MOYESIE’S MAARVELS
Hammers show they have the moves
POINT at the ceiling, shuffle those feet, fetch the three-piece white suit from the dry cleaners and jump to the beat.
David Moyes’ threat to perform a dad dance and channelling his inner “disco fever” if West Ham lift a trophy in Europe is alive and well.
For three-quarters of a tense first leg, the Hammers’ crusade to win a first major trophy in 43 years looked like crashing and burning in a disco inferno.
But two goals in eight minutes from Said Benrahma and Michail Antonio gave the Irons a slender advantage to take to Holland next week.
And if Moyes wasn’t exactly throwing shapes like John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever, at least West Ham summoned the willpower to turn a laboured performance into a deserved win.
On a sultry night at the London Stadium, Billy Beane – the man who ‘invented’ Moneyball and a five per cent minority shareholder in Alkmaar – was among the audience.
Beane was the real-life inspiration for Brad Pitt’s character in the movie Moneyball after pioneering the statistics and data behind Major League Baseball team Oakland Athletics’ revival.
Hammers fans heading to Holland for next week’s second leg can be content with the knowledge Moyes has conquered Alkmaar before, ending their unbeaten home record in Europe with Everton in 2007. And his warning that the Dutch dark horses would be no pushovers in the last four here proved horribly prophetic.
Apart from former Brighton keeper Mat Ryan’s fingertip save to divert Benrahma’s curling shot around the post, for an hour chances were few and far between for the Hammers. Alkmaar were hard to break down
and their timewasting enraged the Hammers faithful. And four minutes before the break, they rocked West Ham by taking the lead.
Moyes’ men were convinced they should have had a free-kick for a foul on Lucas Paqueta but referee Halil Umut Meler allowed play to continue and Alkmaar launched themselves upfield.
Tijani Reijnders somehow smuggled his 25-yard shot through flapping keeper Alphonse Areola.
West Ham’s response was flat until they were presented with a gift equaliser midway through the second period. Jarrod Bowen rose to head over the top but Ryan, attempting to punch clear, caught him with a right hook and Benrahma buried the indisputable penalty emphatically, his 11th goal of the season.
Finally armed with the bit between their teeth, the Hammers were in front just eight minutes later.
Nayef Aguerd’s header from Declan Rice’s dinked cross was bundled off the line but Antonio made no mistake from the rebound.
Benrahma, whose twinkling feet troubled the Dutch all night, lifted a great chance to make it 3-1 over the top after a nifty exchange of passes with substitute Danny Ings but there was to be no further drama for Moyes.
WEST HAM (4-2-3-1): Areola 5; Kehrer 5, Zouma 7, Aguerd 6, Cresswell 6; Rice 6, Soucek 5; Bowen 6, Paqueta 6, BENRAHMA 8 (Fornals 90); Antonio 6(Ings 79).
AZ ALKMAAR (4-2-3-1): Ryan 5; Sugawara 6, Beukema 6, Hatzidiakos 7, De Wit 7; Clasie 6, Reijnders 7; Odgaard 5 (Lahdo 68, 6), Mijnans 6, Van Brederode 5 (Mihailovic 79); Pavlidis 6. REFEREE: Halil Umut Meler (Turkey).