LONDON, March 9 : West Ham United defender Konstantinos Mavropanos struck the winning spot kick as his side beat visitors Brentford 5-3 in a penalty shootout after a 2-2 draw in normal time on Monday to book a place in the FA Cup quarter-finals.
Brentford twice battled back from a goal down to force extra time but a terrible decision by Dango Ouattara to attempt a chipped “Panenka” penalty cost his side and it is West Ham who go through to host Leeds United on the weekend of April 4-5.
West Ham’s Jarrod Bowen gave his team a deserved lead in the 19th minute after Brentford cleared a corner only to see the ball crossed back into the box and it was knocked down for the captain to steer home from close range.
Brentford levelled nine minutes later, a header from defender Nathan Collins skimming off the midriff of Brazilian striker Igor Thiago and drifting into the net.
However, the Hammers quickly took the lead again as Michael Kayode tripped winger Adama Traore in the box and Bowen scored from the resulting penalty.
Brentford battled but lacked a cutting edge until they were thrown a lifeline when Crysencio Summerville pushed Kayode in the back to concede a penalty which Thiago converted in the 81st.
Both sides had their chances in extra time in the fifth-round tie but neither managed to find the net, and the game went to penalties, with Bowen and Taty Castellanos scoring for West Ham either side of another successful spot kick from Thiago.
With the shootout delicately balanced, up stepped Ouattara and, though he tried to wait out West Ham’s Alphonse Areola, the keeper held his nerve and was perfectly placed to catch the winger’s dismal chipped effort.
Callum Wilson and Tomas Soucek both scored for West Ham, with Keane Lewis-Potter and Mathias Jensen doing what they could to keep Brentford in the hunt, but Mavropanos lashed the final kick into the top corner to send his side into the last eight.
“Confidence comes from winning games – okay, we didn’t win the game on the night, but we won it on penalties, which makes it a little bit more special to enjoy it as a team,” Bowen told broadcaster TNT Sport.
“Leeds are a really, really good side as well that will want to do well in the FA Cup, but we see what we’ve done at home today against the Premier League side … we want to get to the final, we want silverware at this club.”
