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      Britain’s tallest outfield pro footballer Kyle Hudlin is 6ft 9in, idolises Messi and Ronaldo and has Premier League aim

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      ON THE streets of Birmingham, a giant of the game walks among us.
      At 6ft 9in, Solihull Moors striker Kyle Hudlin is the tallest outfield pro player in Britain.

      Kyle Hudlin on signing for Solihull Moors, with agent DJ Campbell (left) and agency rep Tom Brady (right)

      And although the 20-year-old may have finally stopped growing, there’s no limit to how high his dreams are.
      He said: “I am enjoying life at Solihull right now, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have aspirations in England and in the Champions League.
      “I don’t want to run before I can walk and I understand how high the jump is to that level, but I want to make that jump.
      “If all goes well I will be playing in the EFL soon, possibly even with Solihull next season.”

      After banging in 25 goals in 22 games for Sunday league side Boldmere Falcons, he signed for Solihull United last March in the Midland League Division Two.
      A hat-trick in just his second game caught the eye of neighbours Solihull Moors, who snapped him up in October on a two-year deal.
      A maiden goal in the FA Cup second round against Morecambe – and two more since then – confirmed Hudlin has some hefty substance with his size.
      “Everything that has happened so far, it is a dream,” he gushed. “Scoring in the FA Cup, as a kid they are things you have on your bucket list, and I have done that.

      “I couldn’t have written a better script. Signing this contract was sent by God. It has been a blessing.”

      ‘I WATCHED VIDEOS OF MESSI’
      A blessing that was needed for Hudlin to ever realise his dream having endured a tough upbringing.
      Early interest from academies such as West Brom was scuppered with both his parents working and unable to get him to and from training.
      The alternative was men’s football in the local leagues aged just 16, while learning all about physicality by playing street football with his uncles.
      But his immense height at such a young age came with disadvantages: “Coaches thought I had just one bow to my game. I got played as a centre back just because I was big.
      “But growing up, I always had the ball at my feet, doing a skill. I haven’t trained as a big guy and I haven’t had that academy training.
      “I have always been around the small technical players and you have to drop a skill in there.
      “I would watch the likes of Ronaldinho, Robinho, Neymar, Messi, Ronaldo – his heading attributes is like he is a big guy.”

      THE UNUSUAL SUSPECTS

      Here are the players in the line-up (left to right)
      6ft 4in – Olivier Giroud
      6ft 7in – Peter Crouch
      6ft 9in – Kyle Hudlin
      6ft 3in – Harry Maguire
      6ft 6in – Dan Burn

      When he was finally trusted as a striker at 17, Hudlin’s inspirations matured, and admired the likes of Peter Crouch, Olivier Giroud and Tammy Abraham.
      “You will get furthest in this game by building your own identity though,” he argued.
      “I want young players to be looking up to me and wanting to be like Kyle Hudlin.”
      With no player in the UK coming close to his size – barring 6ft 9in Ipswich Town keeper Tomas Holy – they will have no choice but to look up to him, and that has its perks.
      Hudlin laughed: “People are already put off by me as soon as I get off the bus. The mental battle is already won.
      “I have the mental confidence when I get on the pitch that I am going to be better and bigger than them.”

      Hudlin is not your stereotypical footballer in more ways than one.
      He has balanced the start of his football career and the pandemic with a Sports and Fitness degree at University College Birmingham.
      “I have got a different type of hunger compared to those academy product players,” he said.
      “Everyone has fire in their belly to achieve their dreams but when you have come from where I have come from, playing at every step you can possibly imagine, it is different.
      “I will never forget the reason why I started.”

      Cristiano Ronaldo reveals he finds it boring playing in empty stadiums and misses when fans boo him More

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      Abbey Clancy jokes dad will ‘kill’ Peter Crouch after he drew Liverpool and Man Utd together in FA Cup fourth round

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      PETER CROUCH joked he’ll be sleeping in the “spare room” after wife Abbey Clancy warned him her dad will “kill” him for pairing Liverpool with Manchester United in the FA Cup.
      Crouch’s Liverpool-mad in-laws groaned as the former Reds’ striker picked out balls drawing the Premier League’s top two sides together in the fourth round.

