West Ham strolled through to the fourth round of the Cup with a convincing win against Championship side Barnsley at the Boleyn this afternoon.
Goals from Herita Ilunga, Mark Noble and Carlton Cole sent the Hammers into tomorrow's draw with some ease against a side who reached the semi-finals of the competition last season having beaten the likes of Liverpool and Chelsea on the way.And there was further good news for manager Gianfranco Zola with the return to action of Kieron Dyer, who made his first appearance for the club since suffering a double leg break some 16 months previously.
On-loan Herita Ilunga opened the scoring with his first goal for the club after just ten minutes when a Mark Noble free kick somehow found its way to the far post where the suprised - yet delighted - Congolese full back was waiting to pounce.
Noble, back in the first team reckoning having missed the 2-1 win against Stoke last week then put the Hammers two up from the penalty spot having been fouled moments earlier by Barnsley's El Haimour; the defender hauling Noble over by tugging his shirt. The United midfielder carefully placed his spot kick inside the bottom left post to give the Hammers what proved to be an unassailable lead.
The rout was completed midway through the second half when Carlton Cole, who also had a hand in the build-up to the second goal sent a glacing header from an inch-perfect Ilunga cross into the far corner of Muller's post to record his third in three games and send United into the fourth round.
West Ham United: Green, Faubert, Collins, Tomkins, Ilunga, Collison (Dyer 70), Noble, Mullins, Boa Morte (Etherington 66), Bellamy, Cole (Tristan 75).
Subs not used: Lastuvka, Spector, Bowyer, Di Michele.
Booked: Faubert, Mullins.
Goals: Ilunga 10, Noble 39 pen, Cole 68.
Barnsley: Muller, Hassell, Foster, Guedes, Van Homoet, Campbell-Ryce, Colace, Leon (Butterfield 89), El Haimour, Odejayi (Coulson 86), Rigters (Adam 86).
Subs not used: Steele, Mostto, Potter, Heslop.
Booked: Odejayi, El Haimour, Colace.
Attendance: 28,869
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