Angelo Ogbonna was the unlikely hero as West Ham claimed a last-gasp 2-1 victory in extra time against Liverpool in their FA Cup fourth-round replay at Upton Park.The former Juventus defender soared to head home his first West Ham goal in the 121st minute from a Dimitri Payet free-kick, after Lucas Leiva stained an otherwise exemplary performance at centre-back by fouling Enner Valencia.
The visitors’ main villain was Christian Benteke, who undermined an industrious showing by wasting a string of chances.
Earlier, Joey O’Brien and Payet struck the post for West Ham either side of Philippe Coutinho doing likewise and Michail Antonio crowned an eventful opening 45 minutes by dispatching a fine opener for the hosts.
Coutinho, starting as one of 10 Liverpool changes after a month out with a hamstring injury, netted a deserved free-kick equaliser three minutes after the restart but West Ham – in their final season at Upton Park – were roared on to dramatically book a fifth-round trip to Blackburn Rovers.
Injury-ravaged striker Daniel Sturridge took his place on the Liverpool bench, with Benteke leading the attack and he twice troubled West Ham at the far post from corners as the quarter-hour approached.
Jurgen Klopp, back on the touchline following a bout of appendicitis, saw Lucas deflect a low strike from right-back O’Brien against the base of the near post in West Ham’s first attack of note.
It was Coutinho’s turn to hit the post five minutes later from Benteke’s cut-back, the chance coming after Winston Reid coughed up possession, and the West Ham defender again lost the Belgium international from a corner following that attack, with Darren Randolph producing the save.
Goal.com
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