West Ham heed Sam Allardyce’s advice

Bristol City 0 West Ham 1: FA Cup Fourth Round: Sam Allardyce had warned his players about being another Premier League "victim" as Diafra Sakho’s late goal was enough to secure West Ham a 1-0 victory at Bristol City.

The West Ham manager used Chelsea and Manchester City’s FA Cup defeats to lower-league opposition to motivate his players and serve a warning of the fate that could befall them.

Had towering Bristol City striker Matt Smith headed in one of three good chances, it might well have been different for the Hammers.

But they were able to bring on Senegalese striker Sakho, who made up for missing out on the Africa Cup of Nations by firing his team into today’s fifth-round draw.

“I said ‘don’t be a victim of what happened this weekend and don’t be another casualty,’” admitted Allardyce.

“Make sure that you’re utterly professional in what you do and if the opposition are going to beat you, then make sure they produce something a bit special to beat you.”

Kevin Nolan and Andy Carroll had to head two of Smith’s chances off the line in the first half as City gave a good impression of a Premier League side.

But the West Country outfit — who sit second behind rivals Swindon Town in League One — were made to pay for those Smith misses as well as another the striker had at the death.

It was 21 years to the day since City’s most famous FA Cup triumph when they knocked out Liverpool at Anfield, a result that ultimately cost Graeme Souness his job.

However, when Allardyce brought Sakho off the bench with just over half an hour left, a day to rival that slowly slipped away from City.

Sakho first forced a brave block from Aden Flint before an outrageous piece of skill brought about a volley which just brushed the top of the bar.

A sense of inevitability was then fulfilled with nine minutes remaining, as Carroll beat Derrick Williams and his cross left Sakho with a simple headed chance from two yards out.

The result was certainly no disaster for City, whose ambition is a return to the Championship, where they last faced West Ham less than three years ago. If they beat Gillingham on Thursday they will head to Wembley themselves for the Football League Trophy final.

Steve Cotterill, the City manager, said: “We hope they go on and win the FA Cup now. We won’t be slitting our wrists because we lost 1-0 to West Ham but hopefully we showed we can compete with Premier League opposition.”

BRISTOL CITY (3-5-2): Fielding 6; Williams 5, Flint 7, Ayling 6; Little 6 (Wagstaff 75), K Smith 7, Freeman 7 (Agard 82), Saville 6 (Pack 83), Bryan 7; Emmanuel-Thomas 6, M Smith 6.

WEST HAM: (4-3-1-2): Adrian 7; Jenkinson 7, Reid 7, Tomkins 6, Cresswell 6; Song 5 (Amalfitano 57, 5), Nolan 6 (Demel 88), Noble 6; Downing 6; Valencia 5 (Sakho 57, 8), Carroll 7.

Referee: Lee Mason (Lancashire).