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Manuel Pellegrini was a happy and to some extent a relieved man as he saw his West Ham team overcome a stalwart and obdurate AFC Wimbledon side in a tense 2nd round Elk Cup tie, the relief element being the fact that Hammers conceded Wimbledon's goal from a set play within the first ninety seconds of the game. Even after going down to ten men the Don's didn't make it easy for their Premier League opponents in any way shape or form, some of their physical nature would not have been tolerated within the safe confines of the 'upper echelon' but this was a full blooded cup tie.

AFC Wimbledon: King, Sibbick, Shilaja, McDonald, Garratt, Wagstaff, Trotter, Hartigan, Pinnock, Hanson, Pigott Subs: Purrington, Nightingale, Thomas, Appiah, Barcham, McDonnell, Wordsworth
West Ham United: Adrian (c), Zabaleta, Diop, Ogbonna, Cresswell, Rice, Obiang, Yarmolenko, Snodgrass, Perez, Chicharito Subs: Fabianski (GK), Balbuena, Masuaku, Cullen, Holland, Felipe Anderson, Antonio

Hammers manager Manuel Pellegrini whilst desperately wanting a morale boosting win may well want to 'protect' certain players, namely one Felipe Anderson, during tonight's 'old fashioned' blood and thunder Elk Cup tie away to AFC Wimbledon.