      Sorry, Crouchy, you’ve lost that loving feeling, at least for now with the in-laws, as Abbey Clancy’s husband sent family favourites Liverpool to Man UtdCredit: Getty – Contributor

      Abbey Clancy has put hubbie Peter Crouch strictly in the doghouse after joking his FA Cup fourth-round draw left her Liverpool-mad dad groaningCredit: Splash News

      And amused fans on social media claim Crouchy will deserve all he gets – or doesn’t get – after he set up the classic clash.
      Model Abbey, who won Strictly Come Dancing in 2013, sparked doom and groom for her hubbie by tweeting: “My dad is gonna kill you @petercrouch Man U v Liverpool #facupdraw.”
      Ex-England striker Crouchy replied: “I’ll head straight to the spare room” – followed by a head-in-hands emoji.

      And the pundit found little support online as many supporters argued the last-32 tie was far from a match made in heaven for both clubs.

      One said: “He’s had a mare there Abbey!”
      Other jibes included: “Divorce worthy” and “tell him he’s sacked”.
      Gentle joshing included: “That was SO bad of him! Please tell him off when he gets home!”
      But most worrying was the spate of dreadful new football songs created just for the moment.

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      Probably the least painful was: “He’s big. He’s red. He sleeps in the spare bed, Peter Crouch.”
      But amongst the relegation certainties was: “He’s big, he’s red, he’s sleeping on the sofa tonight, Peter Crouch Peter Crouch.”
      Just like the FA Cup draw, sometimes there’s no rhyme or reason! 

      Abbey Clancy told husband Peter Crouch ‘don’t come home’ after England ace pranked he had got tattoo of him doing robot More

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      Alfie Devine rewarded for historic FA Cup heroics aged just 16… by being put back in Tottenham academy

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      ALFIE DEVINE has been rewarded for his FA Cup heroics – by being sent back to Tottenham’s academy.
      The Spurs starlet, 16, lit up Sunday’s 5-0 win at Marine with his beaming smile after scoring on his senior bow as a sub.

      Alfie Devine has been dropped to Spurs’ academy despite scoring in the FA Cup win over MarineCredit: Reuters

      Mourinho put Devine back in the academy in a bid to keep him groundedCredit: AFP

      Asked if Devine has stopped smiling yet, boss Jose Mourinho said: “I don’t know because I sent him back to the academy.
      “When you reach that high moment it’s time to go back to where he belongs.
      “It’s time to calm down because, as you say, lots of lights on him.
      “So this is the moment to calm down and go back to the academy.

      “I don’t want to see him for maybe one or two weeks. Let him be there.”
      Meanwhile, Mourinho has lashed out at Fulham boss Scott Parker for moaning about Wednesday night’s rearranged clash.
      Mourinho reckons 48 hours is more than enough time compared to the two hours’ notice he received when the fixture, originally due to be played in December, was called off due to a Covid outbreak at the Cottagers.
      Parker had claimed: “I am normally the last one to moan or whine about anything as I realise it is tough out there (with Covid).

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      Mourinho has also lashed out at Scott Parker for moaning about Fulham’s rearranged game with SpursCredit: AFP

      “But to confirm a (Wednesday) Premier League game at 9:30 on Monday morning is scandalous.
      “It is not about the fixture. I accept we have to play, but it is the notice. 
      “Maybe the people in these places making these decisions don’t understand how you manage teams and manage players. You are constantly working out well in advance.”
      But when told of Parker’s reaction to the change, Mourinho barked: “Are you serious? 
      “I had the news I was not going to play them two hours before the game started.
      “The biggest impact is to have matches postponed… that is the biggest impact.
      “The changing of the order of the matches, the impact is minimal I would say.
      “In the end you have to play 19 matches at home and 19 away, and two matches against every team.
      “So if it is to help the Premier League, it’s a solution we all have to accept as a positive solution.”

      Jose Mourinho says he’s very happy with Dele Alli’s performance against Marine More

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      FA Cup giant-killers Chorley and Crawley ordered to NOT repeat wild celebrations if they win next tie over Covid fears

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      GIANTKILLERS Chorley and Crawley have been urged to not repeat their FA Cup dressing room celebrations.
      The non-leaguers greeted their win over Derby with a linked-arms and maskless chorus of their adopted anthem, Adele’s “Someone Like You”.

