Hammers’ win leaves bad taste in the mouth

PERHAPS I’m in danger of turning into a romantic old codger as far as football is concerned but, much though they deserved to go through, West Ham’s FA Cup winner at Man City left a bad taste in my mouth.

Alan Pardew's team was attacking down the right side and Christian Dáilly, unusually selected at full back, swung over a high cross. As he did so, he fell to the ground, obviously injured, and seriously so. He'd torn a hamstring.

James, oblivious to Dáilly's plight, caught the cross and threw the ball out quickly to launch City on a dangerous counter-attack. His side was 1-0 down at this point.

Play continued with both managers, Stuart Pearce as well as Pardew, screaming for someone to kick the ball out of play so that Dáilly he hadn't moved an inch, always a worrying sign could receive attention.

I honestly don't think that City, with the ball in play diagonally opposite to where Dáilly lay, knew what was going on. But Reo-Coker, the combative West Ham midfield player, must have. He picked up possession, not once but twice.

Each time he ignored his stricken colleague to initiate the move that led to Ashton's second goal. Only after scoring, and celebrating, did any West Ham player attend to Dáilly who, by this time, was already on a stretcher.

Am I being naive? Was Reo-Coker's professional priority to ignore the injury 'well, if it's a bad injury, what difference will a minute or two make?' and carry on playing? Sorry, but if that's the case, I'm losing touch with what's right and wrong in today's game.