West Ham humbled by Forest in FA Cup

MANCHESTER: West Ham´s gamble of playing a team full of youngsters and reserve players backfired spectacularly when the Premier League struggler was thrashed 5-0 by second-tier Nottingham Forest in a third-round shock in the FA Cup on Sunday.

However, it was relatively plain sailing for other top-flight teams, with Chelsea and Liverpool relying on improved second-half displays to secure 2-0 wins over Derby and Oldham, respectively, and Sunderland beating third-tier Carlisle 3-1.

Manchester United hosts fellow Premier League side Swansea in the late game.With his squad hit by injury and the first leg of a League Cup semifinal against Manchester City to come on Wednesday, West Ham manager Sam Allardyce fielded an unrecognizable starting XI that was humbled at The City Ground.

Djamel Abdoun´s goal gave Forest a 1-0 lead at halftime before Jamie Paterson scored a hat trick and Andy Reid completed the humiliation with the fifth in injury time.

West Ham´s lineup further highlights the FA Cup´s increasing lack of appeal in the eyes of many top clubs nowadays but Allardyce made no apologies, even though the humiliating result will pile the pressure on him after his team´s poor start to the season. West Ham is next to last in the Premier League after 20 games.

Chelsea will host Stoke in the fourth round while Liverpool must travel to Bournemouth or Burton after avoiding a repeat of last season´s embarrassing exit at the hands of third-tier Oldham.

Brendan Rodgers´ side was never at its best without the rested Luis Suarez, but Iago Aspas´ 54th-minute goal — his first for the club — and a late own goal by James Tarkowski was enough for the Reds.

Sunderland will play either Kidderminster or Peterborough thanks to goals from Adam Johnson and French debutant El Hadji Ba and an own goal by Sean O´Hanlon against Carlisle. (AP)