Source: Daily_Mail
West Ham 5 Burnley 1: Thomas Hitzlsperger hits debut goal to remember
[LNB]So that's why they call him Der Hammer. Thomas Hitzlsperger's blistering debut goal for West Ham sparked a comprehensive win as they marched into the quarter-finals. [LNB]Carlton Cole scored two, Winston Reid headed his first for West Ham and a Freddie Sears strike in stoppage time wrapped it up after Jay Rodriguez had pulled one back for Burnley. [LNB] Der Hammer! Thomas Hitzlsperger (right) celebrates his bullet strike[LNB]West Ham have earned a last-eighttrip to Stoke City on March 12 or 13 but manager Avram Grant will hopethis was the night when, as Hitzlsperger said, 'it all came together'. [LNB]Only goal difference keeps Grant'sside off the bottom of the Barclays Premier League but, with no Leaguematch until Liverpool's visit on Sunday, the Hammers gave the FA Cupthe respect it deserves. [LNB]It paid off as the club seized theirchance to move a step closer to Wembley after the disappointment oftheir Carling Cup semi-final defeat by Birmingham City. [LNB] [LNB] No stopping that: Hitzlsperger (centre) blasts home his debut goal[LNB]Hitzlsperger's first competitivestart, eight months after joining on a free transfer from Lazio, wasthe boost West Ham needed after the news that captain Matthew Upsonwill miss the rest of the season with an achilles injury. [LNB]The 28-year-old has been sidelinedsince suffering a thigh injury playing for Germany in August, but heshowed glimpses of why his manager believes he can be 'one of the bestmidfield players in the League'. [LNB]A swerving left-footed strike from25 yards dumbfounded Burnley goalkeeper Lee Grant in the 19th minute,but he also did the simple things right; tucking in on the left,receiving the ball and popping it off to the players around him as heinstantly lightened the considerable burden on Scott Parker. [LNB] [LNB]Doing it the hard way: Carlton Cole (floored) scores his first after nearly making a mess of the chance[LNB]Hitzlsperger's impressive strikealso suggested he will not have to wait as long as Sears for his secondWest Ham goal. The youngster went 74 games between scoring on his WestHam debut and finding the net against Wolves on New Year's Day. [LNB]MATCH FACTS WEST HAM (4-4-2): Green 7; Jacobsen 5, Reid 5, Tomkins 6, Bridge 5; Sears 6, Noble 6, Parker 7, Hitzlsperger 8 (Barrera 67min, 6); Ba 6 (Piquionne 82), Cole 7 (Spector 73, 6). Subs not used: Boffin, Boa Morte, Da Costa, Hines. [LNB]BURNLEY (4-1-4-1): Grant 5; Mears 6, Carlisle 6, Duff 6, Fox 6; Marney 7 (Alexander 72, 5); Wallace 6 (Iwelumo 73, 5), Cork 6, Eagles 6 (Thompson 84), Elliott 6; Rodriguez 6. Subs not used: Jensen, Edgar, Bikey, Easton. Booked: Rodriguez, Elliott. [LNB]Man of the Match: Thomas Hitzlsperger. [LNB]Referee: Martin Atkinson 6. [LNB]Hitzlsperger said: 'It couldn't havegone much better. I am just delighted to have started with a goal.Hopefully this was a good win to get confidence going now. It has beena tough time and I have been looking forward to this day. I got afantastic reception from the fans. It even started in the warm-up. Ididn't expect that.' [LNB]Grant, who has lost only two of 14FA Cup ties, added: 'It's very important for us to have him back. Hecan score from everywhere, he hits good passes and he is a veryintelligent player. Reach a Cup final and stay up? Of course we can doit. I have always said that with everybody fit, we have a good team.' [LNB]Burnley, though, offered plenty ofreminders this would not be an easy match for West Ham, who are justnine League places above the Championship side.[LNB]Eddie Howe's team passed the ballaround with ambition and composure. Hammers goalkeeper Robert Green hadto make a series of good saves - the first from Rodriguez after the21-year-old's push on Reid; a double save from Rod Wallace and thenWade Elliott, who was belatedly flagged offside, then a long-rangeeffort from Chris Eagles.[LNB] Burnley will feel particularlyaggrieved when they see Cole's first goal again. The striker wasmarginally offside when Mark Noble played his pass, then a poor touchallowed Lee Grant to get a hand to it. The ball then rebounded offCole's hand before he poked it into the net. Handball and offside - itis little wonder he allowed himself a cheeky grin as he celebrated.[LNB] [LNB] Hot Cole: West Ham's Carlton (left) curls his second goal of the match past Burnley goalkeeper Lee Grant[LNB]But Cole redeemed himself twominutes later, sprinting on to another long diagonal ball from Nobleand firing a right-footed shot into the net.[LNB] Hitzlsperger provided the cornerfor West Ham's fourth as Reid powered home a near-post header, thenRodriguez pulled one back when Green's attempted clearance from WayneBridge's backpass rebounded off Tyrone Mears. [LNB] [LNB]Four-head: Winston Reid (2) scored the Hammers' fourth goal with his head[LNB]Substitute Chris Iwelumo saw a shotcleared off the line by Reid but there was still time for Sears toscore a fifth after a pass from Jonathan Spector.[LNB] Howe said: 'I thought it could havebeen very different. I thought we were excellent in the first half butwe had a bad start to the second half. I think if we could have got thefirst goal it would have made all the difference.'[LNB] Five star: Freddie Sears (left) races clear to score the Hammers' final goal[LNB] [LNB] [LNB] It's Thomas, Der Hammer! Hitzlsperger hails debut to remember after injury agonyFA CUP LIVE: West Ham 5 Burnley 1 - the action from Upton Park as it happensEXCLUSIVE: Blow for Hammers as skipper Upson ruled out for seasonWe're ready to end West Ham's FA Cup dreams, says Burnley boss HoweGrant sounds Ba warning to rivals as Hammers boss targets survivalAll the latest West Ham United news, features and opinion[LNB] Explore more:People: Lee Grant, Robert Green, Jay Rodriguez, Thomas Hitzlsperger, Carlton Cole, Tyrone Mears, Martin Atkinson Places: Liverpool, Germany