      Crawley stunned Leeds to reach the fourth roundCredit: Rex Features

      Chorley beat an under strength DerbyCredit: Twitter @chorleyfc

      And League Two Crawley were equally joyful in their changing room after destroying Leeds on Sunday.
      But while the FA recognises there was nothing malicious or wrong in the players enjoying their moment, Wembley chiefs are under pressure to ensure Covid protocols are followed by all clubs.
      Advice was sent to all competing clubs ahead of the third round weekend, with the teams told they were under scrutiny to comply with taking measures to prevent the spread of the virus.
      But the emotion of the victories saw the two giantkillers ignore those regulations.

      And that means a further letter will be sent to all clubs, including the weekend heroes, to remind them of the need to stick to the Covid rules.
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      The FA, though, is powerless to do anything about the street scenes around Tottenham’s game at Marine, which saw hundreds of fans massing to greet the team coaches.
      That is purely a police matter and it was united that Merseyside officers did not attempt to disperse the supporters on the streets of Crosby.

      Chorley were handed a home tie against Premier League outfit Wolves in the fourth round.
      Meanwhile, Crawley travel to Championship high-flyers Bournemouth.

      Son laughs and Bale calls for yellow card as Alli makes comical tumble in Spurs’ clash with Marine More

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      Leeds clash against Southampton could be POSTPONED to save FA Cup match with Shrewsbury after their coronavirus outbreak

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      LEEDS UNITED’S Premier League clash with Southampton could be postponed in order to prevent Shrewsbury Town being thrown out of the FA Cup.
      According to The Telegraph, talks have begun over the potential rescheduling of the fixture, which is currently due to take place next Wednesday.

      Leeds United’s Premier League clash with Southampton could be postponedCredit: AFP

      Southampton are scheduled to play Leeds United and Shrewsbury Town next WednesdayCredit: PA:Press Association

      Southampton’s FA Cup third-round tie with Shrewsbury, which was postponed due to a major coronavirus outbreak at the League One club, is also due to take place on the same day.
      The Shrews are still waiting to learn the fate of their cup run, which is at risk of coming to a premature end via forfeit.
      The FA recently warned clubs they will be kicked out if they’re unable to provide 14 fit players to fulfil fixtures.
      But Shrews chairman Brian Caldwell believes it would be ‘unfair’ for them to be booted out of the cup due to a situation ‘completely outside’ of their control.

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      He told The Telegraph: “If there is a way round it, we should be looking for the way round it, not just taking the easy option and expelling clubs from the competition through no fault of their own.”
      Shrewsbury reportedly had a whopping 20 players test positive for Covid-19.
      Caldwell added: “We’ve got a few that are struck down pretty badly.”

      Shrewsbury’s hopes of playing their cup tie will be boosted by the fact neither Leeds nor Southampton are playing European football this season.

      That means there’s still space in the fixture list for them to play their Premier League match next month instead.
      The recent surge of Covid-19 cases has wreaked havoc with football fixtures up and down the country.
      Late last month, Fulham’s trip to Tottenham was postponed just a matter of hours before kick-off due to a slew of positive tests at the west London club.
      Spurs’ clash with Aston Villa was also rescheduled due to an outbreak of Covid in Dean Smith’s side.
      Jose Mourinho’s troops will now face Fulham on Wednesday night after a hasty schedule change, provided there are no further outbreaks at either club.

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      FA Cup 4th round draw AND 5th round draw LIVE REACTION: Man Utd at home to Liverpool, Chorley could play Arsenal

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      MANCHESTER UNITED will host Liverpool in a mouthwatering FA Cup fourth round tie.
      And non-league Chorley have been drawn against top flight Wolves at home, with the winners potentially hosting Arsenal.

