AYEW’S ON TAP
Bilic’s glass is half-full
ANDRE AYEW climbed off the bench to score a trickshot goal as West Ham came battling back from a nightmare start to snooker Watford.
The Hornets had looked on course to secure home-andaway league wins over the Irons for the first time in their history when Troy Deeney slotted home an early penalty.
But Slaven Bilic’s side weathered the storm and hit back in the second half.
They earned a point when an effort from Michail Antonio – who was later sent off (above, right) – hit both posts and fell kindly for the grateful Ayew to tap in.
It was, for Bilic, no less than they deserved. The Croatian said: “I’m so pleased with the way we played, especially in the second half.
“We told them at half-time we could raise the level of our game. The second half was one of our best performances.
“We definitely deserved the equaliser. I’m very proud of the team and even a little bit disappointed.”
West Ham certainly had to do it the hard way.
The teams were still sizing each other up when jobbing right-back Cheikhou Kouyate bundled Mauro Zarate over in the box after a slick Watford attack.
Deeney missed a penalty against the Hammers last April but made no mistake on this occasion, guiding his spot-kick low into the net.
M’baye Niang almost doubled the advantage moments later, rifling just over from the edge of the box.
Deeney, a club legend in this neck of the woods, had slammed West Ham players for showboating when the sides met at the London Stadium earlier this season.
But it was the Hornets who were indulging in all the fancy footwork early on here, with Younes Kaboul flicking the ball over Winston Reid’s head and Deeney running through a full repertoire of deft touches.
A long old evening looked in prospect for the away side.
But they slowly began to work their way into the match, the tireless Antonio leading the charge. Bilic said: “In the first half he played almost by himself.
“He was excellent. They just couldn’t cope with him.”
The first half would end on a sour note, with Zarate requiring lengthy treatment and eventually being taken off on a stretcher after going down holding his right knee.
The generous applause from the West Ham fans will have done little to soften what could be a major blow for Watford boss Walter Mazzarri.
“He was in a lot of pain and in tears,” Mazzarri admitted.
“We’ll find out what happened in the next few hours, but let’s hope it’s not too bad.”
They certainly missed the Argentine schemer in the second half.
Deprived of his creativity, Watford dropped deeper and deeper, allowing West Ham to gain a foothold.
Kouyate had a penalty appeal turned down, Jose Fonte brought a flying save from Heurelho Gomes – and Antonio somehow contrived to nod wide from six yards after an Aaron Cresswell raid.
Their big break came in the 73rd minute, in the form of a leveller that would have made Ronnie O’sullivan proud.
The sparky Manuel Lanzini teed up Antonio, whose shot cannoned off one upright, then the other, before landing at the feet of substitute Ayew. He could not miss. He didn’t.
The Hammers continued to press forward but a second yellow card for Antonio, for handling the ball after a challenge, took the last bit of wind from their sails.
“It was unlucky,” said his manager. “The referee went by the book, but it was an instinctive reaction.”
I am so pleased. We really deserved to equalise SLAVEN BILIC