Daily WHUFC News - 12th March 2017

Cherries pick off Hammers
WHUFC.com

AFC Bournemouth miss two penalties before securing 3-2 Premier League win
over Hammers
Joshua King missed a spot-kick but recovered to score a hat-trick for the
Cherries
West Ham United led through Michail Antonio and levelled through Andre Ayew
late on

West Ham United paid the penalty for failing to take advantage of two missed
AFC Bournemouth spot-kicks to fall to a 3-2 defeat at Vitality Stadium.

The Hammers would have climbed back into the Premier League's top ten with a
point, only to allow Joshua King's hat-trick to condemn them to a first away
defeat of 2017.

An ultimately disappointing game on the south coast featured five goals, two
missed penalties, six yellow cards, 36 goal attempts (16 of them on target)
and seemingly endless talking points.

King had missed a first-half penalty before Michail Antonio fired Slaven
Bilic's side in front. The Bournemouth striker then equalised and scored a
second either side of Benik Afobe's own miss from 12 yards.

Substitute Andre Ayew looked to have snatched a draw seven minutes from
full-time, only for King to win it in the 90th when he slammed the loose
ball high into the net from ten yards.

A breathless first half saw Bournemouth become the first opponent to miss
two penalties in a Premier League fixture against West Ham, and the first
top-flight team since Aston Villa against Wimbledon back in September 1998
to miss two penalties in the opening 45 minutes.

King was the first culprit, firing into the advertising board after Sofiane
Feghouli had been adjudged to have fouled Marc Pugh as he burst into the
box.

Within 48 seconds, the visitors were ahead as Feghouli made amends by
finding the returning Antonio, back after a one-game ban, who controlled and
rolled a low left-foot shot beyond Artur Boruc.

With Bournemouth seemingly shell-shocked, West Ham then assumed control and
missed a succession of presentable opportunities to extend their lead, with
Antonio dragging wide and Manuel Lanzini slamming too high.

Eddie Howe's side gradually got their composure back and, as they continued
to throw players forward with abandon, forced Darren Randolph to save from
Ryan Fraser and Steve Cook.

The home side finally equalised on 31 minutes through King when Norway
forward flicked the ball over Jose Fonte with his right foot before sending
a controlled half-volley into the corner with his left.

Five minutes later and Bournemouth won their second penalty when Fonte was
ruled to have tripped Pugh. However, Afobe's effort was weak and the
Republic of Ireland plunged to his right to hold on safely.

To complete a relentless first half, Boruc then made a fortunate save to
keep out Feghouli's deflected effort with his legs, meaning the two sides
went in as they started - level.

That remained the case for less than three second-half minutes as Afobe
flicked a free-kick into the path of the No17, who swept past a helpless
Randolph to turn the game on its head.

Eyes again turned to Mr Madley as he debated with his assistant - either
over Afobe's handling of the ball or whether King should have been adjudged
offside from the initial free-kick - before awarding the goal.

Bilic responded by sending on Ayew, Robert Snodgrass and, later, Sam Byram.
After both teams had passed up further opportunities - Afobe for Bournemouth
and Antonio and Lanzini for West Ham - the changes looked to have paid off
when Byram crossed for Ayew to score on 83 minutes.

However, King still had time to crown a memorable personal performance when
he was in the right place at the right time to score after Randolph had
saved substitute Jack Wilshere's shot with his left boot.



AFC Bournemouth: Boruc, A.Smith, Francis C, Cook, Daniels, Fraser (Mousset
85), Arter, Gosling, Pugh, King, Afobe (Wilshere 85)

Subs not used: Allsop (GK), Cargill, B.Smith, Gradel, Ibe

Goals: King 31, 48, 90

Booked: Pugh, Afobe, Gosling, Cook



West Ham United: Randolph, Kouyate (Byram 78), Fonte, Reid, Cresswell,
Obiang, Noble C (Snodgrass 58), Feghouli (Ayew 58), Lanzini, Antonio,
Carroll

Subs not used: Adrian (GK), Collins, Masuaku, Fernandes

Goals: Antonio 11, Ayew 83

Booked: Noble, Obiang



Referee: Robert Madley

Attendance: N/A

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Bilic left 'very disappointed'
WHUFC.com

Slaven Bilic left 'very disappointed' by 3-2 Premier League defeat at AFC
Bournemouth
West Ham United led early on and equalised through Andre Ayew with seven
minutes remaining
Manager admitted his team should have played for a draw after leveling at
2-2

Slaven Bilic admitted his side should have played for a draw after leveling
late in their 3-2 Premier League defeat at AFC Bournemouth.

West Ham United clawed their way back into a dramatic game at Vitality
Stadium when substitute Andre Ayew slotted home with seven minutes of the 90
remaining.

However, with a host of attacking starters and substitutes on the pitch, the
Hammers went forward one more time in search of a winner. Rather than
snatching an unlikely victory, the Cherries pick Bilic's side off with a
last-minute winner scored by hat-trick hero Josh King, who had earlier
missed a penalty and scored twice after Michail Antonio had opened the
scoring.

"At the end I definitely felt we should have got something out of it," said
the manager, "but Bournemouth also played good and they showed great
aggression and missed a couple of penalties too.

"We were good when we scored the first goal and then we had a few good
opportunities and situations to maybe go two up, having taken advantage of
their shock at missing the first penalty and then us scoring within a
minute.

