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Bristol City vs West Ham: Premier League side knocked out of FA Cup Bristol City 1 West Ham United 0: Saïd Benrahma is sent off at Ashton Gate as Tommy Conway’s winner sets up fourth-round tie with Blackpool or Nottingham Forest Conway, who scored the equaliser at the London Stadium, gave Bristol City an early lead at Ashton Gate REX Bristol City are at it again. They are ­embarrassing the elite again, loving the knockout format again. Whatever the odds, whatever the size of the task, City fans report in huge numbers for games like this, and 25,616 crammed into ­Ashton Gate to watch this deserved ­defeat of West Ham United. And how fitting that it should be one of their own, Tommy Conway, who proved the ­decisive figure in setting up a fourth-round meeting with either Nottingham Forest or Blackpool when Ashton Gate will be rocking again. When Conway struck after three minutes, the noise shook three sides of Ashton Gate, fans fell over each in ­celebration, and danced along the aisles. Memories flooded back of Korey Smith’s goal against Manchester United in the League Cup in 2017. Older fans will recall beating Chelsea in the FA Cup here in 1990. Ashton Gate is special on nights like this, so special you could almost forget the cold. This tie was televised live on the BBC and the home fans seized the chance to show the depth of their support to the viewing world, show off their gleaming, much-enhanced stadium and make light of the gap between 14th in the Championship and sixth in the Premier League. They backed City loud and proud. The cat lovers certainly took the opportunity to boo Kurt Zouma. As the temperatures plummeted, ­Liam Manning’s players did not freeze. City pressed vigorously and attacked briskly through their 3-4-3 formation. Each player delivered. After Saturday’s defeat at Preston North End, ­Manning’s squad held a meeting on Monday in which the head coach was pleased to hear his players eager to “take accountability”. They certainly did here against a club where Manning was once under-23s coach. Anis Mehmeti displayed trickery and pace tucked in on the left. City’s keeper, Max O’Leary, demonstrated their ­determination, rushing out to win a ­50-50 with Danny Ings, setting in ­motion the chain of events that led to Conway’s goal. O’Leary’s long clearance should have been dealt with better by Konstantinos Mavropanos, the right-sided of West Ham’s three defensive sentries. The Athenian was more focused on Mehmeti and Cameron Pring closeby and failed to spot Conway, patrolling the centre and gambling on Greeks bearing gifts. Mavropanos underhit his back-pass towards Lukasz Fabianski and placed it slightly too ­central, enticing Conway to accelerate. It had to be Conway swooping. He scored in the first game. The 21-year-old is City through and through, here since he was seven, barring loans ­locally at Yate Town and Bath City. Conway beat Fabianski’s challenge, somehow kept his balance, took two more touches with his right as Zouma desperately tried to get back and narrow the angle. With his next touch, Conway calmly stroked the ball past the sliding Zouma and into the net. David Moyes glared from underneath his beanie. This was a deeply ­uncomfortable night for West Ham and Moyes, who played here in the mid-1980s. “I had really good times here but not tonight,” he said. Criticised for his approach to the League Cup, Moyes had not fielded a weakened team in this FA Cup third-round replay; he had fielded his only team. Afcon and ­injuries limited his options. Lucas Paquetá, ­Mohammed Kudus and ­Jarrod Bowen were particularly missed. Edson Álvarez felt his calf in training on Friday. Moyes could not even fill the bench. He had six academy players there. Divin Mubama came on up front as did ­Callum Marshall for his debut. “Those academy boys have impressed me but it is an incredible step up,” Moyes said. “I’ve been impressed with Callum. There’s so many teams who want him on loan. We want to help him the right way. He’s a great lad and a lover of football which I like. He wants the ball.” West Ham’s problems had been compounded when they lost Saïd Benrahma for violent conduct six minutes into the second half. Joe Williams had just fouled Benrahma, flooring him, but the Algerian’s response was unforgivable: left foot into midriff, right foot almost in shoulder. “I’ve had a look at it, and there’s no question [about it],” Moyes said. West Ham were angered by some of City’s challenging, not least early on when Williams clattered Ings and then late on when Taylor Gardner-Hickman, who has now joined permanently from West Brom, cuffed Aaron Cresswell. If VAR had been in operation, Gardner-Hickman would have followed Benrahma down the tunnel. “They call it the best cup competition in the world but one week VAR (at a Premier League ground), the next week there isn’t (at a Championship ground), and I feel it’s ridiculous,” Moyes said. “You either have it in the competition or not.” He had a point but City had the win. Bristol City (4-3-2-1): M O’Leary 7 — G Tanner 6, Z Vyner 6, R Dickie 7, R McCrorie 6 (S Bell 61min, 6) — J Williams 7, M James 6, C Pring 7 — T Gardner-Hickman 7 (J Knight, 75) A Mehmeti 7 (H Cornick 75) — T Conway 8 (N Wells 61, 7). Booked Williams, Gardner-Hickman. West Ham United (4-3-3): L Fabianski 6 — V Coufal 6 (B Johnson 66, 6), K Zouma 6, K Mavropanos 5, A Cresswell 6 (C Marshall 80, 6) — T Soucek 5, J Ward-Prowse 7, Emerson 6 — S Benrahma 4, D Ings 6 (D Mubama 81), M Cornet 6. Booked Cresswell. Sent off Benrahma. Referee D England. Attendance 25,616.

Bit biased here, but would recommend the Vålerenga - Lillestrøm derby in Oslo for a trip a bit more off the radar:

My lad was mascot on Boxing Day. Thought that City had the day setup well. All the guests were part of a tour around the changing rooms etc before the players arrived. When the players arrived the mascots went down to meet them, take selfies with all the players and get things signed. The rest of the guests ate from the buffet up in hospitality whilst the mascots were meeting the players. As you say, the warm up was on the side of the pitch with the other mascots rather than the players. He really enjoyed it and I would recommend.

No, as offsides are indirect freekicks ?

On the whole I agree that there tends to be that bias, but for this isolated case you also have to take the timing of the two bookings into question. The Egan booking is in the last 10 minutes of a game that the home team is chasing. If the referee makes a point waiting and making Egan come to him and this process takes time, then the home fans are going to get restless. The ref wants to get the game going quickly to avoid the crowd getting on his back so decides to run after Egan to get the booking out the way and the game started again. In this exact case it doesn't make any difference as Williams is injured requiring treatment (for a tackle that the ref has completely missed).

Ticks the boxes regarding the guidance from the IFAB for me.

Stonewall penalty. But given our luck with decisions so far this decisions it's about time one went in our favour.

Agree. Think it was a record of 2 minutes and 50 seconds into the game when I put it on mute last night.

Have got one adult and one U16 ticket available for the 1st T20 at the County Ground next Wednesday (27th July) - Mike Procter Stand - Block 7. Face value is £75 if anyone is interested

You're right, Thanks

Anyone else got problems accessing RobinsTV from abroad today? I'm just getting an Unauthotized country error message on both the TV and iPad app

Got two spare spaces on our minibus to Coventry on Saturday. Leaving Little Stoke at 8:30 and getting back around 22:00. £20 for the minibus. Ticket face value. Send me a PM if you're interested.

Good memories @Harry Shit about your foot mate. Hopefully getting out on the bike will be one outlet at least.

I know pal! Was only thinking about it earlier. Give my right bollock to be sat on that oversized bean bag on the beach once again.

Had one the other week that was -14 with a wind chill of -19. Bit of a bastard that one. Had so many layers on that it was basically just waddling rather than running. It's been below -10 every day for a month now. Luckily the gyms finally re-opened yesterday so being able to get in a run on the treadmill this morning was bliss.