West Brom 1 West Ham 3 - Report

After more than 14 months - and having missed 25 home matches - 5,371 Baggies supporters finally got to see their team in the flesh in the penultimate Premier League game of the season.

Those inside the ground were treated to a thrilling game of football that saw both teams create numerous goalscoring opportunities.

It was Albion who opened the scoring when Matheus Pereira whipped in a corner which Tomas Soucek nodded into his own net - with the goal credited to the Brazilian because his effort was on target.

Soucek then pulled the Hammers level in first-half stoppage time.

After the interval, Pereira and Semi Ajayi both had decent chances to put the Baggies back in front.

But it was the Hammers who showed they had more composure in front of goal with Angelo Ogbonna and Michail Antonio netting late on to clinch the points for David Moyes' side.

Report

In press conferences leading up to the game, Baggies boss Sam Allardyce had stressed on multiple occasions how eager he was to secure a win in front of Albion's supporters.

And his team selection reflected that with the boss ditching the 4-4-1-1 formation that had proved effective against Liverpool for a more dynamic 4-3-3 system.

Fresh from scoring against the Reds, Hal Robson-Kanu continue as the lone centre-forward with Pereira on the right and Matt Phillips on the left.

In midfield, Okay Yokuslu sat in the holding role with Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Conor Gallagher slightly more advanced.

West Ham were dealt a blow in the warm-up when goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianksi picked up a knock and had to be replaced by Darren Randolph.

Sticking with their familiar 4-2-3-1 system, Jesse Lingard operated in the number 10 role just behind central striker Michail Antonio.

Said Benrahma got the nod on the left flank with Pablo Fornals on the right.

The Hawthorns was bouncing as the game got underway with the fans inside the stadium greeting the referee's whistle with a monumental roar.

Albion, though, should have been behind inside the opening two minutes when a dreadful backpass from Semi Ajayi sent Antonio charging through on goal.

The striker looked destined to score but as he went to go around Johnstone, the goalkeeper bundled him to the floor - with referee Michael Oliver immediately pointing to the spot.

Rice, though, smashed the resultant penalty against the post - with the subsequent roar from the crowd loud enough to be heard across the Black Country.

The game continued to be tense, frantic and entertaining from that point.

Benrahma hit a rasping drive from 25-yards that Johnstone had to tip over the bar.

At the other end, Pereira powered a strike wide from a similar distance.

But as the half-hour mark approached, the Baggies started turning up the heat.

And they opened the scoring when Pereira delivered a corner that he whipped right underneath the crossbar.

Unsure how to clear it, Soucek then headed the ball into his own net.

But as Pereira's delivery was on target, it was the Brazilian who was given the goal - much to the delight of the home crowd.

With the wind in their sails, Albion went pressing for a second.

And they almost got one when Robson-Kanu was brought down on the edge of the box by Angelo Ogbonna.

From the free-kick, Conor Townsend saw his shot hit the wall.

But the ball then fell for Pereira who swivelled in the box before seeing his shot expertly tipped over by Randolph.

As half-time approached, the momentum swung back towards West Ham with Lingard dancing past Bartley and into the box before curling a strike inches wide.

But inside two minutes of stoppage time, the Hammers did pull level.

A flowing attacking move ending with Benrahma sending in a low cross. And waiting to tap it home at the back-post was Soucek who, just two yards out, couldn't miss.

It was the visitors who started the second-half on the front foot with Fornals collecting the ball in the box before curling a strike narrowly wide.

The Baggies hit back though and almost got themselves back in front in the 55th minute.

After Pereira won a corner with some outrageous skill, a huge goalmouth scramble ended with Ajayi poking the ball towards goal.

Randolph, though, was equal to it and did well to get down and keep the ball out with his legs.

The game was now end-to-end with the Hammers threatening next when Soucek flashed a header wide from a corner.

West Ham then hit the post when - from a free-kick - Aaron Cresswell spotted that Johnstone was anticipating a cross rather than a shot.

Despite being 35-yards out, the defender then curled a wonderful effort at goal that clipped the base of the post before sailing wide.

Allardyce made his first change with 20 minutes to go - Grady Diangana coming on to face his former side at the expense of Maitland-Niles.

But in the 81st minute, the visitors got themselves in front.

After Johnstone made a good save to keep out a Fornals strike, West Ham swung in a corner.

And it was Ogbonna who nodded in after Yokuslu switched off at the back post.

Allardyce responded by throwing on another forward with Karlan Grant replacing Yokuslu.

It was the Hammers who scored again, though, in the closing minutes of the game.

With the Baggies having thrown men forward, Gallagher lost possession in the middle of park.

Moyes' men then broke three on two with Lingard finding Antonio in the box who fired in.

Teams

Albion (4-3-3): Johnstone, Furlong, Ajayi, Bartley, Townsend, Yokuslu (Grant 85), Gallagher, Maitland-Niles (Diangana 69), Phillips, Pereira, Robson-Kanu (Diagne 89).

Subs not used: Button, Peltier, O'Shea, Gardner-Hickman, King, Robinson.

West Ham (4-2-3-1): Randolph, Cresswell, Ogbonna, Dawson, Coufal, Soucek, Rice, Benrahma (Bowen 72), Lingard, Fornals (Diop 89), Antonio.

Subs not used: Trott, Balbuena, Yarmolenko, Noble Fredericks, Johnson, Odubeko.

Attendance: 5,371