Jarrod Bowen is relieved West Ham made it past Kidderminster Harriers with the Hammers keen to compete on all fronts this season.
Bowen was the match winner at Aggborough on Saturday afternoon when he tapped in Aaron Cresswell's cross in the 121st minute. His goal came after Declan Rice had equalised for the Hammers in the 91st minute of regulation time to spare the Premier League team's blushes.
Had Rice not intervened the Hammers would have been victim of arguably the greatest ever FA Cup giant-killing with no sixth tier team ever knocking out top tier opposition in the cup's 151-year history.
Bowen was magnanimous in victory but critical of his team's performance on Saturday afternoon.
"We knew it was going to be difficult. Credit to them, they were excellent," Bowen said. "The spirit we have got in this group, togetherness and grit [carried us through]. We stuck in there and kept plugging away and got the two goals and even though we were nowhere near our levels that we wanted to be we're through to the next round.
"We were nowhere near it [out level] but credit to them they were excellent."
West Ham have faced four Premier League teams so far in cup competitions this season including victories over Manchester United, Manchester City and Leeds United but Bowen believes Kidderminster was the hardest of the lot.
"It was more difficult. Coming to their ground and the atmosphere they create, their fans were excellent and I thought their team were as well," Bowen added. "We stuck in there and kept grinding away and thankfully one fell at the end."
West Ham's win sets up a fifth-round tie against Southampton which falls during an incredibly hectic March with crucial Premier League matches and the return to Europa League action. Not that Bowen is complaining about the upcoming schedule.
"That is what it is, we want to be as far as we can in every competition we're in. We're still in with a good chance of doing that and now it is back to Premier League action."
The Hammers return to league action on Tuesday evening with the visit of Watford to the London Stadium.
Having lost their last two league matches West Ham will be keen to get back to winning ways and stretch their lead over Arsenal in sixth place and put the pressure on Manchester United in fourth who kick off later in the evening away at Burnley.
