Birkirkara were magnificent, and were unfortunate to suffer a 5-3 loss on penalties. Let’s relive some of the moments from social media as the action unfolded.
Mark Noble couldn’t wait to taste more European football, but it turned out to be a lot more tricky than he would have originally imagined, I presume.
James Tomkins captained the side, in the absence of Winston Reid. I think it’s fair to say that he got rather too excited about the new away strip…
Having recently played in a pre-season friendly against his former club, Jack Collison may have rediscovered the West Ham nerves within him.
Recent signing Angelo Ogbonna has yet to taste some Europa League action. Let’s hope that he will be featuring in the next round of the competition.
We managed to get the job done in the end though. Ravel Morrison was even keen enough to recognise the greatness of the victory, against the third best team in Malta.
Ex-Hammer Matthew Etherington believes there is lots to be done, and that the introduction of more key players into the first team setup will reap its rewards.
Goalkeeper Adrian continued his comfortable role in between the sticks, as he was victorious in yet another penalty shootout for the Irons.
Mauro Zarate played up front as a lone striker, ahead of Modibo Maiga, and was quick to praise the fans for their support.
Diego Poyet scored the winning penalty, and was as cool as a cucumber. He is already looking forward to the next European tie.
And finally, co-chairman David Gold was delighted with the Hammers advancing. He praised the penalty takers, as all five spot-kicks were buried successfully.
