WEST HAM UNITED v CARDIFF CITY
CAPITAL ONE CUP THIRD ROUND
TUESDAY 24 SEPTEMBER 2013
KICK-OFF: 7.45PM
REFEREE: ROGER EAST
FULL AUDIO AND TEXT COMMENTARY - WEST HAM TV
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Final score - West Ham United 3-2 Cardiff City
94: That's full-time. Before I finish, I would like to pass on West Ham United's sincere condolences to the family and friends of Debbie Laver, our long-serving former corporate sales manager, who has sadly passed away today at the age of 51 following a long illness. Debbie remained a regular and welcome visitor to the Boleyn Ground and put on a hugely brave face despite her illness. She always had a smile for everyone who knew her. We will all miss you Debbie. RIP.
93: West Ham are appealing strongly to the officials for offside against Odemwingie, but the flag does not go up. Thankfully, the Nigerian wastes the massive chance after being set up by Noone, instead firing over the top from no more than 12 yards.
92: West Ham have a corner to defend. Collins heads it clear. Of course he does.
91: Into the four added minutes and Gestede is on for Maynard.
90: Into the final minute and West Ham need to see this out. The vast majority of the 18,611 inside the Boleyn Ground agree with me.
88: GOAL! Brilliant goal West Ham. Vaz Te scores it, but it's all about Collison's cross. Chambers plays Collison in behind the back four and the No10 looks up and clips a cross over Lewis that says 'Score' to West Ham's forwards. Vaz rises and heads in from no more than two yards.
85: Petric wins the ball from the stumbling Connolly, but delays getting the shot away and the chance is lost when his cut-back is cut out. Cardiff break and this time Adrian is there to collect the low shot from Smith. It's end-to-end. Can either side nick a winner before full-time? Petric nearly does so, but he is crowded out after getting in behind initially.
82: Jarvis gets to the ball from Diame before cutting back and crossing right-footed. Noone is there to head behind this time. He is everywhere. The corner is cleared to Chambers and when Collins finds Jarvis, he over-runs it for a goal kick.
82: Rat is on for McCartney.
81: Taylor to the far post this time and Tomkins heads back across goal for Petric, but the ball just clears the Croat. Goal kick.
80: Cardiff have a corner now and Noone is again involved in the move to win it. West Ham defend the set piece and clear their lines through Petric. Taylor wins the free-kick on halfway. Collins lifts the free-kick into the box, Petric challenges and the ball rolls off a yellow shirt and behind for a corner. Taylor takes and Connolly heads behind under pressure from Tomkins at the far post.
78: Petric collects a pass from Vaz Te and runs into the box. He tries to beat his man and goes to ground. Mr East waves his arms. No penalty. Diame has the ball, but can only backheel it to a Cardiff defender. Frustrating.
77: Well, well, well. It should have been over before half-time, but now extra-time is looming large. Rat is putting his tracksuit top on again.
75: Goal! Rat will be on shortly, but not before Mutch has created an equaliser for Cardiff. He is allowed to run unopposed into the West Ham box and beats two men before crossing for Odemwingie, who gets in behind Tomkins and finishes emphatically.
73: Big Sam is incredulous as Connolly fouls Petric just seconds after the Cardiff No2 had received a talking to from Mr East. The free-kick from Taylor is curled in left-footed and Tomkins again heads off-target. The goal kick is taken quickly by Lewis and Maynard is in behind the back four. The Hammers defence gets back just in time and the cross is ultimately high and floats away for a goal kick. That was hairy for a moment or two.
70: And there is another one. Chambers gives a ball short to Diame, who loses out in midfield. The ball is played wide left for Noone, who cuts inside Chambers and beats another defender before slamming the shot a couple of yards wide with his right foot. Super play from the winger. If that had been on his stronger left foot, we could easily be level.
69: Cardiff win a free-kick about 25 yards out just left of centre. It is touched to Maynard, who drives a shot past the diving Collins and Diame and a yard over the top. I think Adrian had it covered, but it's a warning that this tie is not over.
67: So close to No3 for the Hammers as Taylor picks out the run of Jarvis in behind Brayford. He runs into the box before crossing low for Vaz Te. Lewis gets a fingertip to the ball and it just eludes the Portuguese and Cardiff survive.
