Nuno Espirito Santo expressed relief and quiet satisfaction after West Ham United survived a stubborn challenge from Burton Albion to book their place in the FA Cup fifth round.
The Hammers required extra time to separate the sides, with Crysencio Summerville’s decisive strike sealing a hard-earned 1-0 victory in testing conditions.
Facing a determined lower-league outfit, West Ham were forced to dig deep in a tie that demanded patience as much as quality.
Burton’s physical approach and threat from set pieces ensured the contest remained tense throughout normal time.
Nuno acknowledged beforehand that his side would face a battle and was not surprised by the intensity of the challenge.
Despite controlling significant spells, West Ham found space limited against a compact defensive structure.
Nuno noted that the second half became an exercise in probing for openings that were difficult to find.
Eventually, the breakthrough arrived in extra time through a moment of attacking precision that settled the contest.
The manager reserved special praise for the travelling supporters, who braved cold conditions to back the team throughout.
“I’m very pleased that we achieved what we came here for – to go through.
“Let’s see how where we can go in the competition, day by day. Let’s wait for the draw on Monday. We knew that it was going to be tough, but I think we did a good job.
“Every set piece from Burton (was going to pose a) problem and they were focused. Thank you to our fans who were amazing in supporting us through all the game, coming so far, and it being so cold.
“I think, like you said, it’s job done. Let’s now recover the boys and prepare for the next one.”
Nuno also stated, “Burton put a fight and this is the FA Cup.
“We knew what to expect and Burton came out strong. I think we worked the game out, we controlled it, and then in the second half it was all about us trying to get the spaces where there were not many spaces.
“But we achieved a beautiful goal in extra-time and (got the) job done.”
He added, “We go day by day and let’s see how far can we get.
“But the ambition is to go day by day, improve the players, and be ready for what we expect. The draw is on Monday, we’ll wait and see.
“The atmosphere is good. The boys are working hard. You just see them pushing themselves. We’re going to need them all. So, thank you again to the fans. They were amazing.”
