MACCLESFIELD, England (AP) – Brentford will face West Ham in the FA Cup fifth round after defeating Macclesfield 1-0 on Monday, ending a fairy-tale run for the sixth-tier giant killer with an own goal.
Macclesfield’s part-timers were hailed as having pulled off one of the biggest shocks in the competition’s long history by defeating cup holders Crystal Palace in the final round.
However, they were unable to match Brentford and won through an own goal from Sam Heathcote in the 70th minute.
The big defender dived to cut out a cross from Aaron Hickey, but instead deflected the ball past his own keeper.
It was a cruel denouement for Macclesfield, which kept the Premier League clubs level throughout the first half until they wore themselves out 45 minutes into the second half.
“I couldn’t be more proud,” Macclesfield coach John Rooney told TNT Sports. “The players were great and in really good form. We trained twice a week and performed against a Premier League side.”
The fifth round fixture will take place at West Ham’s Olympic Stadium on the weekend of March 7th and 8th.
Brentford have never made it past the quarter-finals in this competition.
Brentford captain Nathan Collins said: “Credit to Macclesfield.” “They made it very difficult for us. They put up a great fight.”
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