West Ham 2 Everton 2 (after extra time, West Ham won 9-8 on penalties)

After the first attempt to decide their FA Cup third round tie had ended so remarkably in a draw, with Everton scoring a dramatic equaliser in the dying seconds at Goodison Park, it was only to be expected that the replay would not end quietly. That it should see-saw throughout the 90 minutes and beyond was testament to the determination of both sides to remain in the competition, as they seek silverware at the end of the season, but it was West Ham who ultimately squeaked through to a fourth round meeting away at Bristol City.

The pre-match banter between the opposing managers had suggested that Sam Allardyce held the belief that he was more flexible in his playing-style compared to Roberto Martinez for Everton. The events of the night may have mellowed his thoughts somewhat, as Martinez was forced to respond to losing Aiden McGeady to a second yellow card early in the second-half, after already going a goal behind minutes earlier. Enner Valencia scored what had looked like a decisive goal on 51 minutes, as he held off a defender before firing a well-placed right-footed shot across the keeper into the opposite corner of the net, especially when McGeady received his marching orders.

Martinez urged his side onwards instead in search of the equaliser and the introduction of Kevin Mirallas from the substitutes' bench seemed to be inspired.

The Belgian seemed to be a man on a mission as he fired in a goalbound shot that the West Ham defence blocked just in time, but with such bravado going forward came gaps at the back. James Collins thought he had scored as his header arrowed towards the top corner, but the Everton keeper Joel Robles threw himself across the air in defiance to flick the ball over the bar.

Everton got the lifeline that their efforts deserved when Mirallas curled in a free-kick from wide-out left with his right-foot on 81 minutes to bring the tie alive again. As the defence and the goalkeeper looked for a cross, he audaciously decided to clip the ball towards the near post instead and it worked, as Adrian found himself unable to get across the goal in time to stop the shot.

A desperate last ten minutes ensued with both goals remaining (somehow) intact to the end of normal time.

Into extra-time and seven minutes into the first-period came another godsend for Everton. As Mirallas seemed to mesmerise the Hammers' defence, he squared a pinpoint cross across the box for Romelu Lukaku to add to his tally from the first match and send the travelling fans into euphoria. Lukaku offered a prayer to the heavens in tribute to fellow Belgian player Junior Malanda, who was tragically killed in a car crash in Germany recently.

As West Ham fans began to offer up prayers of their own, 'Big Sam' decided to opt instead for "almost- forgotten man" Carlton Cole off the bench in the second-period.

Like Martinez before him, the decision paid off handsomely as Cole stabbed the ball over the line with almost his first touch.

Both sides had opportunities to win it at the death with Lukaku dragging a shot wide for Everton and Cole agonisingly missing the target with almost the last kick, but the game went to penalties. As the scoreline mounted, so too did the tension, until at 8-8 it was down to the two keepers to take a penalty each. Everton's Robles hit the crossbar to give the chance to clinch the tie to Adrian for West Ham. Up he stepped, throwing his gloves aside as he strolled up to the penalty spot and calmly sealed their progress to the next round with a successful strike.

It was hard luck on Martinez and his side after their pluck and courage had driven them back into a winning position after being down to ten men for so long, but for West Ham it proved to be another memorable night in a season that has been full of them so far.