West Ham v Brighton

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West Ham will be hoping the FA Cup brings some welcome respite from their dismal Premiership campaign at the weekend.

Last season's runners-up host League One side Brighton at Upton Park on Saturday aiming to register only their second win under Alan Curbishley.

The Hammers come up against another struggling side in Brighton at the weekend, with the Seagulls having lost their last four.

However, Dean Wilkins' side will go into the game with real hope of producing an upset.

West Ham have already fallen to lower-league opposition in the cup this season as Chesterfield knocked them out of the Carling Cup in October.

The two sides last met two years ago in the Championship when Guy Butters scored the winner, and the defender is in contention for a place at the weekend.

Adam Hinshelwood is out with a knee injury, meaning Butters is likely to start in defence alongside Adam El-Abd.

Brighton are also without midfielder Dean Cox through suspension, so Alex Frutos could feature.

Recent signing Nathan Elder is cup-tied having played in an earlier round for former club Billericay, but Joe O'Cearuill, who has joined on loan from Arsenal, could be on the bench.

Luis Boa Morte goes straight into the West Ham squad for Saturday's game after joining from Fulham on Friday.

The Hammers lost midfielder Lee Bowyer to a dislocated shoulder earlier this week and he joins Dean Ashton on the treatment table.

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West Ham:
Carroll, Dailly, Ferdinand, Gabbidon, McCartney, Benayoun, Mullins, Noble, Boa Morte, Cole, Tevez.
Subs:
Green, Sheringham, Spector, Zamora, Newton.

Brighton:
Henderson, O'Cearuill, Lynch, Butters, Mayo, Fraser, El-Abd, Hammond, Frutos, Revell, Robinson.
Subs:
Kuipers, Hart, Carpenter, Gatting, Rents.

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1:0 Noble (47)

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2:0 Carlton Cole (57)

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3:0 (Mullins 30)

3-0 Full-time!

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West Ham responded to their mauling at the hands of Reading by easing past Brighton & Hove Albion and into the fourth round of the FA Cup courtesy of a 3-0 win at Upton Park.

After losing 6-0 on New Year's Day, the last thing Alan Curbishley needed was to be the victim of a seismic cup shock, but three second half goals broke Brighton's resistance and gave the new boss some breathing space.

Mark Noble, Carlton Cole and Hayden Mullins notched their names on the scoresheet to deny the League One side on a wet afternoon in East London.

Hammers captain Nigel Reo-Coker did not even feature on the bench at Upton Park, reportedly due to concerns he would be cup-tied for a potential January transfer, but Luis Boa Morte did start for his debut despite turning up late for his first day at the office.

Carlos Tevez also made his first start under the leadership of Curbishley and it was the Argentinian international who went closest for the Premiership side in an uninspiring first half as he saw his rasping shot blocked by Seagulls skipper Dean Hammond.

Five minutes later two debutants became entangled in the box, but Boa Morte was not awarded a penalty despite a clumsy challenge from Brighton's on-loan Arsenal defender Joe O'Cearuill.

The wet conditions did little to help the flow of the game, although Noble and Cole threatened with headers, and The Hammers ended the half by withdrawing Anton Ferdinand with a suspected groin problem.

Just four minutes after the break The Hammers settled their nerves with the opener, and it was Noble who was on hand to claim his first goal for the club with a cool finish after Tevez nodded down following Boa Morte's cross.

The Seagulls should have levelled matters soon after, but Alex Revell made a mess of a diving header and failed to connect with the ball from close range.

His mistake soon proved costly as Cole scored for the first time since the first day of the season when he volleyed home from Boa Morte's cross.

The impressive Tevez could have made the scoreline even more flattering but Wayne Henderson blocked his shot to the near post, and Curbishley then introduced Bobby Zamora against the club where he was once idolised.

Mullins had the final say in injury time as he dispatched a third to see West Ham safely through into the fourth round.

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