      Here’s how the FA Cup double draw panned out….
      FA Cup Fourth Round Draw
      Cheltenham vs Man City
      AFC Bournemouth vs Crawley
      Swansea City vs Nottingham Forest
      Man Utd vs Liverpool
      Southampton or Shrewsbury vs Arsenal
      Barnsley vs Norwich City
      Chorley vs Wolves
      Millwall vs Bristol City
      Brighton vs Blackpool
      Wycombe vs Tottenham
      Fulham vs Burnley
      Sheffield United vs Plymouth Argyle
      Chelsea vs Luton Town
      West Ham vs Doncaster Rovers
      Brentford vs Leicester City
      Everton vs Sheffield Wednesday
      FA Cup fifth round draw
      Fulham or Burnley vs AFC Bournemouth or Crawley Town
      Man Utd or Liverpool vs West Ham or Doncaster Rovers
      Sheffield United or Plymouth Argyle vs Millwall or Bristol City
      Chorley or Wolves vs Southampton or Shrewsbury Town or Arsenal
      Barnsley or Norwich City vs Chelsea or Luton Town
      Everton or Sheffield Wednesday vs Wycombe or Tottenham Hotspur
      Swansea City or Nottingham Forest vs Cheltenham Town or Man City
      Brentford or Leicester City vs Brighton or Blackpool
      The fourth round is scheduled to take place over the weekend of January 23.
      The fifth round is set to take place during midweek – on Wednesday, February 10.

      ALL GONE PETE TONG
      Liverpool fans wouldn’t have been thanking former star Peter Crouch for drawing them away to Manchester United in the FA Cup fourth round.
      But fans of Chelsea, among others, couldn’t have been happier to see the Premier League’s leaders drawn together.
      Meanwhile the Blues were handed a home tie against Luton.

      POWERFUL SERG
      Sergio Reguilon showed his humble side as he offered a signed shirt to Marine’s Josh Hmami, tweeting “football is way more than just fancy stadiums”.
      And having embraced the FA Cup in such a big way in his debut season, the Spaniard will surely be hoping to be picked for their fourth round tie away to Gareth Ainsworth’s Wycombe at Adams Park.

      It was a great experience for us as well. Football is way more than just fancy stadiums ⚽️❤️. It will be my pleasure to sign it for you 🤝 https://t.co/POO7fFT1CB
      — Sergio Reguilón (@sergio_regui) January 11, 2021

      ALWAYS A PLEASURE, NEVER A CHOR
      Chorley have announced that their limited edition FA Cup shirt from the third round win over Derby has almost sold out following unprecedented demand.
      But fans unable to get their jersey should get another chance as they face Premier League Wolves in round four.
      And there’s no telling how far sales could go if they manage to upset Nuno’s men and set up a potential fifth round tie against Arsenal.

      Due to unprecedented demand, our special (& limited) edition #FACup Chorley vs Derby shirt is NEARLY SOLD OUT!We only have XS, S & M left. Grab yours now before they go.Thank you for all of your amazing support! 👊 pic.twitter.com/Ka2h5xJPGm
      — Chorley FC (@chorleyfc) January 11, 2021

      ROCKET RACKET
      This is the moment West Ham’s FA Cup tie at Stockport tonight was interrupted by an impromptu fireworks display outside the ground.
      But Mike Dean and Mark Noble seemed to take a light-hearted approach and enjoy the spectacle.
      It later turned out that the display was a gesture of support to a 15-year-old fan who had been run over by a police car responding to a 999 call on Boxing Day.
      West Ham ultimately ran out 1-0 winners through a late header from Craig Dawson, setting up a fourth round tie at home to Doncaster.

      LUCK OF THE DRAW
      Manchester City will fancy their chances of going far in the FA Cup after being drawn against League Two Cheltenham Town away.
      And many on Twitter were keen to point out theyears of enviable draws Pep Guardiola’s men have had in the competition.
      In fact, since Guardiola took charge of City in 2016, they have only played a top six team twice – both semi-finals against Arsenal.

      PULL UP A CHAIR
      Wycombe faced Tottenham at the same stage in the FA Cup just four years ago, and it was an epic.
      The Chairboys – then in League Two – looked like they were about to pull off a huge upset when they went into half time 2-0 up.
      And despite Son Heung-min and Vincent Janssen levelling the scores, Garry Thompson came off the bench to put them ahead again going into the dying minutes.
      But goals from Dele Alli in the 89th minute and an incredible 97th minute winner from Son ensured it was Spurs who progressed.

