Majestic Marlon fires Irons

Marlon Harewood scored a crucial extra-time winner to fire West Ham into the quarter-finals of the FA Cup.

The FA Cup brought drama once again in a thrilling Fifth Round replay at Upton Park and it was Alan Pardew’s side who finally broke their curse over Bolton this season.

West Ham had failed to beat Bolton in their four previous encounters and made amends for their crushing 4-1 defeat in the Premiership last Saturday.

An own goal from Jussi Jaaskelainen had put the home side into the lead, before a Kevin Davies shot put Bolton back on level terms.

The game could have gone either way, but it was left to Harewood to book West Ham’s place in the last eight and a showdown meeting with Manchester City next Monday.

Bolton dominated the early exchanges and could have opened the scoring within the first five minutes.

Jay-Jay Okocha and Kevin Nolan both fired shots from the edge of the box which flew just wide of the post.

But it was the home side who went ahead on ten minutes when Harewood broke the offside trap and raced away down the right for West Ham. His cross into the box saw Bolton defender Nicky Hunt strike the ball against his own keeper Jaaskelainen and into the back of the net.

West Ham’s club record signing Dean Ashton could have doubled the lead on 21 minutes when he was put through by Hayden Mullins, but saw his close-range shot produce a fine save from Jaaskelainen diving low to his right.

And they were made to pay when Davies grabbed an equaliser for Bolton on 31 minutes.

Nigel Reo-Coker lost possession of the ball to Abdoulaye Faye who released Nolan into the West Ham half. Nolan fed the ball into the path of Davies whose 30-yard shot swerved in the air and caught out Shaka Hislop in the West Ham goal.

Yossi Benayoun had a golden chance to restore the lead for West Ham on the stroke of half-time after playing a clever interchange with Harewood. The Israeli international raced into the box but saw his shot produce another excellent save from Jaaskelainen.

The Trotters' keeper kept Bolton in the tie once again on 68 minutes. Harewood’s cross picked out Reo-Coker whose diving header produced another superb save by the Finn. The rebound fell to Matthew Etherington but he failed to scramble the ball home.

Bolton had a late chance to win the game on 84 minutes. The outstanding Nolan broke free once again from the West Ham defence before crossing the ball into Henrik Pederson.

The Bolton substitute was totally unmarked inside the box, but he flashed his header over the crossbar.

The game went into extra-time and it was West Ham who grabbed the lead once again on 96 minutes.

Benayoun got the better of Hunt before laying the ball into Harewood who made no mistake, lifting the ball over Jaaskelainen into the corner of the net for his 15th goal of the season.

Bobby Zamora should have wrapped up the victory with just five minutes remaining when Teddy Sheringham’s cross picked him out, but with the goal at his mercy he somehow managed to head the ball over the bar.

But West Ham held on to preserve their dreams of reaching their first semi-final since 1991, when they played Nottingham Forest at Villa Park.

West Ham: Hislop; Scaloni, Ferdinand, Gabbidon, Koncheksy; Benayoun, Reo-Coker (Dailly 98), Mullins, Etherington (Zamora 105); Harewood, Ashton (Sheringham 105)

Bolton: Jaaskelainen; Hunt (Borgetti 113), Ben Haim, Jaidi, Gardner; Nolan, Faye (Pedersen 79), Speed (Vaz Te 105), Okocha, Stelios; Davies