Hammers are up and running...
First points for birthday boy Slaven as Terriers finally brought to heel
THERE may not be a scruffier goal scored this season but, right now, West Ham will take it. Beggars cannot be choosers, and West Ham had a hand out hoping for any scrap of good fortune last night.
David Wagner had forged the meanest defence in England in the brief time elapsed this season and West Ham were struggling desperately to find a way through. And then, in the 72nd minute, the break. They say fortune’s always hiding in this corner of London, but it stuck its head out of the bunker for Pedro Obiang.
Cheikhou Kouyate fed the ball from the right into substitute Andrew Ayew, who in turn fed Obiang. From 20 yards out he tried a shot which, it is fair to say, looked as though it was posing more danger to a hot dog stand in Stratford High Street.
And then, the intervention of Huddersfield’s human pinball machine. First the ball clipped Christopher Schindler, then it hit the back of Mathias Jorgensen and this sent it in a high arc, over goalkeeper Jonas Lossl. It still needed a nudge from the inside of a post, but that was enough to send it into the net.
West Ham celebrated as if blessed by a goal from the boot of Lionel Messi. On nights like this, who cares how it happens? A draw would have been considered little better than defeat, despite Huddersfield’s rugged reputation. And with one Premier League manager already gone, many were speculating Slaven Bilic could soon follow.
So this was vindication for him, too. When in the 65th minute he replaced Javier Hernandez, who had worked hard to little effect, with Ayew, a section of the crowd booed his decision. It is not just the board that puts managers under pressure here. So it was fitting that, having had a hand in the first goal, Ayew should score the second, the one that as good as confirmed victory — even if Tom Ince did hit the bar for Huddersfield late.
Again, it wasn’t the most beautiful goal, but few cared for the aesthetics. Aaron Cresswell curled in a corner which Jose Fonte bundled towards goal and Ayew prodded in. For Bilic, on his 49th birthday, it was better that any surprise or present.
The evening ended with the home support serenading him with ‘Happy birthday to you’ and the league table makes a finer sight this morning. West Ham are off the bottom, if not out of the relegation places, but three points is better than a giant zero. The pressure eases — for now, at least.
The first-half performance was better than many expected. West Ham made decent use of Andy Carroll, playing his first game since April, and in Michail Antonio had the liveliest player on the field.
On several occasions, he skinned Chris Lowe, in Huddersfield’s left-back position and West Ham did enough to go in at half-time leading comfortably.
That they did not was down to some rotten finishing, ensuring the locals remained on tenterhooks. Not that Huddersfield were threatening much, but in Aaron Mooy they have a fine player, and there was always the fear that he could conjure something against the odds. The best chance of the first half came after 13 minutes, set up by Antonio on the right. He sped past Lowe, cut inside and cut the ball back to Hernandez, in an excellent position 12 yards out. He had to lift the ball, with Huddersfield men diving in to block, but even under such pressure should have done better than send a shot flying up and ricocheting off the bar. In the 26th minute, a Cresswell free-kick from the left was met by James Collins but with little power, and goalkeeper Lossl smothered it easily. Three minutes later a Cresswell corner picked out Carroll for the first time — some earlier efforts hadn’t made it past the near-post guard — and his header was deflected wide.
A Carroll shot after Antonio laid the ball back met a similar fate soon after.
It was all West Ham by now and when the hard-working Pablo Zabaleta threw the ball to Antonio, he went on another fine run, taking the ball inside before his shot clipped an outstretched Huddersfield leg and flew over.
Cresswell closed the half with a free-kick from 30 yards that flew harmlessly over. WEST HAM (3-4-3): Hart 6; Collins 6, Reid 6, Fonte 6; Zabaleta 6.5, Kouyate 6, Obiang 6.5 (Rice 90min), Cresswell 6; ANTONIO 7.5, Carroll 7 (Sakho 81), Hernandez 6 (Ayew 64, 6.5). Subs not used: Adrian, Ogbonna, Byram, Masuaku. Scorers: Obiang 72, Ayew 77. Booked: Zabaleta. Manager: Slaven Bilic 6.5. HUDDERSFIELD (4-2-3-1): Lossl 6; Smith 6, Jorgensen 6, Schindler 6, Lowe 6 (Malone 63, 6); Mooy 6, Billing 6 (Depoitre 83); Kachunga 6 (Sabiri 75), Ince 6, Van La Parra 6; Mounie 6. Subs not used: Coleman, Williams, Hefele, Hadergjonaj. Booked: Jorgensen, Billing. Manager: David Wagner 6. Referee: Kevin Friend 6. Attendance: 56,977.