West Ham 2 FCSB 1: Hammers fans pay tribute to The Queen after death on sombre European night at London Stadium
WEST HAM paid tribute to The Queen at the London Stadium hours after Her Majesty’s passing.
Both the Hammers and FCSB held an impeccably-observed minute’s silence for The Queen before fans sang God Save the Queen.
West Ham put a photo of Her Majesty on the big screen, before also showing the moment The Queen handed West Ham legend Bobby Moore the World Cup trophy in 1966.
On the pitch David Moyes’ side avoided another European defeat against Romanian opposition after a second-half fightback.
The Hammers suffered successive woeful losses against Romania’s Astra Giurgiu in the qualifying stages of the Europa League back in 2015 and 2016.
And they were on course for a similar result in their opening group tie of the Europa Conference League against FCSB after Andrei Cordea’s 34th-minute strike.
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But half-time sub Bowen netted from the spot in the 69th minute before Emerson Palmieri and Michail Antonio made sure of the points late on.
Moyes’ men have endured a torrid start to the campaign, winning just one of their first six Premier League outings.
And despite the victory, this performance will do their confidence little favours against an FCSB side currently 13th in the Romanian top flight with only one win in seven.
Skipper Declan Rice returned to Euro duty having served his two-match ban for accusing an official of corruption during last season’s Europa League semi-final collapse to Eintracht Frankfurt.
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Summer signing Flynn Downes partnered him in midfield for a maiden start in a West Ham shirt, while Gianluca Scamacca led the line having recovered from illness.
Ben Johnson and Aaron Cresswell were left out of the squad again through injury, but having nursed a thigh problem, Craig Dawson made the bench.
The hosts enjoyed some early possession and early chances but Scamacca was wasteful against a combative centre-back pairing of Joyskim Dawa and Joonas Tamm.
Visiting keeper Stefan Tarnovanu was barely tested as FCSB gained confidence through Andrea Compagno’s flicked header from a corner.
FCSB then took the lead with 11 minutes remaining of the half, making the most of some sloppy defending as Darius Olaru found Andrei Cordea at the far post to tap home.
An angry Moyes made a triple substitution at the break, axing Scamacca, Said Benrahma and Manuel Lanzini for Bowen, Antonio and Lucas Paqueta.
It paid off. Maxwel Cornet won a dubious penalty after being taken out by Tarnovanu from an Emerson dink and Bowen stepped up to find the top corner.
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Cornet was forced off following the collision, but West Ham continued to attack and Emerson snuck in at the near post to stab into the net in the 74th minute.
The flattering lead could have been far greater were it not for some stunning saves by Tarnovanu, only to finally be beaten by Antonio in injury time.