February 14, (THEWILL) — West Ham required extra time to overcome League One opposition Burton Albion 1-0 in the FA Cup fourth round at the Pirelli Stadium. Crysencio Summerville’s deflected strike five minutes into the additional period proved decisive for Nuno Espirito Santo’s side.
The visitors survived a major scare when referee Lewis Smith waved away Burton’s penalty appeal after Konstantinos Mavropanos challenged Jake Beesley inside the area. The Hammers improved after the break, with Bradley Collins producing important saves to deny Callum Wilson and Soungoutou Magassa before the match went beyond 90 minutes.
Summerville broke the deadlock with a fine individual run from the left flank, cutting inside before his 20-yard drive deflected off Terence Vancooten and into the net. The goal came in the 95th minute of the contest.
West Ham’s progress was complicated when Freddie Potts saw a straight red card in the 101st minute for a reckless challenge on Julian Larsson. The English Premier League side faced sustained late pressure with a man fewer on the pitch.
Burton pushed hard for an equaliser, with Kyran Lofthouse and Kain Adom both going close to forcing a penalty shootout. The League One hosts could not find a way past their top-flight opponents, who held out to advance despite the red card.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
