Bristol City hold West Ham to force FA Cup replay

SourceBBC

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Championship side Bristol City earned a deserved draw against West Ham at London Stadium to force an FA Cup third-round replay.

The Hammers wasted little time in moving through the gears against their Championship opponents, opening the scoring with just four minutes on the clock.

Jarrod Bowen continued his red-hot form by scoring his 14th goal of the campaign after rounding goalkeeper Max O’Leary and squeezing the ball under the body of defender Cameron Pring on the line.

But Bristol City, who boast the joint-fourth best defensive record in the Championship, refused to allow that early setback to define the manner in which the game would unfold, showing bravery on the ball and unity in defence to find a foothold in the tie.

Sam Bell and Rob Dickie both had opportunities to level for the Robins but Lukasz Fabianski stood firm on both occasions to keep West Ham’s lead intact.

The Robins returned for the second period with intent, playing the majority of their football in West Ham’s half of the field, and their willingness to commit to the attack paid dividends when academy graduate Tommy Conway found space behind the Hammers’ backline before drilling beyond Fabianski.

Clear-cut chances for the visitors were few and far between after they drew level and they had to hang on in the closing stages as Danny Ings and Divin Mubama both went close.