Ruthless West Ham dish out a hammering
WEST Ham romped to an 8-0 victory over Macclesfield in the Carabao Cup with Robert Snodgrass, Lucas Perez, Ryan Fredericks and debutant Grady Diangana all scoring their first goals for the club.
Michail Antonio and Angelo Ogbonna were also on target as the Hammers registered their first home win of the season and their biggest victory in 35 years.
West Ham, however, were almost behind when Macclesfield, without a win all season, ventured forward and James Pearson’s throw-in found Harry Smith, whose close-range effort was clawed away by Adrian.
Yet that was the only moment of mild discomfort the hosts suffered all night against the Football League’s bottom club as they threatened to beat their previous record win, 10-0 against Bury in the same competition in 1983.
Macclesfield did hold out for 29 minutes until academy product Diangana charged down Tyrone Marsh’s attempted clearance and Declan Rice crossed for Antonio to head home.
Three minutes later the Hammers were two up, Snodgrass taking advantage of some comical defending on the goal-line to tap in his first goal since joining in January 2017.
Six minutes before half-time Snodgrass whipped in a cross which Perez, the £4million signing from Arsenal and one of eight changes to the side which drew 0-0 with Chelsea on Sunday, swept past Kieran O’Hara on the volley.
Early in the second half Fredericks, signed on a free transfer from Fulham, grabbed the goal of the night with a jinking run and fierce shot from a tight angle.
Ogbonna got in on the act when he headed in a corner before Snodgrass slid in a Fredericks cross, and Diangana combined with Perez for the seventh.
Diangana then capped an impressive debut by wrapping up the scoring with another composed finish from eight yards out.
Tougher tests undoubtedly await West Ham — they host Manchester United on Saturday — but this was still a gratifying way to reach the fourth round of a competition they have never won.