West Ham into sixth round after confident win at Blackburn

Premier League class told at Ewood Park as a masterclass from West Ham's Dimitri Payet turned this Emirates FA Cup tie on its head and allowed West Ham United to progress past Blackburn Rovers. 

After Rovers had taken a surprise early lead through Ben Marshall, two goals in ten first-half minutes from West Ham turned the game the way of the Hammers. 

First Victor Moses scored from distance before Payet took centre stage, scoring a fabulous long range free-kick that looked destined to find the net the moment it left the Frenchman's boot.   

Blackburn’s Chris Taylor was sent off just before the hour-mark and Cheikou Kouyate for West Ham on 75 minutes, while Slaven Bilic scored further goals after the break thanks to a double from Emmanuel Emenike and a second from Payet.  

For all of Blackburn’s enthusiasm and endeavour, they just couldn't hurt West Ham, with Payet the chief architect for the east Londoners all afternoon. 

And it was West Ham who fashioned the opening chance of the game on three minutes when Payet’s inswinging free-kick was cleared into the path of Moses but his effort was deflected wide of the Blackburn goal.    

But Rovers, who have eliminated top flight opposition at this stage in two of the last three seasons, showed exactly why as they raced into a shock lead after 20 minutes. 

Rovers celebrate Ben Marshall's opening goal against West Ham United

Following a cleared Blackburn corner, Payet chased out to close down Marshall but when he inexplicably turned his back, that allowed the Rovers defender to cut inside before firing a long range effort into the corner of the net past a surprised Darren Randolph. 

But West Ham, unbeaten in their last 11 matches against Blackburn, showed just why they’re a difficult side to beat as Moses picked the ball up deep, drove at the Rovers’ backline before firing low past Jason Steele – his first goal for the Hammers since September.

Payet then turned the game after 36 minutes, as the former Marseille man fired home the dead ball from distance, curling it spectacularly over the wall and past Steele for his eighth goal of the season.

Rovers started the second half in more determined fashion, with Darragh Lenihan going close with a long range effort five minutes after the interval.

However, the game was effectively killed off on 55 minutes when Taylor needlessly fouled Moses for his second yellow card and a sending off, just seconds after Blackburn had seen an effort cleared off the line by West Ham’s Angelo Ogbonna from a Lenihan effort. 

The momentum was now with West Ham and Steele was forced into a brilliant save on 57 minutes from Michail Antonio as West Ham struck the ball from a tight angle. 

Victor Moses scored West Ham's first goal at Ewood Park

West Ham could have had a third goal on 62 minutes, but Steele saved brilliantly from Antonio and Kouyate put the rebound in the net but the goal was wrongly ruled out for offside. 

Seconds later they did add to their tally as Antonio once again created the opening, with his initial effort saved by Steele only for Kouyate to recycle the ball and pick out Emenike to score his first Hammers goal. 

The game took another twist on 75 minutes as Kouyate was red carded for a foul on Adam Henley but Blackburn couldn’t take advantage of the ensuing free-kick. 

And despite having numerical parity restored, Blackburn fell further behind on 85 minutes as Emenike sprung the offside trap, rounded the goalkeeper and fired home, before seconds later missing out on a hat-trick as his effort hit the post.  

And Payet rounded things off for West Ham as he ran from halfway before firing home his second goal of the game in stoppage time to seal it for the Hammers.            

Blackburn Rovers: (4-5-1) Jason Steele, Ben Marshall, Shane Duffy, Elliott Ward, Adam Henley, Elliott Bennett, Darragh Lenihan, Hope Akpan, Craig Conway, Chris Taylor, Chris Brown

Substitutes: Simeon Jackson for Conway 58, Tom Watt for Brown on 78

Substitutes not used: David Raya, Matt Kilgallon, Grant Hanley, Tom Watt, Jordi Gomez, Corry Evans

Goals: Marshall 20 

West Ham: (4-2-3-1) Darren Randolph, Aaron Cresswell, James Collins, Cheikou Kouyate, Pedro Obiang, Mark Nobile, Victor Moses, Angelo Ogbonna, Dimitri Payet, Emmanuel Emenike, Michail Antonio 

Substitutes: Manuel Lanzini for Obiang on 66, Alex Song for Noble on 73, Reece Oxford for Ogbonna on 78 

Substitutes not used: Adrian, Alex Song, Doneil Henry, Reece Oxford, Djair Parfitt-Williams, Marcus Browne  

Goals: Moses 26, Payet 36, 90+2, Emenike 64, 85

Attendance: 18,793

Referee: Jonathan Moss