SAID BENRAHMA AND Jarrod Bowen fired West Ham into the knockout stages of the Europa Conference League in a 2-1 win over Anderlecht.
The Hammers, last season’s Europa League semi-finalists, ensured a second successive run to the latter stages of continental competition with a fourth win from four Group B matches.
They now need just a point from their last two games, against Danish side Silkeborg and Romania’s FCSB, to ensure they finish top of the group and move straight into the round of 16, avoiding a play-off in February.
However, some of the gloss was taken off their achievement by crowd trouble which required riot police to intervene.
The hosts took the lead in the 13th minute when Anderlecht enforcer Amadou Diawara fouled Benrahma on the edge of the box.
Aaron Cresswell had moments earlier curled a free-kick over but this time he stepped over the ball, allowing Benrahma to whip his shot right-footed over the wall and inside the near post.
After half an hour the Hammers had their second, Emerson Palmieri galloping down the left before pulling the ball back for Bowen to finish from 15 yards.
The goal made Bowen West Ham’s joint leading scorer in Europe with six, alongside Johnny Byrne and David Cross. He should have moved out on his own seven moments later when Cresswell cut the ball back, but the England hopeful missed his kick in front of goal.
Anderlecht, whose boisterous fans lit five flares in the away end, one of which landed near the pitch, threatened to spoil the party when Yari Verschaeren drilled narrowly wide and Sebastiano Esposito forced a fingertip save from Alphonse Areola.
But it was largely plain sailing for the hosts and Pablo Fornals, on at the break for Lucas Paqueta, should have hit a third only to see his shot blocked by Diawara on the six-yard line.
Bowen was given a rest after an hour by David Moyes, with Gianluca Scamacca sent on, and the Italian almost converted a cross from Fornals while Benrahma put a header narrowly wide from Vladimir Coufal’s centre.
It should have been an ultimately comfortable night for West Ham, although the scenes in the stands were depressingly unpleasant.
A pitch invader briefly halted play before missiles were hurled between sets of rival fans including another flare which landed in the home end.
While attentions were focused on the nonsense in the crowd, Anderlecht scored a consolation from the penalty spot through Esposito after a foul by Ben Johnson.
Would love to see him in a Director of Hurling type role. His philosophy on the game and the type of hurling he preaches is exactly where the game needs to be moving.
Nice touch from the Tipp County Board in the way they thanked their man, Cork CB please take note for future statements
Found O’Shea and his players to be very humble in their defeat, the spread was 5 or 6 points. Would be a great for a weaker county if they could snap him up, Laois or Offaly springs to mind.
Laois already have one of the best managers in the game. They might not have the players but that ain’t the manager’s fault.
Laois have the players……but Laois style of play is extremely bad and serious.
Is quite a statement, don’t normally see these things go so ‘passionate’. He did seem to come across in interviews that he was thinking deeper about how he wanted things to be played. In terms of trophies he won’t go down as ‘an all time great’ manager, but if you believe the statement the foundations for success are built, he might get more praise if the trophies start to flow
2 all Ireland’s we won in 14 years! bad tour around for a talented squad
Séamus Callanan’s post-match reaction last Sunday suggesting Tipp’s players would ‘die on the field’ for O’Shea.
Callanan had explained how the NUIG Professor was much more than just a hurling manager to the group.