Obinna hat-trick fires West Ham past Forest

VICTOR OBINNA fired West Ham in to the fifth round of the FA Cup at the expense of a stubborn Nottingham Forest side with his first hat-trick for the club at Upton Park.

The striker opened the scoring with a neat piece of opportunism after just three minutes, and then drew his lacklustre-looking side level with an audacious strike from all of 30 yards after Forest had turned the tables through Dele Adebola and David McGoldrick.

Obinna then wrestled penalty duties away from Mark Noble and converted to put the Hammers in front from the spot after the break, following a mindless foul by full-back Joel Lynch on Winston Reid. As expected Avram Grant rang the changes for West Ham, with Wayne Bridge, Scott Parker, Luis Boa Morte and James Tomkins all left on the bench, with Matthew Upson and Carlton Cole being given the day off, clearly with one eye on Wednesday's league trip to Blackpool.

The changes did not appear to hinder the team at all, and it seemed as if there was no hangover from last week's disappointment at missing out on the Carling Cup final after the extra-time semi-final defeat at Birmingham, as within three minutes the hosts were ahead.

An early spell of pressure yielded a couple of corners, and from the second West Ham found the lead.

Lars Jacobsen laid the ball off for Noble, who had not been picked up on the edge of the box, and his first-time sliced effort evaded everyone except Obinna at the back post, who side-footed home.

The Inter Milan loanee's lack of celebration appeared to suggest he thought he was offside, but replays suggested he was played on and the goal was given.

But for those West Ham fans expecting a cakewalk in to the fifth round, they should have known better, given the side's recent travails and knack of surrendering leads.

This was to be no different, as Forest, rather than be dimmed by the early setback, flew at the Hammers from all angles and looked every inch the Championship title contenders they have become this season.

A warning shot arrived from the boot of Lewis McGugan, who drove a left-footed volley over the bar after a slick passing move from the visitors.

Radoslaw Majewski was at the heart of virtually every Forest move, pulling the strings in the hole behind the striker.

After a sustained spell of pressure the away side got their equaliser, and it owed much to McGoldrick's invention. The forward appeared to have run into a cul-de-sac on the left of the penalty area, but he found his strike partner Adebola with a clever reverse ball, and the former Coventry City frontman took a touch before stabbing the ball inside the far post from a tight angle.

The chances continued to flow for the visitors, and Danny Gabbidon was lucky to escape a more serious punishment when he hauled down Majewski, who was threatening Robert Green's goal, the Welshman instead picking up a booking.

The resulting free-kick was deflected just wide by McGugan, while minutes later an unmarked Majewski saw a sweetly-struck volley blocked en route to goal.

Forest continued to hammer on the door, with a succession of shots aimed at goal until the third drifted wide from McGugan.

Eventually, after both teams had appeared to pause for breath midway through the half, a second goal for Billy Davies' men arrived.

Herita Ilunga's careless foul 25 yards out allowed Chris Cohen to whip in a free-kick that Freddie Piquionne inadvertently nodded goalwards. Green was only able to palm the ball in the air and McGoldrick was on hand to head the ball over the line from just a yard out.

It was no more than Forest deserved, but before they could catch their breath they were back on level terms.

Obinna picked the ball up 30 yards from goal on the far touchline and appeared to be attempting to pick out Piquionne in the middle, only for the ball to fly over goalkeeper Lee Camp and into the top corner.

Parity was perhaps more than West Ham's first half efforts warranted at the break, but they emerged keen to regain the initiative.

And they managed to do so thanks to a ludicrous piece of defending from full-back Lynch.

Noble's optimistic hook back into the area after a corner was cleared was drifting harmlessly through to Camp, but Lynch inexplicably decided to tug back Winston Reid, who was looking for scraps. The act of stupidity did not go unnoticed by referee Michael Oliver, who pointed to the spot, giving Obinna the chance to grab his first hat-trick for the club, which he duly accepted, sending Camp the wrong way.

After refusing to get too carried away with celebrations following his last two goals, the forward took the opportunity to get it all out of his system with five acrobatic back-flips.

The goal signalled a shift in momentum for the hosts, who came close several times through Piquionne twice, who was denied by Camp on both occasions, and Pablo Barrera.

Freddie Sears, who had spurned the chance to extend the lead by taking a heavy touch from Barrera's through ball, then saw a shot from range tipped wide by the busy Camp.

Luis Boa Morte was brought on by Grant for the impressive Noble in attempt to add more steel to midfield, and they succeeded in stifling the threat from Forest, who appeared to miss the creativity of Majewski, with Davies going for broke, bringing him off for striker Robert Earnshaw.

McGoldrick was guilty of missing the target with a free header from a corner and Chris Gunter shot tamely at Green following a characteristic lapse in possession from Radoslav Kovac, as the visitors desperately pressed for the equaliser.

However, they could not find the breakthrough to force a replay and West Ham's cup recovery was complete, putting their name in the hat for the fifth round draw and going some way to easing the pain from Wednesday's disappointment in Birmingham.