Tommy Conway’s early goal secured second-tier Bristol City a place in the FA Cup fourth round as they beat Premier League West Ham United in a tempestuous replay at a rocking Ashton Gate on Tuesday.
Youngster Conway pounced on a poor back pass in the third minute to give the hosts the lead and City were well worth their victory as West Ham ended with 10 men after Saïd Benrahma was red-carded early in the second half.
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Conway, a product of Bristol City’s youth team, had also scored in the initial tie that ended 1-1.
Bristol City’s reward is a home tie against either Premier League Nottingham Forest or third-tier Blackpool who play their third-round replay on Wednesday.
Fourth-tier Newport County set up a dream home tie against 12-time winners Manchester United as they beat non-league Eastleigh 3-1.
Goals by Aaron Wildig, James Clarke and Will Evans secured the victory and a windfall of around £400,000 ($505,240) for the Welsh club who reached the fifth round in 2019.
Wolverhampton Wanderers beat Brentford 3-2 after extra time in an all Premier League clash with Matheus Cunha setting up a West Midlands derby at second-tier West Bromwich Albion.
In an all-Championship clash, Birmingham City’s Koji Miyoshi scored in stoppage time to secure a 2-1 victory over Hull City and a fourth round tie at Leicester City.
The original third round ties failed to produce much of the drama the FA Cup has traditionally guaranteed.
But a full house at Ashton Gate were treated to a full-blooded clash between the team 14th in the second-tier and West Ham who are sixth in the Premier League.
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Despite injuries to some key players, West Ham manager David Moyes still fielded a strong side, but he could have few complaints at their first third-round exit since 2017.
“Disappointed. Lots of things didn’t go for us tonight but overall disappointed,” Moyes said.
A frantic start to the game saw West Ham go close at one end and seconds later Bristol City went ahead as Conway nipped in to intercept an under-cooked back-pass by Konstantinos Mavropanos, rounded keeper Lukasz Fabianski and calmly slotted home his shot from a tight angle.
West Ham should have equalised when Maxwel Cornet volleyed wide from close range while Danny Ings, given a rare start, should have done better with another opportunity.
The visitors were reduced to 10 men in the 51st minute when Benrahma was on the receiving end of a strong sliding tackle by Joe Williams and then kicked out in retaliation.
Bristol City could count themselves lucky to keep 10 on the pitch though as midfielder Taylor Gardner-Hickman appeared to swing a punch towards Aaron Cresswell.
The closest West Ham came to an equaliser was a close-range volley by Tomás Soucek that was kept out by a superb reflex save by home keeper Max O’Leary.