64: The initial corner is cleared to Chambers, who finds Taylor again. He crosses to the far post, from where Tomkins heads high and onto the roof of the net.
63: Noone fouls Vaz Te on haflway, but not before Chambers has shown his class again with some fantastic positioning and composure to bring the ball clear. Moments later, a defensive header drops to Collison, who controls and sends a dipping 25-yard volley towards goal that Lewis does well to tip over.
58: Diame is being readied. Will Jarvis be replaced to save him for Saturday. No, it's Morrison who is going off. He gets a loud ovation. He played a part in both goals and has been a standout performer. Diame is on.
56: Mason is replaced by veteran Tommy Smith. He'll go wide right.
55: Another fantastic pass from Morrison for Petric, but the Croat is JUST offside. Lewis is out quick and makes the save as the striker tries to lift the ball over him. Free-kick.
52: I am sure West Ham did not replace Maiga because of his performance. I'm sure it's for Petric's fitness. Meanwhile, Vaz Te works down the right and then cuts back for Taylor, who takes a touch before driving a low shot wide.
51: West Ham on the back foot again as Mutch runs into the box. Chambers doesn't dive in and manages to block the cross behind. The corner is taken short, then headed clear.
49: Collison finds the overlapping McCartney, who crosses first-time on the run for Jarvis at the far post. He rises above John and heads towards goal, but Lewis makes an easy catch.
47: Mutch tests Adrian with a well-struck shot from 25 yards that the Spaniard does well to turn over the top for a corner. From the set play, the ball is worked short and then crossed for Maynard, who works Adrian with an overhead kick that the No13 does well to block with his feet. Good save again. West Ham on the back foot here.
46: Two changes at half-time, one for each side. Petric is on for Maiga for West Ham, while McNaughton replaces Brayford for Cardiff.
Half-time score - West Ham United 2-1 Cardiff City
48: That's half-time. Big Sam will feel his team have played well, and they arguably should be out of sight here. Instead, Noone's thunderbolt has made things more interesting than they should be. The former Brighton man has a great left foot and he showed that there. Of West Ham's players, Morrison, Chambers and Maiga have caught the eye, while Tomkins and Collins have been largely comfortable and in command. If West Ham produce the same level of performance after half-time, they will win. There, I said it.
46: Into two added minutes and Maiga finds Jarvis in space, but his low cross is easily cut out. The ball loops high into the air and Lewis is fouled as he punches clear.
45: Goal! Cardiff are back in it. The initial free-kick is rubbish and straight into the wall from Mutch. The second ball in from the same player is headed clear by Tomkins. Taylor thinks he has been fouled by Noone, but the officials give nothing. Noone cuts inside and arrows a shot high into the far top corner past Adrian. No chance for the Spaniard. Great strike. Was it a foul?
44: It looks like a Cardiff attack has come to nothing as Collison brings the ball clear, but Morrison nudges Noone and Mr East gives a free-kick. It's 30 yards out.
40: Maiga finds Vaz Te, who plays the ball to Morrison on the edge of the box. He tries to go inside, leaves the ball behind momentarily, then goes outside his man and crosses for Vaz Te, whose acrobatic volley flies over the crossbar and into the Sir Trevor Brooking Stand. Good football again. Maiga involved again. This will be doing wonders for his self-belief. He just needs a goal to cap an encouraging display.
39: Maiga loses the ball inside the Cardiff half and the visitors break, but Tomkins stands firm to usher the ball out for a corner under pressure from Mason. Maiga again heads clear at the near post and sets up the counter-attack...
37: Fantastic pass from Taylor and fantastic control from Jarvis. Connolly sticks to his task and concedes the corner, which comes to nothing.
36: Maiga's hard work nearly creates another chance. He is forced wide, but checks, crosses high over Lewis and the goalkeeper is relieved when the ball hits a defender and rolls into his arms.
33: What a miss from Collins! Vaz Te wins the free-kick by being tripped by John. Morrison crosses high to the far post, where Tomkins heads down. The No19 has the goal gaping but misses the ball with his left foot and it hits his standing leg. Cardiff scramble the ball away for a corner. Morrison takes left-footed and Collins is there again, but heads high and wide.
