West Ham Floor Derby To Set Up Clash With Man Utd - Legit Sports

West Ham Floor Derby To Set Up Clash With Man Utd - Legit Sports 

West Ham Floor Derby To Set Up Clash With Man Utd - Legit Sports 

West Ham secured a deserved win away to League One Derby at Pride Park to book an FA Cup fifth-round trip to Manchester United. 

Jarrod Bowen opened the scoring after 10 minutes when he turned home a knockdown from Tomas Soucek.

The England man then turned provider at the start of the second period when his cross deflected into the path of Michail Antonio to finish.

It was the first time David Moyes’ side had completed successive victories since October, following on from last weekend’s crucial Premier League success against Everton.

And it now pits Moyes against his former club in cup combat at Old Trafford for the third successive season, the Hammers winning in the EFL tournament last term after losing in the last 16 of the FA Cup the year before.

The result marked the end of Derby’s 14-match unbeaten run since they lost on penalties at Liverpool in November, although manager Paul Warne knows the main challenge for his side this season is to try and return to the Championship.

The 32-year-old told BBC Sport last week he is open to the idea of leaving London Stadium and drawing the curtain on his seven-and-a-half year stint at the club.

Moyes, knowing his other two strikers, Gianluca Scamacca and new signing Danny Ings, are currently injured, has rejected the idea out of hand.

Although his current run of nine goals in 43 appearances across the end of last season and the first half of this is not enough in terms of actual output, Antonio continues making the selfless runs down the channel which, if the Hammers are functioning properly, opens the space for others.

That it has not happened this season is as much the fault of those supporting Antonio as the forward himself.

Given his Nottingham Forest connection had been mentioned by the Derby fans early in the contest when he screwed a shot wide, there was an additional personal benefit to Antonio scoring his 67th West Ham goal, which moves him level with Carlton Cole as the joint second-highest scorer in the club’s history, behind legendary World Cup winner Sir Geoff Hurst.