West Ham vs Accrington match report: Dimitri Payet's late free-kick lands sucker punch on battling Stanley

West Ham United 1 Accrington Stanley 0: The France international struck in the sixth minute of stoppage time and book the Hammers' place in the second round

Payet celebrates his stoppage time free-kick (Getty)

Bricks produced in Accrington provide the foundations of the Empire State Building, and for more than 90 minutes, John Coleman’s defence was just as dependable. Then, in the sixth minute of added on time, after a largely uninspiring performance from West Ham United, Dimitri Payet’s free-kick brought Stanley crashing down.

Slaven Bilic’s embattled side progressed to the fourth round of EFL Cup with a late 1-0 win, but only after a laboured display against a League Two side who defended comfortably until Payet’s late show. No matter, after a few difficult weeks for the club on and off the pitch. They will simply be pleased to progress.

Maybe it was never meant to be for Accrington. They may be a lower division club with cult status, but it was thrust upon them by the Milk Marketing Board, not earned through cup giant-killings. Stanley’s victory over Burnley in the previous round of this competition was their first against a top-flight opponent since re-forming in 1968.

If they were to claim their second, they could hardly have picked a better opponent. Bilic’s side, particularly his defence, have been ramshackle in recent weeks and during their last game at the London Stadium, a 4-2 defeat to Watford, the disorder spread to the stands.

David Gold and David Sullivan, the club’s co-owners, used the matchday programme to reassure supporters that improved crowd control measures were now in place, including greater home and away segregation. Either way, Accrington’s small but noisy contingent were only here for a good time.

As were Coleman’s players, who fulfilled his promise of attacking football and pressed from the first minute. Seamus Conneely, their captain, shot from the edge of the box early on but Darren Randolph, who played on loan for Stanley during their historic promotion campaign in 2005/06, got down low to his right and held.

The Hammers’ first sight of goal only came several low-key minutes later when Sofiane Feghouli latched onto a through ball and found himself one-on-one with Stanley’s goalkeeper Elliot Parish. Janoi Donacien, the visitors’ left-back, regained ground on the Feghouli and produced an inch-perfect tackle to deny him a shot at goal.

The home crowd started to wake up, but their players did not, and Accrington immediately reasserted themselves. An untidy finish from Jordan Clark almost creeped inside Randolph’s left hand post, and Billy Kee’s intelligent knock-back was sent only a few yards wide by the impressive John O’Sullivan.

Bilic’s side were sluggish and complacent, as if this home game against a side 61 places below them in the pyramid was not a chance to claim a much-needed victory. Only at the very end of the first half did they find any sort of fluency, and when Pedro Obiang played Jonathan Calleri through with a delightful lobbed pass, the Argentinian could have done better than his lofted, off-target finish.

McConville went close for Accrington in the second half (Getty)

Payet was called upon for the second half, but it was his fellow substitute at the break, Manuel Lanzini, who first made an impact. The 23-year-old beat several yellow shirts in the left-hand channel before squaring to Simone Zaza, but the new acquisition up front turned, shot and saw Parish stop his effort easily.

The hosts were gradually building momentum, but the next clear-cut chance fell to Accrington. Sean McConville was found free in the box after neat play between Kee and O’Sullivan, but his stab for the top right-hand corner was palmed away by Randolph.

From then on, the play was mainly conducted in Accrington’s half. Zaza should have capitalised on the Hammers’ dominance, but his snap shot in the box was blocked by the legs of Parish. Michail Antonio, the Premier League’s leading goalscorer, was sent on to much fanfare, yet could not find the target with one of his trademark far-post headers.

Lanzini popped up late on with an effort that bounced between defender Mark Hughes’ legs and took some time to clear, while Obiang saw a shot from range tipped round the post, but it was still uninspiring fare. Then came Payet, just when they needed him, with a free-kick that all but 700 of the 39,877 crowd were praying would sneak in. It was not the ending Accrington deserved, but it was the one their opponents needed.

West Ham United (4-2-3-1): Randolph; Arbeloa, Nordveit, Ogbonna, Masuaku; Feghouli (Payet, 45), Obiang, Fernandes, Tore (Lanzini, 45); Calleri (Antonio, 70), Zaza.

Substitutes not used: Adrian, Byram, Oxford, Fletcher.

Accrington Stanley (4-2-3-1): Parish; Vyner, Beckles, Pearson, Donacien; McConville, Brown (Hughes, 77), Conneely (Boco, 84), O'Sullivan (Eagles, 65), Clark; Kee.

Substitutes not used: Chapman, Jones, Lacey, Gornell.

Referee: Stephen Martin (Staffordshire)

Attendance: 39,877