      ⏪ The last time Tottenham played Wycombe⏱️ 23′ ⚽️ Hayes 🔵⏱️ 36′ ⚽️ Hayes 🔵⏱️ 60′ ⚽️ Son ⚪️⏱️ 64′ ⚽️ Janssen ⚪️⏱️ 83′ ⚽️ Thompson 🔵⏱️ 91′ ⚽️ Alli ⚪️⏱️ 97′ ⚽️ Son ⚪️ https://t.co/wNBvcgBpHb
      — WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) January 11, 2021

      TIPPING HIS HAT
      It wasn’t just Chorley who were handed an exciting FA Cup fourth round tie.
      Luton Town are off to Stamford Bridge to take on Chelsea in round four.
      And boss Nathan Jones said: “It’s a great draw against a wonderful Premier League side. We love testing ourselves and this will be a massive, massive test.
      “We are delighted we avoided someone else from our league and it gives us something different to experience.
      “To go to such a prestigious Premier League club will be a special occasion which we’ll be looking forward to.”

      LIV AND KICKING
      Football fans will be treated to two straight weeks of Man Utd vs Liverpool.
      Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men visit Anfield this Sunday at 4.30pm for a huge title clash.
      And the FA Cup fourth round draw has ensured they will do it all again the following weekend at Old Trafford in the FA Cup.

      PEEEEP! THAT’S FULL TIME!
      West Ham edge past Stockport 1-0 to set up a fourth round tie with Doncaster Rovers.
      The winner of that game will then face either Manchester United or Liverpool in the fifth round.

      DEADLOCK BROKEN
      Here is a look at the West Ham opener.

      GOOOAAAALLL!
      It’s taken West Ham United the best part of 83 minutes, but the Hammers have finally taken the lead against Stockport.
      Craig Dawson has headed David Moyes’ side in front at Edgeley Park.

      CHORLEY REACTION
      Chorley boss Jamie Vermiglio had this to say on his side’s fourth round tie with Wolves:
      “That is what we really wanted, Premier League opposition.
      “And there is a bit of history because in 1986 Chorley played Wolves at home and beat them 3-0.
      “So we just need to do that again. It is a big draw for everyone. I am made up with that.”

      SLIPPERY STOCKPORT
      Stockport’s clash with West Ham has a proper Sunday League feel about it, with the boggy pitch making this a proper cup tie.
      There’s just over fifteen minuted left to play with extra time looming.

      STOCKPORT COUNTY 0-0 WEST HAM
      There’s less than half an hour left to play in the tie between Stockport and West Ham, with the score still 0-0.
      The longer it stays level, the more Stockport will fancy their chances of nicking a result.

      FIFTH ROUND DRAW
      And here’s the fifth round draw in full.
      Fulham or Burnley v AFC Bournemouth or Crawley Town
      Manchester United or Liverpool v Stockport County or West Ham United or Doncaster Rovers
      Sheffield United or Plymouth Argyle v Millwall or Bristol City
      Chorley or Wolverhampton Wanderers v Southampton or Shrewsbury Town or Arsenal
      Barnsley or Norwich City v Chelsea or Luton Town
      Everton or Sheffield Wednesday v Wycombe Wanderers or Tottenham Hotspur
      Swansea City or Nottingham Forest v Cheltenham Town or Manchester City
      Brentford or Leicester City v Brighton & Hove Albion or Blackpool

      FOURTH ROUND DRAW
      In case you missed it, here’s a look at the fourth round draw in full.
      Cheltenham Town v Manchester City
      AFC Bournemouth v Crawley Town
      Swansea City v Nottingham Forest
      Manchester United v Liverpool
      Southampton or Shrewsbury Town v Arsenal
      Barnsley v Norwich City
      Chorley v Wolverhampton Wanderers
      Millwall v Bristol City
      Brighton & Hove Albion v Blackpool
      Wycombe Wanderers v Tottenham Hotspur
      Fulham v Burnley
      Sheffield United v Plymouth Argyle
      Chelsea v Luton Town
      Stockport County or West Ham United v Doncaster Rovers
      Brentford v Leicester City
      Everton v Sheffield Wednesday

      LAST TIME OUT
      Tottenham and Wycombe have recent FA Cup history, with the two sides meeting in the fourth round four years ago.
      It was an absolute belter of a game, with Wycombe leading until the 89th minute before goals from Dele Alli and a 97th minute Son Heung-Min winner sent the Chairboys crashing out 4-3.

