Craig Dawson was pleased that West Ham picked up a “great win” over Stockport County in the FA Cup third round.
It was a game of few chances at Edgeley Park. There were only three shots on target over the course of the 90 minutes.
Stockport held firm and defended well in the first half. But they came on strong in the second half and caused West Ham some problems.
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The conditions made it difficult for both sides as heavy rain poured down throughout the game. The Hammers have never lost an FA Cup tie against non-league opposition, but they looked to be heading for extra-time on Monday night.
This all changed in the 82nd minute though as David Moyes’ side got the all-important first goal. Jarrod Bowen’s cross was emphatically headed in by Craig Dawson for his first Hammers goal.
Stockport were unable to find a way back into the game late on as West Ham ran out 1-0 winners. They will face Doncaster Rovers in the FA Cup fourth round. Should the Hammers advance, they will face Liverpool or Manchester United in the fifth round.
Speaking post-match, as cited by West Ham’s official website, Dawson insisted that their third round tie “was a tough match”:
“The pitch was difficult for both sides, but we stuck to our task and got a great win in the end.
“The conditions were tough and it’s been a while since I played on a pitch like that, but I thought we moved the ball well and it was nice to get the goal at the end.
“It’s something we work on in training [the corner move which led to the goal] so it’s good that it’s come off. The lads put in a great shift tonight and it’s great to keep another clean sheet.
“Stockport are a great side who are doing well in their league. It was a tough match for us, and as we saw with the other ties this weekend it’s not easy coming to grounds like this so it was a great performance from the lads.
“We’ll take each game as it comes and hopefully keep the run going.”