32: Cardiff get themselves in a muddle from Collins' punt down the right wing. Chambers blocks the clearance and the ball loops into the penalty area, where is pops up and hits the defender Brayford. Shouts for handball are ignored by Mr East.
30: The patience is rewarded as Jarvis springs forward. He could keep going himself, but he instead elects to play the ball wide left for McCartney, whose low cross is scrambled behind. Corner. Tomkins rises and heads wide, but he is whistled for an infringement.
29: It's been a period of relative calm over the past few minutes. West Ham are having the majority of the possession in midfield, looking for an opening for the goal that would surely end this tie.
24: I've not mentioned him much so far, but Chambers has looked very assured again at right-back. He is of course an England age-group international and is used to playing under pressure, but this is a step up from that. His technique has been good, while his positioning has been first-class. So far, so good for the 18-year-old. And let's not forget, he turned 18 on 5 August.
23: Moments after Mason curls a cross-shot wide of the far post, Morrison is there again, collecting a pass from Jarvis before curling a left-foot shot into the hands of Lewis from the edge of the D. This game looks like it has plenty more goals in it.
21: Mr East has a quick word with Malky Mackay. I'm not sure what that was about.
19: Maiga again, and he should at least work Lewis. He anticipates a loose pass across the Cardiff defence and then Brayford's ball for Hudson is woefully short. Maiga nips the ball past the Cardiff captain and he's in on goal. The angle is tight, but Maiga elects to shoot first-time with his left foot, only to drag the ball low and across the face of goal. He deserves one for his work-rate alone.
17: It's a cracking game here as the cross comes in from Odemwingie on the Cardiff right and Adrian helps the ball on as he stretches before Chambers puts it behind for a corner. West Ham deal with it as Maiga heads clear again at the near post. The Mali international has really put himself about tonight so far. Well done, lad.
16: West Ham so close to a third, but Collison is flagged for offside as the ball is headed back into the box after the initial corner had been cleared.
15: West Ham are playing some great football tonight. Morrison collects Maiga's clearing header from a corner, stops and then picks out Taylor with a 40-yard crossfield ball. West Ham have men over and Chambers is involved, crossing for Vaz Te, who is denied by a flying save from Lewis. Corner.
13: Maiga does well. Taylor wins the header and the ball drops to Vaz Te. Maiga collects wide left and he slots in Jarvis, who gets forward and fizzes a cross along the face of the six-yard box that is just too far in front of Vaz Te. Unlucky. Moments later, Maiga is in the mixer again, but the ball just won't drop for him.
12: Maynard has a dig this time from about 25 yards, but former team-mate Collins is out quickly to make the block and the ball spins away for a throw.
10: Odemwingie accepts a pass on the right, drops his shoulder and whips in the cross past McCartney, but Taylor is well positioned at the near post to flick the header clear of danger. Good defending by the experienced midfielder, who is in a holding role this evening.
7: GOAL! It's 2-0 and Matt Jarvis scores another good team goal, albeit one with a fortunate finish. Maiga is involved, making an incisive run in behind the Cardiff back four. He cuts the ball back and Jarvis is there. His initial shot is blocked but the ball hits the No7 and rolls past Lewis and into the bottom right-hand corner!
5: Cardiff have a spell of possession and keep the ball patiently inside the West Ham half. Mutch tries a shot from the corner of the box, but it's blocked by the knees of Tomkins. Good block. Morrison is fouled a few moments later and West Ham have a free-kick.
4: Another chance to get the ball in the box from a Collins free-kick on halfway. Maiga wins the header again, but it won't drop for Vaz Te. Maiga goes in again, but he cannot win the ball back.
2: What a start and what fantastic composure and ability from Morrison. Two goals in two games and a third of the season for the No15. Morrison is West Ham's early contender for leading goalscorer this season.
19 seconds! GOAL! Morrison puts West Ham in front after 19 SECONDS! Maiga challenges for a high ball and it drops for Jarvis. He tries to play in Maiga, but the through ball is blocked into the path of Jarvis. He controls and plays in Morrison, who shows superb control and composure to cut inside Brayford and smash the shot high into the net past Lewis.
7.45pm - Cardiff kick-off...
