Zaba: “We have to be stronger than that!”

AFC Wimbledon 1 Irons 3

Diop – grabbed the vital equaliser

Some things in life never change like West Ham knowing how to put their fans through the wringer.

Ok, we know the League Cup is noted for upsets – a competition  many clubs don’t take too seriously – but to be made to fight every inch of the way against 10 man AFC Wimbledon was not exactly what was required after a dodgy PL start.

We went behind within two minutes when Ogbonna missed out to Pigot who scored a great header from the game’s first corner.

Seventeen minutes later Joe McDonald was given a second yellow and red for fouling Chicharito but it took another three quarters of hour – despite utterly dominating affairs – for the Irons to equalise.

And it was young Issa Diop who produced a great drive to level things before thundering a header against the woodwork.

Thankfully Oggy made amends for his earlier error with Pigot when making amends, driving low into the net  before Chicharito scored a typical goal inside the area from a great pass from late sub Arthur Masuaku.

But it was very very hard and at the end Pablo Zabaleta summed it all up when he said: “It was tough and we have to be more clinical. We need to be stronger than this.”

No arguments there Zaba.

Shout outs for Snodgrass and Yarmolenko – looking good in the centre and wide – whilst Zaba was always getting forward and over lapping.

Rice was steady but there’s still a bit of work to do at the back where we need a settled central defensive partnership  with two players understanding each other’s game.

But at the end of it all a win is a win which is bound to give a shot of confidence ahead of the vital PL game against  Wolves this weekend.