SLAVEN BILIC got the best birthday present possible with the win that should keep him in a job.
An own goal from Zanka and a scrambled effort from sub Andre Ayew got West Ham off the mark with their first points of the season. And for relieved Bilic who turned 49 it became a day to remember for the right reasons having seen Crystal Palace sack boss Frank de Boer earlier in the day after only four games.
West Ham had missed a series of chances in a game they dominated from start to finish against a team which had yet to concede a goal when they arrived in east London.
But they paid the price for setting up to take a point when their defence was finally breached with 17 minutes left thanks to an unlucky own goal.
Midfielder Pedro Obiang picked up a sideways pass from Ayew and hit a shot from 25 yards. Defender Zanak made the mistake of turning his back and the ball cannoned off his shoulder and looped over keeper Jonas Lossl.
Three minutes later Ayew made it 2-0 from a corner.
Aaron Cresswell put the ball into the near post and Hammers’ centre half Jose Fonte caused havoc among the defence. Ayew was there to poke home the ball from six yards and lift the gloom which had been hanging over West Ham after three successive defeats.
But they should have been home and hosed long before they finally cracked Town. Midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate missed two glaring chances to score in the first half and striker Javier Hernandez hit the crossbar.
Tom Ince hit the woodwork for Huddersfield in a late fightback.
It was also West Ham keeper Joe Hart’s first clean sheet in a league match since January when he was on loan in Italy’s Serie A playing for Torino.
From The Sun
No comments:
Post a Comment