Saints knock Hammers out of the FA Cup.

 Saints knock Hammers out of the FA Cup.

In recent decades the FA Cup has not treated West Ham as kindly as it should. Goodness knows the 42- year famine without any semblance of a trophy in the now rusting trophy cabinet at the London Stadium is getting harder to remove by the year. The drought has now set in with a vengeance and anybody who can remember just how good it must have felt in 1980 when Arsenal were vanquished on a memorable early May day, may have to dredge up even older memories of 1975 against Fulham and Preston North End in 1964 when even Harold Wilson must have put down his pipe for a while as the Hammers paraded the Cup around Wembley like all conquering heroes.

Still last night seemed as good a time as any to enhance their credentials as potential FA Cup winners and not for the first time, things didn't go according to plan. With their position in the top six of the Premier League nicely secured, you suspected that West Ham would have thrown everything at Southampton privately hoping that this could be their year. Never in a month of Sundays. Not a chance.

A couple of seasons ago a haggard looking Manuel Pellegrini looked almost haunted as West Ham proceeded to put themselves forward as prime contenders for an appearance at a comedy club. AFC Wimbledon punched a gaping hole in West Ham's defence with a conclusive and highly impressive victory at Plough Lane and this bore no resemblance to the original Crazy Gang. Wimbledon were serious, honest, hard working and embarrassingly convincing winners on a night when even the Hammers were blunt.

And so once again West Ham experienced the trials and tribulations that the game can so often test the best. Last Sunday lunchtime West Ham devoured a pack of Wolves despite the opposition's brave resistance and good, recent form. The London Stadium now witnessed a West Ham that were much more coherent, cohesive and attack- minded than they had been before the game on Sunday. Then Tomas Soucek had poked home a winning with an outstretched leg but last night the Czech had to deal with a bloodied eye wound, an injury that looked, for a minute or so, much worse at first sight but was then stitched up in no time at all. 

But apart from a brief and lively spell of attacking, West Ham drifted into a kind of obscurity and out of the game completely until vanishing into some pale caricature of their former self. For a while Declan Rice strode forward with an almost regal authority, Soucek looked tall, imposing and in total control, Pablo Fornals was full of  neatness, impeccable ball control and mischievous trickery out on the flank. Manuel Lanzini, a lovely manipulator of the ball and clever in his distribution, simply faded from the game. Jarred Bowen, hunting industriously and going close to scoring, then forgot his script.

Then with half an hour gone Southampton became a real and threatening force in the last third of the pitch. Their quick, imaginative one and two touch passing around the periphery of the West Ham defence, began to leave the visitors dizzy and disoriented. There were some excellent attacking movements from the men in red and white, the ball moving in ever- increasing circles and carving open craters in West Ham's slowly deteriorating and ultimately crumbling defence.

With Jan Valery, the superb Jack Stephens, Kyle Walker Peters  and Oriol Romeu guarding the front and back of their back four with careful and shrewd vigilance, Southampton grew into the game. Then the outstanding James Ward Prowse, renowned for his free-kick prowess, provided his team with its most controlling influence, keeping things simple and to the point. Ward Prowse was like a weather vane at times, measuring the temperature of the game and then passing the ball with the mastery of a man much older than his years. Gareth Southgate and England must surely be keeping tabs on Ward Prowse.

Then with half an hour gone Southampton opened the scoring at St Mary's. For a minute you were suddenly transported to those glorious days under the great Lawrie Mcmenemy. Who will ever forget the distinctive windmill, goal- scoring celebration that accompanied one of Mike Channon's goals? But of course most Southampton fans  will never forget where they were when the late Bobby Stokes streaked away from a heavy breathing Manchester United defence to score the winning goal for Southampton in the 1976 FA Cup Final.

And so it was that the old Dell became the new St Mary's all those decades later. Now Southampton worked up another head of steam with some sustained pressure that paid dividends. The Frenchman Romain Perraud, in acres of space on the edge of the West Ham penalty area, took his time almost effortlessly, weighing up his options and then striking like a bolt of lightning. Perraud took aim and drove a spectacular, curling shot that arrowed its way high into West Ham's keeper Areola's net for the opening goal on the night.

By the second half West Ham became slipshod, ragged, attractive on occasions but then sloppy and careless with the ball. Southampton were beginning to look by far the prettier and more incisive of the two teams. But then West Ham hit back with an equaliser that never really looked like coming. A viciously in swinging corner came flying into the depths of the six yard box and after a hectic scramble, Michal Antonio, whose goal scoring form had apparently deserted him, nudged the ball over the line.

Undeterred though Southampton surged forward again. West Ham though began to develop a closer acquaintance with the ball and when they had it, the ball would move among them as if it had always been theirs for the taking. Lanzini would dart, weave, cut in from the wing with supreme know how. Then Declan Rice gave a remarkable impersonation of his West Ham predecessor Bobby Moore with some powerful runs forward that opened up the door of an occasionally creaky Southampton back four.

All though was in vain. West Ham were now being sucked into a trap they could never extricate themselves from. Pushed back into submission, another Southampton attack caught out Craig Dawson who struggled to hold back the forceful, marauding attacker. Leaning into his man, Dawson threw out a leg and hauled over the red and white shirt. After several doses of VAR and a seemingly endless delay, James Ward Prowse, stepped up to take the penalty, thrashing the ball confidently down the centre of the goal and into the net..

 Southampton broke forward with menace, bite and forthright directness while never forsaking their precise passing game. Broja, on as an instantly influential substitute, reduced Issa Diop and Kurt Zouma to bewildered by standers. Dropping the shoulder and then turning both Diop and Zouma brilliantly, he drove into space before drilling a low but firmly struck shot into the net. With the game evenly poised now the neutrals thought the visitors had a second wind. But that blew it almost immediately.

The Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl, now as fully bearded as Jurgen Klopp, felt that his side were worthy winners of this absorbing FA Cup tie. For some this might have been regarded as a statement of the obvious. Southampton were quicker of thought and deed, always searching, accurate and utterly assured in possession. 

For David Moyes, the losing West Ham manager, this could be construed as a missed opportunity. The Scotsman now finds himself in a thankless position. When Sir Alex Ferguson tells you that you're the best modern-day manager that he's ever seen, then you have to take notice. But Fergie had only commented on Moyes burgeoning managerial prowess before he arrived at Old Trafford.

 At West Ham though Moyes is keeping West Ham on an even keel. They are still in the Europa League and that should certainly count for something. But this is rather like that scene in the Pink Panther where Peter Sellers walks into a shop with a bomb in his hand. Sevilla may well prove to be the ultimate explosive. Besides, Inspector Clouseau was never a West Ham fan and you suspect that West Ham will not be making any further, concrete progress in the tournament although stranger things have been known to happen. Sevilla have won the Europa League or UEFA Cup six times but West Ham may have to dream on.

After the game last night West Ham will resume their quest for a place at Europe's top table next season. They are still outside the top four and a place in the Champions League may be a romantic thought. The realists though believes that the claret and blue will run out of steam well before the Easter holidays. The bubbles could still be seen on a mild night on the South Coast but visions of a Wembley FA Cup Final have now been consigned to the back of the cupboard. Liverpool at Anfield suddenly sounds even more daunting than is usually the case.