IN the week leading up to this cup tie Rovers’ players and manager had spoken of a desire to bring occasions like this back to Ewood Park on a regular basis.

But this was a home humbling that Rovers will be desperate to forget as soon as possible.

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Billed as a chance to test themselves against Premier League opposition, and see the standard they should be aspiring to reach every week, Rovers were the architects of their own downfall. After starting the game brightly, in the end they were hammered by the Hammers.

Ben Marshall marked his 100th Rovers appearance with yet another goal - the makeshift right back has scored in every round of this season’s competition.

Lancashire Telegraph:

But when Victor Moses was allowed the freedom of Ewood Park to equalise Paul Lambert’s side fell apart.

Their afternoon was summed up by Chris Taylor’s decision to trip Moses when the West Ham attacker was still 15 yards inside his own half and the game was still in the balance.

Having been booked in the first half, referee Jon Moss had little option but to show the Rovers midfielder a second yellow and, as Taylor trudged off the pitch, Rovers’ chances of getting back into this game disappeared with him.

Now they must lift their heads for a busy and crucial run of Championship fixtures.

In the build-up to this game Lambert had labelled Rovers’ forthcoming fixture pile-up as ‘ridiculous’.

Lancashire Telegraph:

This fifth round tie was the third of a run of 11 games in 35 days for the club.

The boss indicated in the build-up he may make changes for the visit of West Ham, and in the end he made five alterations to the side who produced the biggest win of his reign in midweek against Fulham.

Out went captain Grant Hanley, Tommy Spurr, Jordi Gomez, Corry Evans and the cup-tied Danny Graham, with Elliott Ward, who took the captain’s armband, Adam Henley, Hope Akpan, Craig Conway and Taylor coming in.

The visitors had the first chance when Moses’ shot from a half cleared free-kick was blocked by Duffy, but it was Rovers who settled the quicker.

Taylor and Elliott Bennett linked up well to work a low cross to Chris Brown, only for Angelo Ogbonna to steal the ball away, before Bennett’s corner was headed over at the near post by Hope Akpan.

Before the 20 minute mark Rovers had the lead. Brown had started brightly and he did well to hold the ball up on the right and feed Taylor, who just reached the ball first and won a corner.

Bennett’s delivery was cleared to Marshall 20 yards from goal and he took a superb first touch to turn inside the charging Dimitri Payet before finding the bottom corner with his left foot.

Lancashire Telegraph:

The lead didn’t last long as the visitors levelled.

It took a bit of top-flight class to breach the Rovers rearguard as Moses picked the ball up inside the centre circle and ran unchallenged to the edge of the area before finding the back of the net with a low shot.

Rovers keeper Jason Steele should have done better with the ball squirming underneath his dive.

The equaliser brought the Hammers to life and their 7,200-strong away following turned up the volume.

Cheikhou Kouyate came close with a volley before Michail Antonio saw a shot deflected into Steele’s hands.

West Ham completed the turnaround on 35 minutes. Taylor was booked for pulling back Payet and West Ham’s star man made it double trouble for Rovers as he curled the free kick over the wall and in.

The hosts were feeding off scraps with Taylor stealing possession in the centre circle but having to go it alone with support nowhere to be seen. He managed to bundle his way into the area but ran out of room and his left footed effort was easy for Darren Randolph.

Lancashire Telegraph:

The second half started brightly for the home side with Marshall testing Randolph from distance before Darragh Lenihan drove wide from even further out.

But then came Taylor’s error.

His decision to trip Moses as he cut across him was a bizarre one but the midfielder was off and from that point on there was only likely to be one winner.

West Ham upped the ante and twice Steele got down well to save low shots from Antonio with the second turned in by Emenike who was wrongly flagged offside.

The Hammers striker got his goal eventually and from a Rovers point of view it was a mess.

Antonio’s shot was smothered by Steele, but Rovers couldn’t clear their lines and when Kouyate squared to Emenike he had a simple job to tap the ball home.

With 15 minutes to go the numbers were evened up when Kouyate was given a straight red for a cynical trip as Henley raced through on goal.

Marshall could only hit the resulting free kick into the wall and hopes of a comeback were dashed five minutes from time as Emenike beat the offside trap and rounded Steele before firing home.

The Nigerian could have had a hat-trick but he hit the outside of the post as the Hammers broke late on. Steele then made another fine save from Moses before Payet wrapped up the scoring when he broke from halfway, cut inside and shot beyond the Rovers keeper.