Taty Castellanos scored the winner, but Jarrod Bowen felt another West Ham United teammate was nothing short of ‘brilliant’ during the tense 2-1 FA Cup third round triumph over Queens Park Rangers at the London Stadium.
On only his second appearance for the club, £26 million January addition Castellanos played a massive role in a result which Nuno Espirito Santo will hope to be a turning point in a previously miserable campaign.
This was only West Ham United’s fourth win in all competitions. Their first since beating Burnley two months ago.
Now, Castellanos is not shying away from those Carlos Tevez comparisons. And as he thundered a decisive extra-time header past an inspired Joe Walsh in the QPR goal, he gave the Hammers some early returns on their eye-watering investment.
FA Cup progress after extra-time 😎 Give us your INSTANT reaction…
Great header from Taty! 😍
A dramatic winner from an Argentine centre-forward. Nostalgia can be dangerous, yes, but also so very sweet.
For captain Jarrod Bowen, Castellanos will be a key figure as West Ham look to provide a sequel to 2007’s ‘Great Escape’. And in fellow goalscorer Crysencio Summerville, another big-money attacking signing might just have rediscovered his golden touch at the ideal moment.
Jarrod Bowen hails Taty Castellanos and Crysencio Summerville after West Ham United beat QPR
Summerville was denied a ‘fantastic’ volley in the 2-1 midweek defeat by Nottingham Forest, as Castellanos had drifted offside in the build-up. The Dutchman would not be denied four days later, though.
After Castellanos had shrugged off his marker, Pablo and Soungoutou Magassa combined and Summerville ended a 25-match barren streak with a ruthless near post finish. While Richard Kone’s clever header threatened to deepen West Ham’s woes just past the hour mark, Summerville then turned provider with a wonderful run and cross for Castellanos to bullet home eight minutes into extra time.
“It’s really important. When you are in a situation like we are, all you need is a performance and a result to turn the season on its head,” a relieved Bowen told TNT Sport. “We knew it wasn’t going to be easy with a lot of pressure on us, but it speaks a lot about the squad that we stuck in there and got the rewards.
“[Castellanos] comes with a lot of experience. A really, really good player and a really good person. I’m really happy he got his first goal so quickly, it’s really important for his confidence. I’m really happy with him because we will need him to score more goals as well.
“It’s about characters. It’s about people stepping up. ‘Cry’ today was brilliant,” adds the skipper. “He was unfortunate the other day [against Nottingham Forest], but he was a real threat for us.
“We need threats from every single person, players coming off the bench as well. We know we have a really good group here, but we need to turn it around.”
Who was West Ham’s MOTM against QPR and why?! 👀
Premier League survival is the aim but Bowen wants an FA Cup run too
Bowen still dreams of FA Cup glory in claret and blue. This is a start, even if West Ham were far from overly-convincing against a QPR side with the second-worst defensive record in England’s second tier this season.
“It’s really important. In the situation that we are in, winning games in any competition is good for confidence,” Bowen insists. “We haven’t had that winning feeling for a while now. It can really give you a springboard into the second half of the season.
“You want to go on a cup run. It’s the most historic English cup there is. Yes, we want to do well in the Premier League, but this will give us confidence.”
Castellanos, meanwhile, has no plans to rest on his laurels. Tottenham Hotspur are next up, and Thomas Frank’s beleaguered outfit may be there for the taking.
“I’m very happy for my first goal in the FA Cup,” says the former Serie A, La Liga and Major League Soccer hotshot. “We have to keep going. This is important for us.”
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