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Wednesday 1-0 West Ham United

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Wednesday produced one of the shocks of the FA Cup third round by beating high-flying Championship side West Ham by the odd goal at Hillsborough on Sunday.

The Owls left it late as Chris O’Grady snatched an 88th minute winner after the Hammers had seen an earlier penalty kick saved by Nicky Weaver. Eleven minutes of stoppage time were added owing mainly to an injury to Julian Bennett but Gary Megson’s men clung on to a place in the fourth round.

Both sides have their priorities with promotion from League One and the Championship respectively this season and there were a number of changes made by Megson and Hammers boss Sam Allardyce.

With winger Ben Marshall not available to play as part of his loan agreement from Stoke Megson brought Bennett into the left side of midfield, while Jermaine Johnson got a rare start alongside Chris O’Grady up front. Reda Johnson played an unfamiliar holding role in midfield to strengthen the home defence.

Wednesday started the game brightly although the Hammers, including former Owl Joey O’Brien in their starting eleven, carved out the first half chance when the creative Henri Lansbury provided a dangerous cross that Jon Otsemobor could only clear over the bar.

Both goalkeepers were untested in the early exchanges but the Owls had a golden opportunity to break the deadlock after 20 minutes through Jermaine Johnson.

O’Grady provided a superb ball for the jet-heeled Jamaican to latch on to but, with only Hammers goalkeeper Ruud Boffin to beat, Johnson steered his shot wide when it seemed easier to score.

Still, it gave the Owls a boost as they continued to at least match their higher-division visitors from Upton Park.

Defender Danny Batth was next to threaten Boffin’s goal but the on-loan Wolves man powered his header over the bar from a long Bennett throw-in as Megson’s men continued to cause problems.

Despite Wednesday’s impressive play the visitors could have found themselves 1-0 up going into the interval. Jack Collinson did brilliantly to cross the ball into a dangerous area but Freddie Sears could only head over the bar from three yards out.

It was West Ham’s best chance of the game but they were dealt a blow just minutes later when hitman John Carew was forced off through injury.

Half-Time: Wednesday 0-0 West Ham

The Owls will have been pleased with how things were going at the interval but they could have found themselves behind just three minutes after the restart.

Reda Johnson was adjudged to have felled Winston Reid inside the box and the referee had no hesitation in pointing to the spot. Sam Baldock stepped up for the visitors and blasted his shot low but saw Weaver produce a brilliant save to keep the scores level.

It was a boost to Wednesday, and a save that could have changed the flow of the game.

Both sides were keen to avoid a replay with the games building up and Megson made an attacking change just before the hour mark when Clinton Morrison was brought on to replace Reda Johnson.

Chances came at both ends as the game opened up slightly, but again it was West Ham, and again Baldock, who came closest to scoring – this time he hit the foot of the post with Weaver beaten.

Daniel Jones and Ryan Lowe were both introduced, for James Tavernier and Bennett respectively, as the Owls looked to win it – and they were rewarded with two minutes to go.

With both sides looking for a winner O’Grady broke away with the ball and produced a powerful low finish from a difficult angle to beat Boffin and send Wednesday into the next round – despite eleven minutes of stoppage time being added by the officials.

The Owls will now travel to another Championship sided in Blackpool in the next round, with the tie due to be played on the weekend of January 28 and 29.

Full-Time: Wednesday 1-0 West Ham

Wednesday: Weaver, Otsemobor, R Jones, Batth, R Johnson (Morrison 59), Bennett (Lowe 83), Semedo, Lines, J Johnson, Tavernier (D Jones 72), O’Grady. Unused substitutes: Bywater, Beevers, Palmer, Prutton.

West Ham: Boffin, Reid, McCartney, Baldock, Collison (Hall 72), Carew (Nouble 64), O’Brien, Sears, Lansbury, O’Neil, Potts. Unused substitutes: Green, Tomkins, Bouba Diop, Montenegro, Lee.

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