Summerville strike earns 10-man West Ham extra-time FA Cup win at Burton

Burton-upon-Trent – Crysencio Summerville, introduced as an 82nd-minute replacement Nuno Espírito Santo had hoped to rest, rifled West Ham United into the FA Cup fifth round with a deflected extra-time winner against Burton Albion, sparing the Premier League side the indignity of a penalty shoot-out and possible humiliation at the Pirelli Stadium.

The winger’s 94th-minute goal settled a tie that looked destined for spot-kicks until Summerville collected possession on the left, cut inside unchallenged and curled a shot that flicked off a defender and looped over goalkeeper Brad Collins. The lead was almost surrendered moments before the final whistle when substitute Kain Adom’s drive was parried by Alphonse Areola and Kegs Chauke smashed the rebound into the side-netting, drawing gasps from a crowd sensing a historic upset.

West Ham had to negotiate the final 19 minutes a man light after young full-back Freddie Potts was dismissed for a reckless lunge on Julian Larsson, yet they clung on to extend a cup run that four years ago was rescued by a then-teenage Declan Rice at Kidderminster.

Jarrod Bowen and most senior regulars were left out, leaving Konstantinos Mavropanos to wear the armband and anchor a patched-up XI that treated the opening 45 minutes like an inconvenience. Mohamadou Kanté skied a shot over the West Stand and Keiber Lamadrid, on debut, looked every inch a player short of minutes. Only after Adama Traoré’s slaloming run and cut-back nine minutes into the second half did the visitors muster a moment of top-flight quality, Ollie Scarles inches from converting.

Burton, 47 places below their visitors, were organised and fearless. Jake Beesley felt he should have had a first-half penalty when bundled by Mavropanos, and in the dying embers of extra time the striker failed to adjust to Jack Armer’s inviting cross. Head coach Gary Bowyer, sporting boxing gloves in the dressing room to fit the club’s fight-night motif, admitted his players had executed the game plan yet were undone by the one flash they had been warned about. “We showed them what Summerville can do – and he did exactly that,” Bowyer lamented.

The Brewers, chasing a first-ever place in the last 16, depart with credit; West Ham, jeered by their own fans both in the stands and from a plane trailing an anti-board banner, march on despite a performance Nuno conceded was below par. “We achieved what we came here to do,” the manager said, relieved rather than celebratory.

West Ham return to domestic survival duties next week; Burton resume the more precarious business of League One relegation fighting, buoyed by evidence they can trade punches with heavyweights even if the knockout blow eluded them.

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