3 years ago
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Declan Rice scored West Ham's third goal with a low finish after a superb runWest Ham booked a Europa Conference League semi-final meeting with Dutch side AZ Alkmaar after a rousing comeback against Gent at London Stadium.
Michail Antonio scored twice, with Lucas Paqueta converting a penalty to make amends for his part in the visitors' 26th-minute opener.
Skipper Declan Rice added a brilliant third, finding the net with a low shot at the end of a surging run that started in his own half.
It was too much in the end for Gent, who were outclassed after taking the lead on aggregate through Hugo Cuypers' first-half strike.
Jarrod Bowen had a goal disallowed for handball, denying West Ham a fifth for only the second time in their entire European history.
As it is, they have a fifth semi-final to look forward to and retain the chance to emulate the 1965 European Cup Winners' Cup-winning side and also to end a major trophy drought stretching back to 1980 and the FA Cup triumph against Arsenal.
For manager David Moyes, it also means what has at times been a torturous season could end in glory, although the Scot will be acutely aware European success would have to be accompanied by Premier League survival.
Bad start, brilliant ending
If there was a benefit for West Ham in going behind, it came through Sunday's thrilling comeback against Premier League leaders Arsenal and the knowledge their task was recoverable.
Nevertheless, no-one will get too much pleasure from watching the replay of Gent's goal, which was a catalogue of home errors.
It started with Paqueta needlessly giving the ball away deep inside his own half.
Gift Orban's attempt to find a team-mate only resulted in him rolling a wayward pass straight across the penalty area where Matisse Samoise ran on to it completely unmarked.
Samoise's shot was awful. It bounced straight into the ground yet no West Ham player reacted as it fell straight into Cuypers' path.
The Belgian's effort lacked power and, standing on the goalline, Nayef Aguerd should have kept it out. Instead, he could only help the ball in with his chest.
For 11 minutes, it threatened a sad end to a European dream.
Instead, it sparked another memorable night.
The equaliser was routine as Antonio steered a near-post Bowen free-kick into the Gent net. The goal that put West Ham in front was anything but as, at one point, Moyes had his head in his hands believing Said Benrahma should be taking the spot-kick.
Fortunately, Paqueta kept his nerve to make amends for his earlier error and from then on, West Ham's semi-final place was never seriously threatened.
More to follow.
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West Ham United
Squad number13Player nameAréola
Squad number5Player nameCoufal
Squad number4Player nameZouma
Squad number27Player nameAguerd
Squad number33Player nameEmerson
Squad number28Player nameSoucek
Squad number41Player nameRice
Squad number20Player nameBowen
Squad number11Player nameLucas Paquetá
Squad number22Player nameBenrahma
Squad number9Player nameAntonio
Squad number8Player nameFornals
Squad number12Player nameDownes
Squad number14Player nameCornet
Squad number18Player nameIngs
Squad number24Player nameKehrer
KAA Gent
Squad number33Player nameRoef
Squad number4Player namePiatkowski
Squad number2Player nameOkumu
Squad number25Player nameNúrio Fortuna
Squad number18Player nameSamoise
Squad number24Player nameKums
Squad number13Player nameDe Sart
Squad number14Player nameCastro-Montes
Squad number7Player nameHong Hyun-Seok
Squad number20Player nameOrban
Squad number11Player nameCuypers
Squad number8Player nameOdjidja-Ofoe
Squad number19Player nameFofana
Squad number29Player nameDepoitre
Squad number31Player nameGodeau
Squad number34Player nameTissoudali
Line-ups
West Ham
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 13Aréola
- 5Coufal
- 4ZoumaSubstituted forKehrerat 70'minutes
- 27Aguerd
- 33Emerson
- 28Soucek
- 41RiceSubstituted forDownesat 70'minutes
- 20BowenSubstituted forCornetat 79'minutes
- 11Lucas Paquetá
- 22BenrahmaSubstituted forFornalsat 79'minutes
- 9AntonioSubstituted forIngsat 70'minutes
Substitutes
- 1Fabianski
- 2Johnson
- 3Cresswell
- 8Fornals
- 10Lanzini
- 12Downes
- 14Cornet
- 18Ings
- 24Kehrer
- 49Anang
- 62Potts
- 72Mubama
KAA Gent
Formation 3-4-1-2
- 33Roef
- 4Piatkowski
- 2Okumu
- 25Domingos Matias Fortuna
- 18Samoise
- 24Kums
- 13De SartSubstituted forOdjidja-Ofoeat 70'minutes
- 14Castro-MontesSubstituted forFofanaat 85'minutes
- 7HongSubstituted forDepoitreat 70'minutes
- 20OrbanBooked at 18minsSubstituted forTissoudaliat 70'minutes
- 11CuypersSubstituted forGodeauat 84'minutes
Substitutes
- 1Nardi
- 8Odjidja-Ofoe
- 10Hauge
- 19Fofana
- 23Torunarigha
- 29Depoitre
- 31Godeau
- 34Tissoudali
- 35Van Daele
Live Text
Match ends, West Ham United 4, KAA Gent 1.
Second Half ends, West Ham United 4, KAA Gent 1.
Núrio Fortuna (KAA Gent) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Maxwel Cornet (West Ham United).
Núrio Fortuna (KAA Gent) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Maxwel Cornet (West Ham United).
Attempt missed. Vadis Odjidja-Ofoe (KAA Gent) left footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left. Assisted by Sven Kums.
Corner, KAA Gent. Conceded by Thilo Kehrer.
Núrio Fortuna (KAA Gent) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Lucas Paquetá (West Ham United).
Corner, West Ham United. Conceded by Joseph Okumu.
Substitution, KAA Gent. Malick Fofana replaces Alessio Castro-Montes.
Substitution, KAA Gent. Bruno Godeau replaces Hugo Cuypers.
Sven Kums (KAA Gent) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Tomás Soucek (West Ham United).
Offside, KAA Gent. Alessio Castro-Montes tries a through ball, but Tarik Tissoudali is caught offside.
Attempt blocked. Maxwel Cornet (West Ham United) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Substitution, West Ham United. Pablo Fornals replaces Saïd Benrahma.
Substitution, West Ham United. Maxwel Cornet replaces Jarrod Bowen.
Corner, West Ham United. Conceded by Davy Roef.
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