Bilic calls for more as Carroll provides the decisive quality
A MOMENT of brilliance from Andy Carroll helped West Ham finally see off Wolves, then manager Slaven Bilic challenged the fit-again striker to maintain his fine form.
Carroll, whose goal helped West Ham claim a league double over Liverpool last week, started on the bench against the Championship side but was thrown into the fray with 19 minutes to go as a frustrating third-round tie petered out towards stalemate.
The 27-year-old immediately provided the focal point West Ham’s attack craved and five minutes from time threaded a superb ball through to Nikica Jelavic, who snatched victory with a rasping half-volley.
Bilic said: ‘We changed the system and put on Andy and as usual he made a big impact and he helped Jela score a wonderful goal.
‘He is in good form and I just told him now that he has to stay fit and look after himself. Now he looks really fit and really capable of doing many things on the pitch.
‘He doesn’t have to be fit to be good in the box and head the ball. At 10 per cent more or less he can do it without training. But these things that he does, holding the ball, chesting it, getting out of the door with the ball at his feet, controlling the ball and everything — for that he needs fitness. He has to maintain it.’
Despite making seven changes to the side which beat Liverpool, Bilic fielded a strong team as he bids to win the FA Cup in West Ham’s final season at Upton Park. When asked before this tie whether he would rather qualify for the Champions League this season or win the Cup, the Croatian mimicked lifting a trophy above his head.
Such is his desire to bring this famous old prize to the Olympic Stadium that Bilic admitted he would have settled for a replay after watching Kenny Jackett’s side doggedly contain their Premier League opponents for 85 minutes.
‘Of course we were ready to have a replay because I didn’t know we were going to score at that moment,’ said Bilic. ‘But the guys had done everything to score.
‘If one team was looking to try to win it was us. We got the reward for that, scored a great goal and no complaints from their side — it was deserved.
‘Make no mistake, we are not in the situation of Liverpool who have two cups and Europe and all that. If it was a replay, it was a replay. We have a big enough squad.’
Until the introduction of Carroll, West Ham had struggled to find a cutting edge against a side which had not conceded a goal in their last three natches. The nearcapacity crowd had little to cheer until the stroke of half time, when Wolves goalkeeper Carl Ikeme was at full stretch to tip over a fierce, 20-yard drive from Carl Jenkinson.
Wolves, missing striker Benik Afobe ahead of a move to Bournemouth, forayed forwards after the break only to come up against the resolute James Collins.
The game changed after Bilic went to a more direct style with the introduction of Dimitri Payet and Carroll. Payet narrowly missed with a dipping free-kick four minutes before Carroll teed up Jelavic.
This competition has a habit of conjuring up unlikely heroes and the striker, making only his second West Ham start and whose last goal was against Wolves for Hull in August, had been a peripheral figure before his fine strike.
‘I felt it was a spirited performance,’ said Jackett, who saw substitute Adam Le Fondre miss an injury-time chance to snatch a replay. ‘We couldn’t find that goal and ultimately it’s cost us because they’ve had one clear-cut chance and you know with the quality they have, they are going to finish it.’ WEST HAM (4-3-3): Randolph 6; Jenkinson 5, Collins 7.5, Reid 6.5, Cresswell 6.5; Obiang 6, Song 5.5, Noble 6 (Payet 66, 6); Zarate 7 (Carroll 71, 7), Jelavic 5.5 (Oxford 87), Antonio 6.5. Subs (not used): Adrian, Ogbonna, Tomkins, Cullen. Booked: None. WOLVERHAMPTON (4-1-4-1): Ikeme 7; Iorfa 6.5, Batth 7, Ebanks-Landell 6.5, Doherty 6.5; McDonald 6.5; Zyro 6.5 (Henry 81), Edwards 6, Coady 6, Van La Parra 6 (Graham 81); Sigurdarson 5 (Le Fondre 57, 5.5). Subs (not used): Martinez, Golbourne, Saville, Byrne. Booked: None.