Welcome to Sports Mole's live text coverage of the FA Cup third-round tie between Shrewsbury Town and West Ham United at New Meadow.
The Hammers have climbed away from the relegation zone in the Premier League and are now focusing on a run in this domestic cup competition.
Shrewsbury have been in impressive form this campaign, meanwhile, finding themselves in an automatic promotion spot in League One despite being tipped for the drop by many.
Follow all of the action as it unfolds with our extensive updates below.
1.38pmThat said, the Irons are still far from safe as the two-point gap on the bottom three can easily be closed. West Ham have a nice run of fixtures to look forward to over the coming weeks, however, taking on a string of sides around them in the division, beginning with Huddersfield Town next weekend and taking in games against Bournemouth, Crystal Palace, Brighton & Hove Albion and Watford. They could realistically be in top-half contention come the end of that run.
1.36pmMoyes actually made a pretty slow start to his West Ham tenure, only providing further fuel for those who questioned his appointment. Defeats to Watford, Manchester City and, most difficult of all, Everton, on top of a home draw against Leicester City, left the Hammers in serious trouble. They have since defeated Chelsea to kickstart their campaign, though, and have taken 12 points from the last 21 on offer - a positive enough return.
1.34pmMoyes will certainly be confident of avoiding an upset of any sort today, particularly having seen his side turn a corner of sorts in recent weeks. The Hammers head into this match sitting 15th in the Premier League, two points above the Premier League relegation zone.
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1.32pmWin, lose or draw this match and, as Hurst said in the build-up to the match, Shrewsbury still have a lot to look forward to. Their league form is extremely encouraging, build on a strong defence that has seen them concede just four goals at New Meadow all term - the joint-best record in all English football's top four leagues. Breaching the backline will not be east for West Ham, but if they achieve that task then Town's forward players must respond.
1.30pmCoincidentally, that most recent third-round tie against a Premier League side was against a Moyes-managed Everton. You may remember that Shrewsbury famously won that match - Moyes's first taste of the FA Cup with the Toffees - on one of their most famous afternoons. Salop were eliminated from the competition by Manchester United two years ago, meanwhile, having earlier overcome Championship duo Cardiff City and Sheffield Wednesday.
1.28pmShrewsbury have only actually made it further than this third-round stage once in the last 14 years, however, and the 1979 and 1982 quarter-finalists have a real task on their hands progressing today against a strong West Ham side. Town do not come up against Premier League-level competition all that much in this domestic cup competition and, specifically in the third round, this is their first test against top-tier opposition in 14 years.
1.26pmUnlike West Ham, who of course had a bye through to the third round along with every other Premier League and Championship side, Shrewsbury have already overcome a couple of opponents. Aldershot Town were beaten 5-0 here in November and Morecambe 2-0 last month, putting memories of last term's failed cup campaign - when beaten in a replay by Fleetwood Town in the early stages - to one side.
1.24pmIt goes without saying that the league takes priority for Shrewsbury this season, as it does for West Ham, and with a trip to Blackburn to come next weekend Hurst could be forgiven for resting some star names this afternoon. Following that promotion six-pointed, Salop then have three games in the space of a week towards the end of the month, which could well define their campaign.
1.22pmManaged by Paul Hurst, Town are currently on an eight-game unbeaten run in all competitions and have taken 12 points from the last 18 on offer in League One. That includes four wins from their last five over the festive and New Year period, leaving them well on course for a place in the Championship. Wigan find themselves two points better off but, perhaps more importantly, there is a five-point gap on in-form Blackburn Rovers and Scunthorpe United in third and fourth respectively.
1.20pmA big afternoon ahead for Shrewsbury, then, as they look to pull off a major scalp. The Salop narrowly avoided relegation to League Two last season and were among the favourites to go down this term but, 26 games into the 2017-18 campaign, they find themselves behind only Wigan Athletic in the standings. Promotion to the second tier is now theirs to lose, though there is of course still a long, long way to go.
1.18pmJoe Hart, who departed Shrewsbury Town in 2006, returns to West Ham United's starting lineup this afternoon third-round tie. That is one of three changes made by boss David Moyes following the 1-1 draw with Tottenham Hotspur, as Reece Burke and Josh Cullen also come in. Adrian, Pablo Zabaleta and Mark Noble make way, meaning that Hart will sport the captain's armband.
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1.16pmShrewsbury have had a little longer to prepare for this game, with their last outing coming on Monday, compared to West Ham's two-day turnaround between matches. No real shock to see Carlton Morris included for the Salop, having done so 23 times in League One this term and scoring four goals in the process. Jon Nolan, with five goals in 25 league games from midfield, is also among the starting XI.
1.14pmSwitching attention to the home side now, and there is some big news as Dean Henderson has been included in the starting lineup. The Manchester United loanee had been ruled out of today's game due to ineligibility, but there has clearly been some talk behind the scenes and he is in from the off; Craig MacGillivray will provide back-up from the bench. Left-back Max Lowe, on loan from Derby County, is also among the subs.
1.12pmSHREWSBURY TOWN TEAM NEWS!
STARTING XI: Henderson; Godfrey, Sadler, Beckles, Whalley, Ogogo, Morris, Bolton, Nolan, Nsiala, Rodman
SUBS: MacGillivray, Lowe, Dodds, Gnahoua, John-Lewis, B. Morris, Payne
1.10pmIn all in Moyes has made four changes on the back of the draw at Wembley Stadium, which is a tad surprising - many expected more. The Hammers' bench contains a number of academy prospects, who we may well get a close look at over the duration of the afternoon, but certainly from the off this is a talented-looking side. The other slight surprise is that Andy Carroll is not included at all today; Javier Hernandez will instead lead the line.
1.08pmDeclan Rice, not among those to have been capped at senior international level, is again given a chance to impress in a backline that also includes Winston Reid and Angelo Ogbonna, while Reece Burke - recently on loan with Bolton Wanderers - fills in at right wing-back. Another ex-Trotters loanee in Josh Cullen starts in a strong-looking midfield, which also contains Cheikhou Kouyate and Pedro Obiang, who scored a truly sensational goal against Tottenham Hotspur last time out.
1.06pmStarting with a look at the away side, as expected Moyes has indeed changes things around a bit, but there are still six full internationals in the starting XI. Among those experienced campaigners is Joe Hart, who returns in place of Adrian for this cup tie against his former side. The England number one - for now, at least - is handed the captain's armband on his return to New Meadow, 12 years after leaving the club.
1.04pmWEST HAM UNITED TEAM NEWS!
STARTING XI: Hart; Burke, Rice, Reid, Ogbonna, Masuaku; Kouyate, Obiang, Cullen; Ayew, Hernandez
SUBS: Adrian, Neufville, Makasi, Quina, Haksabanovic, Samuelsen, Martinez
1.02pmWe witnessed a couple of upsets on Saturday afternoon, namely Coventry City's victory over Stoke City, which cost Potters boss Mark Hughes his job, but this one top the lot if Shrewsbury can overcome the three-time winners. Visiting boss David Moyes promised mass changes for this afternoon's clash, having seen a number of his players - as many as 10, in fact - ruled out with injury in the last week or so.
1.00pmHello and welcome to Sports Mole's live text coverage of the FA Cup third-round tie between Shrewsbury Town and West Ham United at New Meadow. The Hammers have climbed away from the relegation zone in the Premier League and are now focusing on a run in this domestic cup competition, while Shrewsbury find themselves in an automatic promotion spot in League One despite being tipped for the drop by many.
