What Andriy Yarmolenko said to Kidderminster players after West Ham FA Cup clash
West Ham star Andriy Yarmolenko praised the Kidderminster Harriers players on the pitch after their extra-time defeat in the FA Cup at the weekend.
The sixth tier side were 1-0 up heading into injury time before Declan Rice equalised to take the game to extra-time, where Jarrod Bowen then scored in the 121st minute to seal progression.
But after a hard-fought game, Harriers goalscorer Alex Penny has revealed to the Daily Mail that one West Ham star in particular consoled him on the pitch following the end of the game.
“He [Yarmolenko] said, ‘Don’t be down on yourselves, you’ve done unbelievably.’ They were all very respectful, weren’t massive-time at all, which you sometimes get.”
Yarmolenko completed the whole game and was involved in the winning goal when his shot got re-directed and the ball then got rolled across the goal for a tap in.
Humble
It was a humbling game for the West Ham faithful as they realised that despite their lofty status in the game, they’re capable of being beaten if they don’t show up.
But while Yarmolenko was pretty poor throughout the game and came under criticism for his performance, it was a touch of class to do what he did after the game.
For the Harriers players, something like that will live in the memory forever and will make the experience extra special even though it ended in defeat.
While Yarmolenko’s time at the club is surely nearing an end, it says a lot about the team that Moyes has built at the club that they have professionals like that in their dressing room.
West Ham will face Southampton in the fifth round of the competition following their win.
In other West Ham news, talkSPORT pundit shares what Stuart Pearce has told him about West Ham ace Declan Rice