7.40pm - It's nearly kick-off time. Can much-changed West Ham overcome completely-changed Cardiff and make it through to the last-16 of the Capital One Cup? We'll know in approximately two hours, or a little bit longer if we have extra-time and penalties. It's a big chance for the likes of Collison, Vaz Te and captain Tomkins to show Big Sam they should be in his team for his 101st game in charge at Hull on Saturday. I presume Morrison will again line up in the middle of midfield, with Taylor and Collison sitting a little deeper. Vaz Te will play wide right and Jarvis wide left behind Maiga, who will be desperate to score his first goal of the season.
7.05pm - You can download tonight's official teamsheet by clicking on the link above.
7pm - Team news is confirmed. Plenty of changes from both managers... Big Sam retains just four starters from Saturday's defeat by Everton, with Collins, Morrison, Maiga and Jarvis starting. Chambers is in the side again, while Adrian, Tomkins, McCartney, Taylor, Collison and Vaz Te also come into the team.
For Cardiff, Malky Mackay leaves all eleven starters from Sunday's defeat by Tottenham out completely. Suffice to say, he makes eleven changes! All seven of Sunday's Cardiff substitutes start, alongside Connolly, John, Brayford and Noone.
West Ham United: Adrian, Chambers, Tomkins (c), Collins, McCartney, Taylor, Morrison, Collison, Jarvis, Vaz Te, Maiga
Subs: Henderson, Rat, Ruddock, Diame, Moncur, Nolan, Petric
Cardiff City: Lewis, Connolly, Brayford, Hudson (c), John, Cowie, Mutch, Noone, Mason, Maynard, Odemwingie
Subs: Moore, Smith, Gestede, McNaughton, Harris, Lappin, Healey
6.25pm - We're 20 minutes from the team line-ups being announced. Pelly Ruddock, Leo Chambers and George Moncur are all in the squad and will be hopeful of getting on the pitch tonight. Chambers, of course, started the second-round win over Cheltenham and impressed at right-back. Ruddock is a centre-back, while Moncur is an all-round central midfield player. Both have done well for the table-topping Development Squad this term.
Good evening and welcome to knockout football under the floodlights at the Boleyn Ground!
There is still time to get down to E13, with tickets available from the Ticket Office and through cash turnstiles in all four stands. Tickets are priced at just £20 Adults and £15 Under-16s!
With West Ham United moving to the Olympic Stadium in under three years' time, nights like these under the lights are ones to cherish for Hammers supporters!
Sam Allardyce is celebrating his 100th game in charge tonight, so what better way to mark the occasion than by knocking Cardiff City out of the Capital One Cup?
The manager will also be seeking to avoid recording three consecutive home defeats for the first time in his reign, so there is plenty of incentive for the Hammers to rise to the occasion this evening.
Big Sam will shuffle his pack tonight, with the likes of Adrian, James Tomkins, George McCartney, Matt Taylor, Jack Collison and Ricardo Vaz Te all hoping to get some game-time ahead of Saturday's important Barclays Premier League trip to Hull City.
The Hammers, of course, have to look back just six weeks to remember a victory over Cardiff - their fourth straight in all competitions without conceding a goal - having defeated the Bluebirds 2-0 here on the opening day of the Barclays Premier League season. Joe Cole and Kevin Nolan were on target that afternoon.
Since then, both clubs have put together identical records in all competitions, winning two, losing two and drawing two matches in all competitions. West Ham reached the third round courtesy of a 2-1 home victory over Cheltenham Town, while Cardiff won 2-0 at Cheltenham's League Two rivals Accrington Stanley.
West Ham have some injury issues with the absence of Andy Carroll (knee), Stewart Downing (dead leg), Joe Cole (hamstring), Alou Diarra (knee) and Guy Demel (groin), while Mark Noble is serving a one-match ban after being sent-off in the 3-2 home Barclays Premier League defeat by Everton on Saturday.
Cardiff manager Malky Mackay has no such concerns, with only Denmark striker Andreas Cornelius (ankle) missing from his squad for tonight's game. Cardiff also enter the tie on the back of a home defeat, having been beaten 1-0 by Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.
We will have the team news confirmed at just after 6.45pm. Before then, why not try to guess tonight's West Ham starting XI and first goalscorer on our official Twitter page? You could win a signed prize!