Valentin “Taty” Castellanos scored his first goal for West Ham to help his new team beat Queens Park Rangers in extra time of the FA Cup third round and avoid more trouble.
The Argentine striker, who joined from Lazio earlier this week, headed in a cross from Crysencio Summerville to give the Hammers their first win since 8 November.
Despite the win, West Ham’s overall performance showed they are still struggling and may find it hard to climb away from the Premier League relegation zone anytime soon.
West Ham started the match badly and, after Summerville scored late in the first half, they lost control in the second half.
Championship side QPR grew in confidence, backed by 9,000 travelling fans, and equalised when Richard Kone headed in Karamoko Dembele’s cross.
In the end, the win was a welcome relief for manager Nuno Espirito Santo, whose job has been under pressure. It also helped West Ham avoid a third straight FA Cup third-round exit and gave them a boost ahead of next week’s important Premier League game against Tottenham.
