West Ham suffer League Cup humiliation at the hands of superb Oxford United

By the time the fourth official held up the board to indicate there would be four additional minutes in this cup tie, the West Ham section of the Kassam Stadium was almost entirely empty.

Which was just as well as it meant the humiliated Hammers followers were not obliged to watch as Shandon Baptiste crowned a magnificent performance by slotting Oxford’s fourth goal of the evening into the corner of the visitors' net.

What a win this was for the home side. Clever, smart, superb in the finish, Oxford were outstanding. Their manager Karl Robinson had claimed before the kick-off that several of his players were good enough to play in the Premier League.

After this coruscating win, it would be hard to argue with him. Indeed it might be tougher to suggest that several of the West Ham team would survive in the cut and thrust of League One. As they headed off the pitch, heads bowed in dismay, you wondered how on earth several of them (mentioning no names, Jack Wilshire) had managed to convince anyone they were appropriate for a top flight side.

Boy, were they given a schooling here. Both sides arrived off morale-boosting wins at the weekend. And both managers had made substantial changes to their line up. Robinson switched six of the players who had scored six at Lincoln City, while Manuel Pellegrini made eight changes from the team that had eviscerated Manchester United.

But it was only Oxford who appeared to have retained any suggestion of momentum. With another four goals here, the team that stands only behind Manchester City as the country’s leading scorers this season march on. These are a team to watch.

And to think the visiting fans had warmed up for this tie mocking Tottenham’s defeat on Tuesday evening at Colchester. “You lost to a zoo”, they sneered. Talk about being wise before the event. Never mind losing on penalties, they were to spend much of the ensuing 90 minutes watching their side being taken apart by their League One hosts. Karl Robinson’s side were magnificent here at their three-sided home, thoroughly deserving of a victory that shamed their vaunted visitors.

“Premier League you’re having a laugh,” smirked the Oxford fans to the emptying West Ham section in the dying embers of this triumph. Mind, for much of the first half, the old saw of the lower league side needing to convert opportunity against their betters looked as if it might yet find further proof.

Oxford started brightly and carved out a couple of decent chances. But first Cameron Branagan scuffed his shot wide and Anthony Forde missed after being put clean in behind the West Ham defence by a lovely Branagan pass. Then former Hammer Rob Hall hit the bar with a fine free kick after being brought down. For a moment their fans must have feared the worst.

But West Ham seemed incapable of riding the storm. Poor in execution, slow in delivery, any Manchester United fan watching this would have wondered who these players were in the claret and blue. West Ham’s best chance came when the debutant Nathan Holland seized on a terrible pass from Rob Dickie, charged forward but then thundered his shot so wide it was heading to Reading.

And there was no surprise or injustice when Robinson’s side took the lead early in the second half. Forde won a free kick, which he then floated into the area. Jamie Mackie seemed to have squandered another chance, taking too many touches to try and set himself up for a shot. But the ball remained in Oxford possession and was played back in for Elliott Moore calmly to pass it into the far corner.

A moment later Roberto in the West Ham goal was obliged to make a superb save to keep out Mackie’s flick. Mark Sykes then discomfited Wilshire, easily outpacing the sluggish former Arsenal man on a charge into the West Ham area.  By now, just as they had at AFC Wimbledon in the FA Cup last season, West Ham seemed to have decided knock-out trophies were not for them.

With the towel apparently arriving from the visitors dug out, it was only a matter of time before Oxford scored again. When the second came it was of a class West Ham did not come close to matching.

After superb midfield play by man-of-the-match Shandon Baptiste, the ball was played out to Mark Sykes, whose sharp cross evaded everyone to be converted by his fellow substitute Matty Taylor at the far post.

The third replacement Tariqe Fosu then added further misery on the visitors, breaking away from  the half way line, charging forward and calmly steering the ball beyond Roberto. It was still not over, Baptiste crowing a powerful performance with an injury time fourth.

It will be interesting to hear what Tottenham’s fans make of this on Saturday. West Ham United, you lost at a ground with only three stands.