      BUZZING
      Here’s a look at some reaction from the Wycombe Wanderers camp after the Chairboys were drawn against Tottenham in the fourth round of the FA Cup.

      HALF TIME
      The half time whistle has just gone, with the deadlock yet to be broken in Stockport.
      There’s 86 places between the sides in the football league, but it’s currently Stockport County 0-0 West Ham.
      Could we have another FA Cup shock on our hands?

      CAN’T HELP BUT WATCH
      A first half firework display outside Edgeley Park momentarily delayed Stockport County’s FA Cup third round clash with West Ham.
      Mark Noble and Mike Dean couldn’t miss out the display.

      WE MEET AGAIN
      Jose Mourinho returns to Wycombe Wanderers, this time with Spurs, fourteen years after he failed to beat the Chairboys at Adams Park with his star-studded Chelsea side.
      Wycombe held Chelsea to a 1-1 draw in the League Cup semi-final, before losing the second leg 4-0 at Stamford Bridge.

      OPTIMISTIC
      Shrewsbury Town’s path to the FA Cup quarter finals is a tricky one, but the clubs Twitter account seems optimistic that the League One side can get the job done.
      The Shrews are still to play their third round tie against Southampton after the initial fixture was postponed due to a coronavirus outbreak, and would then face Arsenal in the fourth round should they beat the Saints.
      Following that, a fifth round tie would be against the winners of the fiurth round game Chorley and Wolves.

      OLD FOES
      Chorley and Wolves famously met in the FA Cup first round in 1986, after Wolves had fallen to the fourth tier after successive relegations.
      The original tie at Chorley ended 1-1 before another 1-1 draw at Molineux.
      The teams then faced off in a second replay at a neutral venue, Burnden Park in Bolton, with Chorley eventually running out 3-0 winners.

      BIGGER FISH TO FRY
      Chorley were originally scheduled to host Gateshead in the National League North on January 23.
      Instead they now host Premier League and Europa League quarter finalists Wolves in the fourth round of the FA Cup…

      FOURTH ROUND TIES
      Swansea host Nottingham Forest, with Barnsley to face Norwich in another all Championship match.
      Millwall have been handed a home clash against Bristol City, while Brighton host Blackpool.
      Sheffield United reached the quarter-finals last season, and Plymouth now stand in their way in their quest to reach the latter stages yet again.
      The winner of either Stockport or West Ham face Doncaster, with Brentford tasked with knocking out Leicester.

      Load more entries… More

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      Stockport 0 West Ham 1: Craig Dawson’s header nicks late win for Hammers to set up home tie with Doncaster in FA Cup

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      CRAIG DAWSON provided the late spark just when the night threatened to turn into a damp squib for West Ham.
      The game against non-league Stockport bizarrely had to be halted in the first half as local residents set off fireworks behind one of the goals.

      Craig Dawson scored West Ham’s winner after 83 minutesCredit: Reuters

      Declan Rice and Mark Noble looked to the sky during the grim first halfCredit: AFP

      The highlight of the first half was the fireworks erupting over the stadiumCredit: BT Sport

      But in almost impossible conditions, the spirited resistence by Jim Gannon’s men finally fizzled out seven minutes from time.
      Dawson – who began his career with nearby minnows Radcliffe Borough –  got on the end of a cross from sub Jarrod Bowen to put the Hammers in round four.
      Since the Premier League was founded, a top-flight club has lost to a non-league team on only two occasions.
      However, this one appeared to have all the ingredients for an upset with Gannon’s Hatters flying high in the National League.

      It was a filthy night in Greater Manchester – and the pitch was soaking after a day of rain. It was hard to imagine the Hammers fancying this FA Cup tie one bit.
      Yet David Moyes’ men settled well with Declan Rice controlling the early stages and a cross from him landed nicely for Said Benrahma.
      He worked an opening for himself but then bent his shot against the base of the post with keeper Ben Hinchcliffe beaten.
      The Hatters reaching the 15 minute mark on level terms was the cue for a spectacular firework display behind Darren Randolph’s goal.

