Mad Marko subbed after scoring... boss Pell then hails Nasri & Carroll

WEST HAM manager Manuel Pellegrini hailed comeback pair Samir Nasri and Andy Carroll after grabbing a place in the fourth round.

Former Manchester City and Arsenal midfielder Nasri, 31, was making his West Ham debut and playing a first match since an 18-month doping ban.

And Carroll, who clinched the tie with a stoppage-time second goal after Marko Arnautovic’s second-minute opener, was back on the scoresheet for the first time since April.

Arnautovic was angry at being hauled off after just 20 minutes with a back problem, but Pellegrini tried to deflect from that and focus on the many pluses.

The Chilean said: “There were a lot of positives. One of those was, of course, the minutes that Samir Nasri played after a long time without playing an official game. But also we won, through to the next round, clean sheet, good displays from young players Xande Silva and Grady Diangana, and Andy Carroll scored.

“We don’t put too much on the fact it was his first goal since April… Andy only came back really last month, and has not played much.

“For a striker, after a long injury, all you want to do is score, but he could have had another and also cleared balls from our box. He will soon be back to the player we know.

“I was very happy with Samir. He is a player that gives you time with the ball, has a good technique and likes the ball around him. Now we can see him in different games. I was never in any doubt he could play again at this level.”

West Ham led when Angelo Ogbonna headed Diangana’s corner goalwards and although

Lee Camp kept it out, Arnautovic pounced for his third goal in four days.

Nasri (above) was neat and tidy throughout. He soon put in a dangerous set- piece, with Camp clawing away Issa Diop’s header, while at the other end Carroll headed Lukas Jutkiewicz’s effort off his own line.

Diangana , t he 20- year- old Congo winge r, danced through the Blues’ defence, but pulled his shot into the side netting. Then Birmingham went close twice in a minute on half-time.

First, Michail Antonio cleared Connor Mahoney’s cross, then Maikel Kieftenbeld fired wide.

Carroll blew a great chance, taking too heavy a touch when clear. But he made amends in stoppage time with a towering header from Antonio’s cross.

Birmingham boss Gary Monk, with only a threadbare squad, was upbeat despite the loss.

He said: “The players will take a lot out of that. We kept fighting to the end. Maybe we lacked a cutting edge.”