Marcus Browne was through on goal when the 18-year-old midfielder laid the ball off to Michail Antonio, streaking up the right wing to match Browne’s run of 50 or more yards. Antonio sent Browne’s pass across goal past the post wide. 98 seconds after that potentially crucial second away goal, West Ham conceded from an Astra Giurgiu corner kick, seeing the match finish as a 1-1 draw.
Astra Giuirgiu, the team who knocked West Ham out of the Europa League last season during the playoff stage, displayed pesky resilience once again. The Romanian champions battled back last season to overcome West Ham at Upton Park, 2-1, and 4-3 on aggregate.
It was with relief that the final whistle was met with for the Hammers, stopping a litany of attacks from the Romanian side. A 1-1 draw not the result wanted, but grudgingly accepted by West Ham after a shaky second half defensively could have seen the match slip away further.
Next Thursday, the Hammers will have an away goal in their favour. But, the job is far from over.
Here are my player ratings from the game:
