Stoke beat West Ham 2-1 to reach the FA Cup semis

Stoke 2 - West Ham 1 (FA Cup quarter-final, March 13, 2011) (Longer highlights) Stoke’s direct tactics undid West Ham in the 12th minute as the Irons’ fell asleep from a Rory Delap throw-in and Robert Huth stormed in for an easy-peasy header. The Hammers equalised on the half hour when Frederic Piquionne lifted the ball over Nash following Hitzlsperger’s long pass, although the forward looked to have controlled with his arm in the build-up to leave Stoke spitting fire. Matthew Etherington courted fury early in the second half when he won a penalty as he appeared to dive in the box under challenge from Parker, but he was served his comeuppance when Robert Green saved the spot-kick. After performing heroics Rob Green then had a horror momnent in the 63rd minute as he took his eyes off a low Danny Higginbotham free-kick to see the ball squirm in off the far post following his fumbled attempt at a save.

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