HAPPY HAMMERS ARE ON CLOUD 9

Moyes’s boys open the Daw to next stage in Euro stroll

@Mirrordarren

GIVEN the impact David Moyes has had on West Ham, it was fitting that two defenders would provide the foundations for this win.

Headed goals from Craig Dawson and Issa Diop – either side of half-time – tightened the Irons’ grip on Group H.

Jarrod Bowen put the icing on the cake with a fine third strike just before the hour. Playing as they have been this season, the Hammers are as good as through to the next phase. Truth be told, they are a levelheaded bunch over in east London, so they will not be getting carried away about topping Group H with a 100 percent record. This does, however, tee them up nicely for Tottenham on Sunday, with Moyes keen to ensure it does not become the third successive occasion that his side lose after winning in the Europa League.

West Ham have kept clean sheets in six of their last nine matches.

Not so long ago the only clean sheets in these parts were the ones the home fans used as banners caning the club’s hierarchy.

These days they are a sign that a new West Ham is taking shape, laying waste to the idea that last season’s heroics might have been just a flash in the pan.

Genk might have been bottom of the group, but they were level on points with Rapid Vienna and Dinamo Zagreb above them at the start of play.

They also served notice of their intention to make a game of it just nine minutes in when Theo Bongonda’s goal was ruled out, with forward Junya Ito narrowly caught offside by VAR.

Shortly afterwards, Bongonda would have been clean through after being released by Genk keeper Maarten Vandevoordt.

But the quick reactions of Hammers keeper Alphonse Areola snuffed him out.

The home side needed no further warning.

Declan Rice, Bowen (both left) and Dawson all helped to pile the pressure on as the hosts dominated.

Genk were bending.

Dawson broke them a minute into first-half injurytime, timing his run to perfection to loop his header from Aaron Cresswell’s free-kick over Genk captain Bryan Heynen on the line.

From then on, the points were heading in just one direction.

Diop rammed home his header from another superb Cresswell delivery on 57 minutes and Bowen made sure of the emphatic victory just a minute later.

Irons boss Moyes was then able to rest Rice and Cresswell for Sunday’s match against Spurs.

And he was even able to give highly rated playmaker Daniel Chesters a few minutes right at the end.

The 19-year-old is still finding his feet in a side full of confidence.

He is set to become the latest junior from the Hammers academy, justifying the hype about it.

For now, though, it is the seniors doing the business.

Dawson climbs highest to send his header looping into the net