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      Boyhood Hammers fan and Stockport manager Jim Gannon was frustrated by his side’s wasteful set piecesCredit: Reuters

      The rain did not stop falling for 90 minutesCredit: Rex Features

      It had been organised by local residents to draw attention to the road accident which left a 15-year-old boy critically injured over Christmas.
      Amid the racket, referee Mike Dean decided to stop play until the display was over.
      In truth it was more spectacular than what was happening on the pitch with the Hatters keeping their opponents at arms length.
      Maybe Randolph had been affected by what was going on behind him as he mis-judged a corner but was revealed to see his defenders bail him out.
      It was a quarter of a century ago that Stockport dumped West Ham out of the League Cup – it was just starting to look like another upset could be on the cards.
      The teams knew before kick-off that the winners would face Doncaster in round four – with a tie against Manchester United or Liverpool waiting after that.
      No doubt County would have been allowing themselves to dream of the short trip to Old Trafford – the Hammers maybe not so much.
      West Ham took 32 minutes to register their first shot on target as Manuel Lanzini shot from distance and Hinchcliffe got down well to save.

      It was a turgid affair for the most part on a very soggy pitchCredit: Reuters

      Prem ref Mike Dean comforted Hammers captain Noble who looked somewhat scared of the loud fireworksCredit: BT Sport
      But they were starting to create chances with Matt Kitching getting across to deny Michail Antonio with a superbly timed tackle.
      The Hammers forward then saw a shot delfected wide with Angelo Ogbonna heading off target from the resulting corner.
      But Stockport looked a well-organised unit and the visitors were struggling to carve out many clear cut openings.
      If anything the rain got heavier during the interval and the ball was starting to stick on the wet turf. Yet it was proving to be a real leveller.
      Rice appealed for a penalty after he surged into the box and the ball appeared to strike an arm but referee Dean was not convinced.
      And having hung in, Stockport began to show more ambition with James Jennings linking up nicely with Sam Minihan before hitting a goalbound effort that was blocked by Craig Dawson.
      At the other end, Hinchliffe fluffed his clearance straight to the feet of Benrahma but was relieved the Algerian could not loop his long range effort on target.
      Wayne Rooney’s brother John then shanked his clearance straight up in the air and Hinchliffe failed to deal with it.
      But just as the Hatters looked set to hang on for extra time, sub Jarrod Bowen hung up a cross from the right and Dawson got there first to head home.

      Declan Rice scores a phenomenal goal across the pitch for a challenge More

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      Stockport vs West Ham FA Cup tie temporarily delayed over fireworks being let off outside the ground

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      WEST HAM’S FA Cup third round clash at Stockport had to be temporarily halted due to a huge firework display outside the ground.
      While there weren’t many fireworks on the pitch during the first half, there certainly were outside Edgeley Park as referee Mike Dean was forced to bring a halt to proceedings.

      A huge firework display occurred during the 15th minute of West Ham’s FA Cup clash against Stockport CountyCredit: Getty – Pool

      The noise was deafening as fireworks lit up the sky around Edgeley ParkCredit: PA:Press Association

      Such was the noise around the National League side’s ground, Dean was unable to hear what his officials were saying over their communication system.
      The incident occurred in the 15th minute of the match, resulting in play being delayed for three minutes.
      Speaking of the display, West Ham tweeted: “There appears to be fireworks.
      “More to follow when we have it.”

      Fans were quick to point out that it was the most exciting moment of the first half as the Hammers struggled to break down the fifth-tier outfit.
      One supporter posted: “Only fireworks that we saw in the first half. Improvement needed.”
      Another said: “Most entertaining thing that’s happened so far.”
      A third quipped: “Mike Dean only stopped the game as he thought they were for him.”

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      Mike Dean called a halt to proceedings as he couldn’t hear what his officials were sayingCredit: BT Sport

      Fans joked on Twitter that the firework display was the most exciting thing to happen during the first halfCredit: AFP
      The impressive display was a tribute for a local 15-year-old boy that was involved in a car accident last month.
      The teenager was reportedly hit by a police car that was responding to a 999 call in Stockport, with officers immediately administering first aid until an ambulance arrived.
      Craig Dawson’s late header won the tie for West Ham.
      The Hammers will host Doncaster in the next round, with the winner of that match to face either Manchester United or Liverpool away in the fifth round.

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