Carabao Cup
West Ham United 8-0 Macclesfield Town 

Wednesday, 26th September 2018
by Staff Writer

Manuel Pellegrini's team of reserves and Academy hopefuls secured the club's biggest victory in 35 years as they brushed aside a hapless Macclesfield Town side at the Olympic Stadium.

Not since 1986 had the Hammers scored eight goals in a game - an 8-1 win against Newcastle United - and not since 1983 had they secured an eight-goal or more winning margin, when beating Bury 10-0 in the club's record win.

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And the last win of this margin came some 50 years ago next month, when Sir Geoff Hurst's double hat-trick helped the Hammers to an 8-0 win over Sunderland at the Boleyn Ground in a First Division encounter.

Tonight there were no current England internationals or World Cup winners on show however as the class of 2018 smashed the Football League's bottom club - one of two yet to taste victory in League Two this season - with consummate ease.

That it took West Ham almost half-an-hour to break the deadlock was perhaps the biggest surprise; Michail Antonio grabbed his first goal of the new campaign just three minutes before the lively Robert Snodgrass doubled United's lead with is first West Ham goal.

Reserve striker Lucas Perez then scored his first goal for the club since moving from Arsenal to give the Hammers a comfortable 3-0 lead at half time.

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It took Pellegrini's team just six minutes to add a fourth following the restart as Ryan Fredericks added his name to the list of those scoring their first goal/s for the club; the full-back coming in for Pablo Zabaleta, who was enjoying a well-deserved rest.

Just three minutes later, and for the second successive round, Angelo Ogbonna - restored to the starting XI for this evening's match - scored with a well-placed header to put West Ham 5-0 up.

And when Snodgrass doubled his personal tally for the night to make it 6-0 with just an hour on the clock, it certainly wasn't beyond the realms of possibility that the club's 35-year-old record could potentially be equalled - or even bettered.

In the end that scenario failed to play out as the Hammers had to settle for matching the eight goals scored against the Magpies in 1986 (a night on which centre half Alvin Martin famously netted a hat-trick against three different goalkeepers, including England forward Peter Beardsley).

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The final two goals of the evening went to Academy midfielder Grady Diangana, who enjoyed a dream debut as he showed just why he has been receiving much praise in recent months for his performances for the youngsters.

And in addition to Diangana's double, there were first team debuts for fellow youngsters Joe Powell and Conor Coventry to put the seal on a wonderful night for the 24,833 supporters who were duly rewarded for braving the bracing conditions on an unusually-chilly September night.


West Ham Utd: Adrian, Fredericks, Diop, Ogbonna, Cresswell, Sanchez (Rice 10), Obiang (Coventry 46), Snodgrass, Antonio (Powell 62), Diangana, Perez.

Subs not used: Fabianski, Balbuena, Masuaku, Yarmolenko.

Goals: Antonio (29), Snodgrass (32, 60), Perez (40), Fredericks (51), Ogbonna (54), Diangana (67, 82).

Macclesfield Town: O'Hara, Fitzpatrick, Lowe (Welch-Hayes 68), Kelleher, Grimes, Marsh, Smith (Blissett 57), Napa (Arthur 57), Maycock, Pearson, Whitaker.

Subs not used: Simpson, Hodgkiss, Wilson, Vincenti.

Referee: Craig Pawson.

Attendance: 24,833.

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Player Ratings

Lukasz Fabianski



Ryan Fredericks



Aaron Cresswell



Issa Diop



Fabian Balbuena



Carlos Sanchez



Robert Snodgrass



Felipe Anderson



Michail Antonio



Jack Wilshere



Marko Arnautovic




Substitutes

Andriy Yarmolenko
(Replaced Snodgrass)


Pedro Obiang
(Replaced Wilshere)


Javier Hernandez
(Replaced Antonio)


Adrian San Miguel del Castillo
Did not play.


Pablo Zabaleta
Did not play.


Declan Rice
Did not play.


Mark Noble
Did not play.



Match Facts

West Ham United: Lukasz Fabianski, Ryan Fredericks, Aaron Cresswell, Issa Diop, Fabian Balbuena, Carlos Sanchez, Robert Snodgrass, Felipe Anderson, Michail Antonio, Jack Wilshere, Marko Arnautovic.

Goals: None.

Booked: None.

Sent off: None.

Macclesfield Town: .

Subs not used: .

Goals: .

Booked: .

Sent off: None.

Referee: Craig Pawson.

Attendance: 0.

Man of the Match: Grady Diangana.