IT’S BAY BYE FOR MOYES
Brave Hammers’ Euro adventure is over
CLOSE, but no cigar. West Ham’s crusade in Europe is over, but it took a cruel deflection to extinguish the flame.
Hammers boss David Moyes hoped the newly-crowned German champions would still be leggy after their title celebrations four days earlier, and for 45 minutes his wish was granted.
Leverkusen were rocked by Michail Antonio’s early goal but any assessment of the Irons’ 37th European tie in three seasons must include the admission that, over the two legs, they fell just short in the final third.
But it took former Celtic winger Jeremy Frimpong’s 89th-minute equaliser, which took a huge deflection off Aaron Cresswell, to seal Bayer’s passage into the Europa League semi-finals.
West Ham have enjoyed some memorable nights in Europe on
BAYER LEVERKUSEN WIN 3-1 ON AGG
Moyes’ watch, but only twice in their history – against Den Haag (in 1976) and Castilla (1980) – had they retrieved a two-goal deficit from the first leg.
The Bundesliga winners were on a 44-match unbeaten run but Moyes believed the Hammers could puncture Leverkusen’s invincible season, and his programme notes featured a calls to arms.
“We all want to continue this European journey,” he said.
“This season has been the toughest of our three campaigns so far, but we all want to make it part of this club’s DNA.”
The early goal West Ham craved took just 13 minutes to materialise.
The Germans had already been guilty of sloppiness when, from Jarrod Bowen’s diagonal cross, Antonio barged between Bayer keeper Matej Kovar and dithering centre-back Odilon Kossounou to head in.
Bowen almost levelled the tie on aggregate from a Mohammed Kudus cross but his volley was blocked by Kovar’s feet and then it all kicked off.
Moyes had accused the Leverkusen coaching chorus line of “disgraceful” conduct to get Lucas Paqueta booked – and suspended for the return leg – after the Hammers’ late collapse in the BayArena.
When Billy McKinlay, the Hammers’ senior coaching lieutenant, got involved in another spat with the away bench here, he was shown a red card along with Sebastian Parrilla, one of
Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso’s backroom staff.
When referee Jose Maria Sanchez’s back was turned, as he dealt with the squabbling factions in the dugouts, a rolling maul developed on the pitch.
But gradually the German champions gained a measure of control and the Irons’ onslaught became more sporadic.
Bowen went close again but Frimpong’s equaliser was as cruel as it was fortuitous, and now Moyes’ only route back to Europe will be through a topseven finish in the Premier League.
WEST HAM (4-3-3): Fabianski 7; Coufal 7 (Johnson 84), Zouma 7, Aguerd 6 (Ogbonna 45, 6), Cresswell 6; Ward-Prowse 6, Soucek 6, Alvarez 7 (Cornet 84); Bowen 6, ANTONIO 8, Kudus 7.
BAYER LEVERKUSEN: Kovar 5; Stanisic 6, Kossounou 3 (Tapsobah 29, 7), Tah 7, Hincapie 6; Palacios 6, Xhaka 5; Tella 6 (Frimpong 46, 7), Wirtz 7 (Andrich 87), Grimaldo 6 (Adli 68, 6); Schick 5 (Boniface 46, 6).
REFEREE: Jose Maria Sanchez (Spain) 4.