Jarrod Bowen’s last-minute winner has helped West Ham United end their 43-year wait for a trophy with a dramatic 2-1 victory over Fiorentina in the Europa Conference League final.
The Hammers won a first piece of silverware since 1980’s FA Cup, and a first European trophy since 1965, on a historic and emotional Wednesday night in the Czech Republic.
Manager David Moyes, who had heard the fans demand that he be sacked mere months ago, was ecstatic.
“If somebody had said three years ago when I took the job that you’d avoid relegation and finish in Europe and I’ve said you were mad,” he said.
“This competition has been great for us, the players have been remarkable.
“These sorts of moments as managers don’t come around often. This is a great moment for us.
“It is a brilliant club in the East End of London that does wonderful work in the community. It is a great family club. It is getting better and stronger. This is another step on the road of continued progress.”
Said Benrahma had opened the scoring for West Ham with a 62nd-minute penalty at Eden Arena after Fiorentina captain Cristiano Biraghi was ruled to have handled the ball upon review.
The Italian club were level five minutes later from Giacomo Bonaventura but West Ham had the last laugh in the 90th minute when Bowen took up a defence-splitting pass from Lucas Paqueta and beat goalkeeper Pietro Terraciano.
“You always say you want to score in the last minute and to do it here in front of these fans, I thought I was going to cry,” Bowen told BT Sport.
“I’m so happy. We haven’t had the best season (finishing 14th in the Premier League), myself included, but to do it tonight. I’m over the moon.
“I think in my position you make that run 10 times you might get that ball once. As soon as you get it you’ve got to put it away.
“This is the biggest game of my career. The emotion, there was time for one more chance. I’m just so happy. I’m over the moon.”
Yes, it may be only Europe’s third-tier competition, the one treated as an unwanted distraction by Tottenham, among others, in its inaugural form last season.
But this is West Ham. The West Ham who routinely see relegation as an occupational hazard. The West Ham who made a song and dance of leaving their old stadium and an almighty hash of moving into the new one.
The West Ham who had to go begging to their former manager to save them from the drop, 18 months after they got rid of him when he had done just that.
Just nine weeks ago that same manager watched as the away fans unfurled a ‘Moyes Out’ banner during a scratchy 1-0 win over Fulham, which likely saved his job.
Now Moyes has written his name in West Ham folklore, joining Ron Greenwood and John Lyall as trophy-winning Hammers managers. A place in next season’s Europa League means the club has qualified for Europe three seasons in a row, for the first time.
And what a way to sign off for Declan Rice, destined to leave this summer but with the legacy of becoming only the third captain, along with Bobby Moore and Billy Bonds, to lift silverware in the club’s 128-year history.
“When he ran through on goal I said it out loud to myself ‘this is your time’,” said Rice of the winning goal.
“As soon as you see it hit the back of the net you don’t know what to do. I’m still in shock now. It’s incredible.
“We got here two hours before and it was full. The fans, look at them. This is what it means to us and to me. I love this club, they’ve made me one of their own. I cannot describe what I feel when I talk about West Ham fans. I’m just so, so happy.”
The Hammers have given their fans, 5000 of whom were – officially at least – in attendance and the 20,000-or so who just wanted to be in Prague for their first European final in 47 years, the ride of their lives.
© AAP
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