West Ham break Kidderminster hearts in ‘cruelest ever game’ with 121st-minute FA Cup steal | Football | Sport

Heartbreak doesn’t quite cut it. Kidderminster Harriers were seconds away from pulling off one of the biggest FA Cup upsets of all-time but in the end after 120 agonising minutes, it was Premier League side West Ham who snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. Russ Penn’s side were heroes to a man but were left on the floor at full-time, knowing just how close they had come to re-writing the history books.

West Ham had needed to call upon the brilliance and class of their captain Declan Rice to pull them from the dirt after he rifled home a stoppage-time equaliser to send the game to extra-time.

With the game then heading to penalties, Jarrod Bowen gratefully tapped home at the back post following a ball across the face of the goal.

David Moyes knows his side got away with one here. They were let off the hook.

It was Kidderminster who led, punishing a slow start from West Ham when defender Alex Penny made himself a hero.

A lofted free-kick into the box was spilled by Alphonse Arreola, allowing Penny to fire home through the legs of Issa Diop.

The Harriers were knocking on the door for a second too, Omari Sterling-James fired narrowly wide from a free-kick.

Two changes at half-time improved West Ham after a terrible opening 45 minutes and the presence of Rice in the middle of the park was a game-changer for David Moyes.

The England international’s quality would eventually drag West Ham back into the game in added time when he burst into the box and slammed the ball into the top corner to break Kidderminster hearts.

Rice celebrated in front of the travelling faithful, busting out some Michael Jackson dance moves as he sent the game to extra time.

It was Bowen, who barely had a sniff all game who eventually got the winner in the 121st minute.