Craig Dawson swoops to send West Ham past Stockport

The goal carried David Moyes’ side through to an FA Cup fourth-round home tie with League One Doncaster and, should they win that, a visit to Manchester United or Liverpool

West Ham United's Craig Dawson scores the winner at Edgeley Park, Stockport.

Stockport 0 West Ham 1 

Craig Dawson, a defender who started his career in non-league north-west football, scored the only goal of an absorbing third round tie to kill off a valiant effort from Stockport, another non-league outfit.

The West Ham centre-half rose to meet Jarrod Bowen’s 83rd-minute cross and head in from six yards — just the sort of goal he might have learned when starting his career a few miles down the road from Edgeley Park at Radcliffe Borough.

The goal carried David Moyes’ side through to a fourth-round home tie with League One Doncaster and, should they win that, a visit to Manchester United or Liverpool.

And on a night that delivered an absorbing FA Cup encounter between giants and minnows, it was a fitting way to settle matters.

There was the bizarre sight of an impromptu firework display taking place outside the ground, behind one of the goals after 15 minutes, which proved so loud that referee Mike Dean was briefly forced to stop play. The fireworks were a protest from local residents drawing attention to the plight of a 15-year-old local youngster who remains in hospital having been struck by a police car on St Stephen’s Day.

But if David Moyes was hoping a strong Hammers line-up would produce fireworks of their own to make this a routine stroll into the fourth round, he was to be sorely disappointed.

Said Benrahma did well after six minutes, skilfully controlling Declan Rice’s cross and making room before clipping the outside of the right-hand post with his effort. And the half ended with Rice setting up another chance, this one for Michail Antonio whose powerful shot was deflected just behind.

The rain gained in ferocity as players struggled to cope with the conditions. It played into the non-league team’s hands with West Ham’s passing game impacted and the visitors’ defenders playing at the more treacherous end of the field — it took a good block by Dawson after the hour to deny Connor Jennings from one such Stockport attack.

And Dawson struck late to send West Ham through.

STOCKPORT (5-3-2): Hinchcliffe 7; Minihan 8 (Palmer 86), Keane 7, Hogan 7, Kitching 9, Williams 7 (Thomas 86); Jennings 7 (Southam-Hales 82), Croasdale 7, Maynard 7; Reid 7 (Bennett 62, 7), Rooney 7 (Hinchy 86).

WEST HAM (4-2-3-1): Randolph 6 - Coufal 6, Dawson 9, Ogbonna 7, Johnson 6 (Cresswell 73, 6) - Noble 7, Rice 7 - Yarmolenko 7 (Bowen 68, 6), Benrahma 6 (Fornals 90), Lanzini 6 (Soucek 68, 6) - Antonio 6 (Odubeko 90).

Referee: M Dean 6