10-MAN HAMMERS CRUISE HOME
WEST HAM may have been playing in the Pyrenees, but this was by no means an uphill task.
Despite having to play 76 minutes with 10 men after Diafra Sakho was sent off, the Hammers cruised past Lusitans.
Elliot Lee’s first goal for the club booked a Europa League second qualifying round clash against Maltese side Birkirkara — who boast former Italy international striker Fabrizio Micolli in attack.
And the Hammers are set to call upon more of their senior players for that match after fielding teams largely made up of academy players for the games against Lusitans.
In addition, manager Slaven Bilic is likely to take full control of his new side for the first time, too.
After being called disrespectful by rival boss Xavi Roura for not sitting on the bench during the first leg, Bilic took his place in the dug-out for the first time since his appointment last night, but he left West Ham’s academy chief Terry Westley to run things.
However, Westley now expects the Croat to take full control.
‘From this moment on I envisage Slaven will take charge,’ said Westley. ‘The senior players are due back for training from Monday, so I expect more of them to play in the games from now.’
Bilic congratulated his young players as they avoided a potential banana skin. However, one of West Ham’s senior statesmen had a night to forget.
Sakho, last week’s two-goal hero,
PHCIMAGES.COM was shown a straight red card by referee Anders Poulsen for an off-the-ball clash with Moises San Nicholas.
His team-mates, however, did not lose their composure — their 3-0 advantage from the first leg ensuring that panic did not set in.
And the visitors put their place in the second qualifying round beyond doubt in the 21st minute when Lee rolled his effort past Gerardo Rubio to put the English side ahead.
The 20-year- old, son of former England star Robert Lee, celebrated like he was playing in the Europa League final — his first goal for the club obviously meant the world to him. So it should.
WEST HAM (4-4-2): Randolph 6; O’Brien 6.5 (Burke 62), Oxford 8, Tomkins 7, Page 6.5; Jarvis 6.5, Cullen 7, Poyet 7.5, Amalfitano 5 (Parfitt-William 75, 6); Sakho 4, Lee 7.
Subs not used: Spiegel, Westley, Brown, Knoyle, Nasha. Booked: Amalfitano, Cullen. Sent off: Sakho
Man of the match: Oxford.