Moyes rues five-minute Hammer horror show
HOW to damage a dream in five crazy, selfsabotaging, nightmare minutes.
Champions League qualification might have to wait if this is how West Ham react to thoughts of tackling Barcelona and Real Madrid next season.
They have become the new Entertainers – their last four games producing 21 goals. They showed their quality and character. And also their chaotic streak.
But for a series of mistakes, they would have cruised to a comfortable win at St James’ Park.
When David Moyes gathered his West Ham players and staff on Friday to urge one last remarkable push for the top four – and instructed them to enjoy the pressure of the moment – this wasn’t part of the plan.
First a trio of head spinning errors from the visitors. Game, apparently, gone.
Then a stirring two-goal second-half comeback, battering lethargic, jellylegged Newcastle to claim what might have been a valuable point.
But ultimately a 3-2 defeat – after winning their last two games by that scoreline.
It was a five-goal thriller, riddled with mistakes, tactical and possessional superiority going to Moyes, but ruined by a first-half disaster, and late Toon winner from Joe Willock.
Firstly there was Craig
Dawson’s lunging reckless tackle on Brazilian striker Joelinton, after badly misscontrolling the ball.
It was a first touch that wouldn’t have looked out of place in the Sunday League. A right-foot spasm, couldn’t trap a bag of cement stuff, causing a wild scything lunge.
Worst still for Dawson, his foul didn’t kill Newcastle’s momentum, ref Kevin Friend playing advantage, allowing Allan Saint-Maximin to sprint on goal, and sliding a shot at Lukasz Fabianski that led to cock-up No2.
There was Issa Diop getting his feet into a tangle, as Fabianski saved, and conjuring a lovely own-goal finish with his right foot as his swivelled off balance.
Newcastle one up, Dawson sent off as they celebrated. Then even worse to come.
Fabianski effectively throwing a corner kick into his own goal... well dropping a corner at the feet of Joelinton at least, who was ruthless from a yard to put Newcastle two up and, er, cruising.
Friday morning: West Ham rally call in training to claim third place with a win.
Saturday lunchtime: a Hackney Marshes sort of five minutes that made their brilliant, second-half comeback, ultimately
pointless. Moyes will take huge encouragement from what transpired after the break.
It looked like Newcastle had ten men, not West Ham.
He employed an adventurous four-man press on the Toon defensive line that they couldn’t pass through. Diop made up for his earlier error by heading home Jarrod Bowen’s cross.
Then Ciaran Clark handled, Friend awarding the spot-kick after reviewing a pitch-side monitor, and Jesse Lingard converted. Two all. Only one winner, West Ham.
Wrong. Arsenal loanee Willock came off the bench to rescue a win for Bruce, powering a header home from Matt Ritchie’s cross.
A crazy, chaotic game.
The plea from Moyes will be for the Hammers to dust themselves down and capitalise on a decent run-in, including Burnley, Brighton and West Brom.
But the fear is more experienced campaigners like Chelsea when back in League action, will turn the screw. For Bruce, consecutive wins, and surely now a place in the Premier League sealed for next season.
They are nine points ahead of the drop zone. Mind the gap, Fulham.
The United boss is coming through his “most difficult” season in management with a winning flurry. They really are a different proposition with star man Allan SaintMaximin fit. He was subbed off at 2-0 up.
Will the Geordies be able to keep him in the summer? He’s a genuine game changer.
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The fear is that more experienced campaigners like Chelsea, when back in League action, will turn the screw on
West Ham