West Ham Utd 4-3 Huddersfield Town

  • by Staff Writer
  • Saturday, 16th March 2019

West Ham somehow came from 3-1 behind to secure all three points against the Premier League's bottom club, in a thrilling affair in Stratford.

Huddersfield, who had scored just 15 league goals all season prior to this afternoon took advantage of some dreadful defending by the Hammers to score three goals in a game for the first time since February last year.

However a late flurry from West Ham - including a brace of headers for super-sub Javier Hernandez - meant Manuel Pellegrini's side secured all three-points on a crazy afternoon in east London.

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West Ham could've been awarded a penalty before the goalscoring even began, when the ball clearly struck the hand of a Town defender as Pablo Zabaleta drove into the penalty box with just six minutes on the clock.

However the Hammers didn't have to wait too long until being afforded an opportunity to strike. As Manuel Lanzini surged towards goal his run was clumsily halted by debutant Rowe - leading to a spot kick , which Mark Noble once again dispatched with aplomb.

With West Ham having barely finished celebrating the game's opening goal the Terriers drew level through an unchallenged Bacuna, who converted a corner with his head as West Ham's defenders looked on and watched.

And to the surprise of everyone inside the stadium - including Town's long-suffering travelling supporters - Huddersfield took the lead on the half hour mark when Karlan Grant profited again from a lack of marking by West Ham at a set piece.

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If that goal was a surprise, then Grant's second goal of the day for Jan Siewert's side was a complete shock. 20 minutes into the second half the former Charlton forward burst past both of West Ham's central defenders before taking aim and firing a superb effort beyond Lukasz Fabianski.

Stunned at falling further behind, West Ham rarely looked like narrowing the gap until Angelo Ogbonna atoned for his earlier error on 75 minutes by climbing highest before converting a corner with a well-placed header.

And there was pandemonium in the stands eight minutes later when substitute Samir Nasri won possession before drilling a deep cross to the far post, where fellow sub Javier Hernandez was waiting to send the ball beyond Jonas Lossl with a diving header to make it 3-3.

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Not content with taking a point, both sides pressed forward in search of a winner. Jason Puncheon should've won the game for Huddersfield when presented with a golden opportunity but he could only fire over with only Fabianski to beat.

West Ham, by contrast, were in no mood to be as profligate and Anderson's cross 'into the mix' saw Hernandez reach the ball narrowly before Lossl and flick it over the advancing 'keeper's head to give West Ham a most unexpected three points.

The win ensures West Ham remain ninth in the Premier League, now just two points behind seventh placed Wolves, who play in the FA Cup this weekend have a game in hand.


West Ham Utd: Fabianski, Zabaleta, Diop, Ogbonna, Cresswell, Rice, Noble (Nasri 59), Antonio (Hernandez 46), Lanzini, Felipe Anderson, Arnautovic (Perez 68).

Subs not used: Adrian, Balbuena, Masuaku, Snodgrass.

Goals: Noble (pen 15), Ogbonna (75), Hernandez (83, 90+1).

Huddersfield Town: Lossl, Smith, Kongolo, Bacuna (Puncheon 70), Mooy, Lowe, Grant (Mounie 70), Pritchard, Stankovic, Durm, Rowe (Billing 55).

Subs not used: Hamer, Zanka, Hadergjonaj, Daly.

Goals: Bacuna (17), Grant (30, 65).

Referee: Jonathan Moss.

Tickets sold: 59,931.

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