England keeper returned to his former club for rare start and made crucial stops to deny League One promotion hopefuls FA Cup upset in bloody match at New Meadow
JOE HART earned West Ham an FA Cup replay – after being granted a hometown hero’s reception at New Meadow.
The England keeper, axed by West Ham boss David Moyes last month, was given a start in the town where he was born against the club which bred him, and pulled off one excellent save to repel a Mat (correct) Sadler shot.
In a match high on blood injuries but low on goalmouth incident, Moyes’ Premier League strugglers ended up being glad to force a London Stadium replay against the League One Shrews.
Moyes, a former Shrewsbury player, had suffered humiliation against his former employers in the past when his Everton side were beaten at the old Gay Meadow at the same stage in 2003.
And so he showed plenty of respect to Paul Hurst’s League One promotion contenders by making just four changes from the side which drew with Tottenham at Wembley on Thursday.
Yet there was no obvious gulf in class as Shrewsbury, playing a high-tempo brand of passing football, enjoyed the better of the first half.
Ben Godfrey ought to have opened the scoring from a Shaun Whalley free-kick but failed to connect at the far post.
Then Omar Beckles volleyed over from 20 yards before Matt Sadler, who’d just been bloodied in a clash of heads, stormed down the left, cut inside and drilled a shot which was pushed away by a diving Hart on 36 minutes.
Hart soon saved an Alex Rodman shot from the left as the Premier League side struggled to get a foothold in the tie in front of a vociferous 9,535 full house.
West Ham stepped up early in the second half but still failed to create any clear opportunities, with Javier Hernandez making no impact as a lone striker.
Sadler’s head was almost mummified after his head wound reopened, epitomising the spirit of the Shrews.
Hammers kid Josh Cullen, one of the few visitors to impress, was left spitting blood after a long delay in play, as both sides settled for an atritional draw.
