GIANLUCA SCAMACCA CLIMBED off the bench to give West Ham a 1-0 win at Anderlecht and put them in firm control of Group B in the Europa Conference League.
The Italian scored with a clinical finish to make it three wins from three matches of the third-tier competition for the Londoners and effectively put one foot in the knockout stages.
It needed the £35million signing to do the damage nine minutes after coming on, but the Hammers could have had it wrapped up long before that in Belgium.
David Moyes’ side wasted a host of chances, with Said Benrahma guilty of several glaring misses, but they got the job done and return to London unscathed ahead of Sunday’s derby with Fulham.
Moyes made nine changes to his side from the one that beat Wolves on Saturday and after a quiet opening 15 minutes, the game burst into life as both sides had chances within a minute.
Anderlecht had the first opportunity as they cut the Hammers open down the right and the ball fell to former Wolves striker Fabio Silva, but his goalbound shot was blocked by his team-mate Francis Amuzu.
Moments later Benrahma thought he had scored for the visitors as a loose ball fell to him at the far post and he picked out the top corner but Amadou Diawara made an important goalline clearance with his head.
Benrahma had two more chances before the break, first as he saw an effort blocked from Vladminir Coufa’s cutback and then skying a glaring chance when Jarrod Bowen put it on a plate for him after a surge down the right.
The former Brentford attacker had another effort shortly after the restart when he shot straight at goalkeeper Hendrick Van Crombrugge.
Scamacca, Lucas Paqueta and Declan Rice were introduced after 70 minutes and nine minutes later the former pair combined to break the deadlock.
Paqueta teed up his team-mate, who controlled, turned and found the bottom corner in clinical style.
Having barely been tested, Alphonse Areola produced a brilliant save to keep West Ham in front in the final 10 minutes as Silva, who struggled to find the net at Molineux, thought he had scored with a powerful header but the Frenchman denied him with a brilliant reflex save.
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New presenter from the inner circle no doubt.
@Jeff Nolan: Surprised you’re interested at all in things GAA when you’re flying the colours of a foreign football team from a foreign country. “Inner circle”….. Give us a break!!!! Can’t understand people getting off on conspiracy theories!!
@Jerriko17: it is possible to follow a number of different sports!!!!
@Vinnie Cooney: Jeeeez.. That never occurred to me!!! Maybe RTE should appoint someone from MOTD to keep ye happy!!!
@Jerriko17: more than one sport out there. Expand your horizons.
@Jeff Nolan: never heard of him
@Jeff Nolan: Duh… I know there’s lots of sports!!!! I also know that most RTEs sports reporters, presenters and journalists served their time in other radio/tv stations, newspapers etc, , national and local. Its a grand number, granted, and probably why it generates all the begrudgery!!!…. same applies to most TV and radio stations but “Inner circle” conspiracy theories is a load of tosh!!!! Imo!! & no, I or anyone I know doesn’t work there!!!
Sad day for the parish. I’m going to miss his insightful commentary.
@Keith Duffy: what now
@Garreth mc mahon: ??
Yeah fair play.. time for a change
Rte gave this news to me as a breaking news notification on my phone. I thought he had died when it came up. But anyway…….it will be sad to see leave.
@Claire King: turn off notifications so
Hope he doesn’t forget to bring his hair dye
Joanne is good. She got a bit of grief when she started which was unfair but she has really grown into the role.
@Sean: agh come on ,no need for that sacrism here.
She tries her best.
Be good if it was Damien Lawler.
Anyone but JC
@Peter Roche: he played well for Portumna the weekend though?!
Don’t want to be loading the place up with too many Kerry lads, but Dara O Cinneide would be my choice. Proven host on TG4 and actually knows what he’s on about
@Summer Bay Devil: agree with you., he’s very good but wouldnt want to see him leave tg4
Sunday nights loss,Saturday and Sunday afternoon’s gain. Great reporter on a lot of sports
Wonder what female presenter is gonna take over for him….
Give it to Dalo. Be craic then for sure
@Sean Nihill: I think Dalos analysis is brilliant so I don’t think the presenting chair would suit him as you wouldn’t get much in the way of analysis as he’ll only be asking questions of other pundits. Anyway he has a busy pub to run :)
@Joe Markham: like wen they had spillane presenting the show in the 90s. Good pundit, not a good presenter.
Sean O Rourke is being lined up
Anna Geary or Ursula Jacob for sure