TWO MUST BE KIDDING
Harriers denied twice by Hammers late strikes
playing with an energy that the visitors struggled to match.
Sam Austin and Ashley Hemmings forced Alphonse Areola into early saves.
And, after Andriy Yarmolenko had been hustled out of possession, it needed a timely intervention by Issa Diop to prevent Amari Morgan-smith’s cross giving Hemmings a tap-in.
Then, in the 19th minute, the stuff of dreams. Omari Sterling’s free-kick from the left tempted
Areola from his line, but the French keeper didn’t lay a mit on the ball and when it bounced down off Diop’s head, it sat up perfectly for Penny to steer home a volley.
Memories
Penny’s backstory is perfect cup material. A journeyman full-back whose career highlights have been brief spells with Peterborough and Hamilton Academical, he even joined Jamie Vardy’s talent academy to try to make his dreams come true. He will always have his goal against West Ham.
Moyes has painful memories of Aggborough.
He was in the Preston team knocked out of the cup by Kiddy 28 years ago, when a side made up of part-timers reached the fifth round before falling to West Ham.
Rice and centre-back Craig Dawson were sent on at the break. Cresswell, Soucek and Fornals followed. But Simpson in the Harriers’ goal was inspired. One
brilliant save to deny Yarmolenko was followed up by a brave block from Matt Preston to deflect away Bowen’s follow up.
Simpson excelled again to thwart Said Benrahma before West Ham’s growing desperation prompted Yarmolenko into trying to win a penalty with an outrageous dive.
It should have earned the Ukrainian a booking.
Instead it was left to the Hammers’ visiting fans behind the goal to mete out punishment by issuing a few East End insults Yarmolenko wouldn’t have failed to understand.
But then came the twist in the tale. Twice.