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West Ham beat Fiorentina to win Europa Conference League

By primenewsghana
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West Ham won the Europa Conference League in dramatic fashion, with Jarrod Bowen scoring a 90th-minute winner.

One-one-one with the goalkeeper, Bowen got the ball over his legs and into the net to send the travelling Hammers fans into delirium.
It ends a 58-year wait for the club's second major European trophy - plus a 53-year drought without any major honours - and came at the end of an end-to-end second period which followed a tense, goalless first half.

While Fiorentina dominated possession in that first half, West Ham's defence limited them to few clear chances. Nikola Milenkovic headed over from a corner when he was unmarked and should have done better, but it was another corner in the first half which proved more consequential.

As Cristiano Biraghi prepared to take a corner, he was struck on the head as West Ham fans showered Fiorentina's captain with plastic tankards. It drew blood and lead to a pause in the match, during which some Irons players pleaded for calm.
La Viola almost made their dominance count in first-half stoppage time when Christian Kouame headed onto the post, but Luka Jovic was offside before he scored with a diving header on the rebound.

West Ham broke the deadlock from the penalty spot, with a helping hand from a VAR review which penalised Biraghi for accidentally handling in the box. Said Benrahma sent the goalkeeper the wrong way with the spot kick.

The lead was held for only five minutes, however, as Giacomo Bonaventura equalised for Fiorentina in style. With one touch he collected a knockdown and with the next he rifled the bouncing ball into the far corner.

Both teams had chances to win it thereafter but it was Bowen, after beating the offside trap being set up by the quiet-until-then Lucas Paqueta, who took his and decided the final.


Eurosport