Job done at Cheltenham

Cheltenham 0 West Ham 2 (Carabao Cup)

Off to the Oxford Arms in Camden to watch this one with Fraser, eschewing the delights of Champs in Ilford, and Matt who has decided not to return his season ticket in protest at the sale of Sofiane Feghouli. Michael the Whovian is away scouting in Sweden and Nigel's mourning the silencing of Big Ben. 

The Liverpool game is on the main screens for the plastic Scousers so we watch the Hammers game on a side screen accompanied by a commentator gushing about Emre Can, which is all a little surreal. Cheltenham compete well as Matt reminisces about watching famous West Ham League Cup defeats in pubs full of MUFC fans. 

West Ham nearly go ahead when Ogbonna has a great header cleared off the line and Flatt saves well from Sakho's close range prod. The breakthrough comes on 40 minutes when Sakho controls Noble's through ball to swivel sharply and poke past the keeper. Three minutes later Sakho finds Ayew on the right and as Flatt leaves him acres of space to shoot at he rolls the ball across the Flattt-footed keeper and into the net. 

Late on Pell's effort flashes across the Hammers' goal but generally the Irons remain in control for the rest of the match. And there's a very nice sunset over the stadium. The passing is disappointing in the second half and nobody really wants to fill their boots. On the positive side Sakho has looked sharp and scored his first goal since the final match at Upton Park, Rice has played a full 90 minutes, Byram has got some crosses in from the right and Fernandes has at least tried to get some moves going from out wide. Plus Kouyate comes on for the last 17 minutes and will hopefully get some action at Newcastle. 

"We'll remember this as the start of our 50-match unbeaten run," quips Matt as we leave. Outside we find a fleet of fire engines — we seem to have missed a fire in a building site, so engrossed have we been in the Carabau Cup. Or maybe it's just celebrating West Ham fans setting off flares.

So it's Bolton at home in the next round and at least the athletics hasn't cost us a place in the League Cup. Now comes our first six-pointer of the season at Newcastle…