Two extra-time strikes saw West Ham beat Stoke 3-1 and reach the Carling Cup quarter-finals.
Hammers overcome league problems to progress into last eight
Manuel da Costa and Victor Obinna struck in extra-time to give West Ham a 3-1 win over Stoke and send the Hammers into the Carling Cup quarter-finals.
Avram Grant's men are bottom of the Premier League having won just once in the league this season and their problems looked set to continue as Kenwyne Jones gave Stoke a sixth-minute lead at Upton Park.
The second-half introduction of Obinna, Mark Noble and Valon Behrami then helped turn the fourth-round tie in the hosts' favour and captain Scott Parker drew them level in the 84th minute to send the game into extra-time.
Da Costa then converted following a fine run by Noble and as Stoke pushed for an equaliser, Obinna fired home two minutes from time to ensure the Hammers reached the last eight for the first time since being denied a semi-final spot by Everton in December 2007.
Rare McCarthy start
Both sides reverted largely to their line-ups from the previous round, although the Hammers also handed Benni McCarthy his first start in more than seven months.
Stoke were keen to bounce back from two straight defeats and took an early lead as Jones rose to power home Jermaine Pennant's corner.
The Hammers were demonstrating the defending that had seen them keep just one clean sheet in the league this term, though they went close to levelling in the 13th minute when Carlton Cole diverted Pablo Barrera's wayward strike just over the bar.
The lively Cole sent a weak long-range header at Asmir Begovic, while Tuncay got plenty of power but not quite enough accuracy on his effort at the other end.
Tal Ben Haim almost sold goalkeeper Marek Stech short with a backpass with Jones lurking and then incredibly almost gifted the ball to the striker again moments later.
Home defender James Tomkins did nod a Barrera corner over the crossbar but Stoke were looking increasingly dangerous on the break and Danny Higginbotham's cross was just too high for Jones to connect with properly.
Like Jones, Cole was looking sharp and a fabulous turn almost saw him equalise but he could not keep down what was a difficult left-foot finish.
There was no such excuse for strike partner McCarthy two minutes before the break when Cole put the ball on a plate only to see the South African striker produce an air shot.
Glenn Whelan saw a dangerous 20-yard shot deflected behind as Stoke regained control of the match at the start of the second half.
Last-gasp challenges were then needed at both ends as the intensity soared and West Ham should have levelled in the 54th minute when Begovic flapped at Barrera's corner and Tomkins put a diving header just wide.
Stech turned behind Tuncay's half-volley from the tightest of angles and Parker - once again carrying West Ham almost single-handedly at times - flashed wide from 25 yards.
Key changes
Under-pressure Hammers boss Avram Grant threw on Obinna for Radoslav Kovac in the 64th minute and the home side began to crank up the pressure after Grant withdrew Luis Boa Morte and McCarthy - to ironic cheers - for Behrami and Noble.
Obinna immediately forced an athletic parry from Begovic with a 20-yard curler before Stoke shored up their midfield by bringing on Rory Delap for Tuncay.
Cole appealed in vain for an 81st-minute penalty after a coming together with Robert Huth, whose defensive partner Ryan Shawcross was then adjudged to have made the perfect last-gasp tackle on Julien Faubert, much to the home fans' fury.
It mattered not as Parker equalised, nodding home Barrera's inswinging cross from close range, and West Ham completed the turnaround six minutes into extra-time as Noble burst into the box unchallenged and weaved along the byline before cutting back for Da Costa to rifle home his first goal of the season.
Obinna was narrowly wide from 20 yards, while Parker was only able to cap a fine run into the area with a weak finish after the change of ends.
Dean Whitehead should have equalised when he blazed over after Jon Walters got away with an aerial challenge on Stech before Obinna sealed victory in the 118th minute after being played clean through by Noble.
