, Shawcross, Huth, Pugh, Whelan, Whitehead, Delap (Jones 68), Pennant (Etherington 51), Walters, Carew (Fuller 65)
Subs: Sorensen, Collins, Wilkinson, Diao
Previous meeting
The last meeting at the Britannia Stadium came this season on Saturday 18 September. Kenwyne Jones equalised three minutes after half-time after Scott Parker had opened the scoring on 32 minutes.
Stoke City: Sorensen, Huth, Shawcross, Faye, Collins, Delap, Whitehead, Pennant (Whelan 83), Etherington, Walters (Fuller 66), Jones (Gudjohnsen 73)
Subs: Begovic, Higginbotham, Wilson, Wilkinson
West Ham United: Green, Jacobsen, Da Costa, Upson, Gabbidon, Behrami (Kovac 52), Parker, Noble, Obinna (Boa Morte 90), Piquionne, Cole
Subs: Stech, Faubert, Tomkins, Barrera, McCarthy
Background
• Sunday's game is the 82nd time West Ham and Stoke have faced one another in competitive fixtures. West Ham have won 33, Stoke 29 and there have been 19 draws.
• The Hammers won the FA Cup in 1964, 1975 and 1980, but were beaten finalists in 1923 and 2006.
• West Ham have won five of their last seven matches. The last time West Ham won four matches in a row came at the end of the 2007/08 season.
• In the FA Cup, the Hammers have faced three Championship sides in each of the previous rounds.
• Stoke have not lost in six matches at home, with four wins and two draws since the turn of the year.
• It is the first time Stoke have faced Premier League opposition in this season's FA Cup.
• Stoke last reached the semi-finals in 1972. In all, they have three semi-final appearances but have never reached the final.
Overall record
v Stoke City (all competitions) W 33 D 19 L 29
Team news
• All members of the first-team squad have trained this week except for Junior Stanislas, who is battling to overcome a hernia problem.
• Victor Obinna and Robbie Keane are both in the manager's thoughts and could force their way into Sunday's starting lineup. Keane is ineligible to play against Tottenham on Saturday week.
• Jack Collison is training fully but is still not ready for a first-team return. There is a reserve-team match against Newcastle United on Tuesday afternoon but that also may be too soon.
• Gary O'Neil is cup-tied and will not figure.
• Kieron Dyer has been loaned to Ipswich Town for a month, while Frank Nouble has joined Charlton Athletic on similar terms.
• Stoke have Matthew Etherington fit after his appearance off the bench last weekend, but Jermaine Pennant is a doubt with a knee problem.
• Thomas Sorensen will play in goal instead of Asmir Begovic.
Referee
• Sunday's referee is Michael Jones, who was the man in the middle the last time the Hammers won at the Britannia Stadium. Diego Tristan scored the only goal in a 1-0 league success on 28 December 2008.
• Jones' only other Hammers match this season was the 1-0 defeat at Arsenal on Sunday 30 October. He also took charge of three Stoke matches - all away games - and the Potters have not lost any of them. First was a 2-1 win at Stoke on 26 September, then there was a 2-2 draw at Wigan Athletic on Saturday 4 December and finally a 2-0 win at Blackburn Rovers on 26 December.
Old boys
• West Ham first-team coach Kevin Keen made 201 league and cup appearances for Stoke between October 1994 and September 2000, scoring 12 goals. Keen, a former West Ham apprentice, made 279 league and cup appearances for the Hammers between March 1984 and July 1993, scoring 30 goals.
• Stoke winger Matthew Etherington made 195 appearances for West Ham between August 2003 and January 2009, scoring 18 goals. He joined the Potters on 8 January 2009, having moved to the Boleyn Ground from Tottenham Hotspur five-and-a-half years previously.
• Among the other players who have represented both clubs are Clive Clarke, Bob Dixon, Sir Geoff Hurst, Lawrie Leslie, Nicky Morgan, Henri Camara and Frank Richardson.
General information
• For ticket information, click here.
• The forecast is for a sunny day with occasional showers. Temperatures are set to peak around 11C.