FA Cup: Emenike, Moses face Blackburn test

Blackburn vs. West Ham
Venue: Ewood Park
Kick off: 3pm

Nigerian duo of Emmanuel Emenike and Victor Moses have been listed for Sunday’s (today’s) West Ham United clash against Blackburn Rovers in the fifth round of the FA Cup at the Ewood Park.
Emenike, who had made two appearance since joining the Hammers on loan in January, would be hoping to grab his first goal in England away from the Upton Park.
With West Ham United going so well in their final season at the Boleyn Ground, there is a good chance of coupling their strong Premier League form with a run to the latter stages of the FA Cup.
They are not at home today, but they will be favourites to overcome Championship side, Blackburn Rovers, in the fifth round.
A big sigh of relief greeted Rovers’ 3-0 win over Fulham in midweek.
It was their first in 10 league matches and helped move them eight points clear of the Championship’s relegation zone.
A much-needed boost, but it is hard to see Blackburn’s form really changing with five of their next seven league games against top-eight sides along with the fact that they lost star player Jordan Rhodes to Middlesbrough earlier this month just before the transfer window shut.
In the FA Cup, Blackburn have eliminated Premier League opposition at this stage in two of the last three seasons, though they went on to fall at the quarter-finals both times.
It is 36 years since West Ham last won a trophy, when they triumphed in the FA Cup for a third time in 1986, but some feel that the stars are aligning for them to succeed this year as they wave goodbye to the Boleyn Ground.
In the fourth round, there was one of the more memorable moments in recent years when Angelo Ogbonna thundered home a 120th-minute header to prevent the tie with Liverpool going to penalties and send the Hammers through to the last 16, a stage that they have not got past in five years.
However, they should feel confident of getting past Rovers given that they have won 12 of their last 14 FA Cup games against lower-league opposition.
In the league West Ham are seventh and only one point behind Manchester United in fifth, but last weekend they had to come from two goals down to salvage a point at Norwich City.

Blackburn possible starting lineup: Steele, Marshall, Duffy, Hanley, Spurr, Bennett, Lenihan, Evans, Gomez, Brown, Watt.
West Ham possible starting lineup: Randolph, Oxford, Collins, Ogbonna, Cresswell, Noble, Song, Obiang, Moses, Emenike, Payet.