"After they scored the second goal, we were really good up until we
equalised. After that, it's hard to concede a goal. When it was 2-2 we
should not have conceded a goal from a counter-attack, basically. We are
disappointed, of course."

West Ham had 15 of a relentless game's 36 goal attempts, and seven of the 16
which were hitting their target, but the manager said his team should have
known not to commit too many men forward as full-time approached.

Instead, Bournemouth threw bodies forward - as they had done all afternoon -
and, when childhood Hammers fan Jack Wilshere's shot was saved superbly by
Darren Randolph, King was on hand to roof the loose ball and break the
hearts of the 1,340 travelling supporters.

"At that moment we went for a third goal but basically with too many
players," Bilic observed. "We were very, very open and we lost the ball and
then it was a good counter-attack from them. Darren made a good save, of
course, but it went to their player and they scored.

"We are disappointed, especially because we had so many chances. At the end
of the day, we scored two goals away from home and we should have got
something out of the game.

"We had been on a good run and had been playing good and we showed good
quality to equalise. We had pressure, but they were always dangerous on the
counter-attack. Basically, when we made it 2-2 they can't score, not from a
counter-attack."

At the end of the day, we scored two goals away from home and we should have
got something out of the game
Slaven Bilic
The manager was asked for his thoughts on referee Bobby Madley's
performance, which involved awarding two spot-kicks to the home side, but
turning down the visitors' appeals for a late penalty when Andy Carroll's
cross hit Adam Smith on the arm.

There was also a debate around Bournemouth's second goal, which was awarded
after Mr Madley had discussed whether King had been offside when Benik Afobe
- whose first-half penalty was saved by Randolph - knocked the ball into his
path with his arm.

"After the second goal, the players asked for the handball, but to be fair
it was a good goal," Bilic said. "From the touchline I could not see it. I
saw it afterwards and it wasn't clear, but for me it wasn't handball."

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Antonio - We needed to be more composed
WHUFC.com

Michail Antonio's ninth goal of the season can't prevent Hammers from
falling to 3-2 loss at AFC Bournemouth
Antonio finished left footed just moments after Josh King missed a penalty
for the hosts
Hammers suffer just second away league defeat since November

Michail Antonio edged closer to double figures for the season with his first
half goal at Bournemouth on Saturday, but his ninth of the campaign is not
one he will remember with any fondness after the Cherries came from behind
to win 3-2.

The Hammers were the beneficiaries of two missed penalties by the Cherries
before the game had even reached half-time, but their luck ran out after the
break as Josh King added to his 31st minute leveller with two more goals to
consign the visitors to defeat.

Antonio was disappointed to end up on the losing team - especially after
they had clawed it back to 2-2 with seven minutes left to play - and said
the Londoners should have closed the game out better.

"It was a dramatic game, but a frustrating one for us," Antonio admitted.
"It was end-to-end stuff and we should have stayed a bit more composed when
we went into the lead - especially as we scored straight after they missed
their pen.

"Bournemouth kept pressing us and working hard. They desperately need the
points right now and they showed some grit and some fight.

"The good thing in football is you always get the chance to put it right, so
we'll go again at home against Leicester and hopefully we can get the three
points then."

Antonio's goal came in the tenth minute, finishing off on his weaker left
side after being set up by Sofiane Feghouli, but he will hope his next
strike comes in a winning cause.

He added: "I always want to score goals, but I always want to win games as
well, so it's disappointing that we've ended up losing.

"It's all about winning games, so it's not the feeling I wanted. I can't
really remember the goal to be honest. I just remember Sofiane passing me
the ball, taking it on my left and it going into the net."

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West Ham boss Slaven Bilic says defeat at Bournemouth was hard to take
By Richard Morgan
Last Updated: 11/03/17 8:04pm
SSN

West Ham United's 3-2 loss to Bournemouth was hard to take after the
visitors has appeared set for a hard-earned point at the Vitality Stadium,
according to manager Slaven Bilic.

The Hammers, who had taken an early lead through Michail Antonio's ninth
goal of the season, found themselves trailing late on after Josh King's
double either side of half-time.

However, despite the Cherries also missing two first-half penalties, West
Ham looked on course for a draw when substitute Andre Ayew scored with just
seven minutes to go, that was until King completed his hat-trick with a
last-minute strike.

Bilic, though, was angry that his players had thrown away a point by getting
caught on the counter-attack going in search of their own winner, with his
defence out of position as a result.

"We are disappointed because first of all when you score two away goals, we
expect to get something out of the game, especially when you equalise a few
minutes before the end of the game," he said.

"It is hard to concede a goal from a counter-attack. Because we were good
when we were on the ball, we went basically with too many players up too
early and we left the right side of our defence completely open for them.

"Then we lost the ball and they made a good counter-attack with good
positions and a good number of players. And we were open and split at the
back and they scored, so it is hard of course to lose like this.

"We could have still gone for the win, but not so early. The players should
be in position and then if we are with the ball, 30 metres from their goal,
I am expecting my defenders to go up and try and win the ball."

West Ham made the perfect start to the game by scoring just 48 seconds after
King had side-footed a ninth-minute penalty wide of the right-hand post.

Bilic, however, thought his team could have taken advantage of their
opponents' emotional struggles at that point by scoring another goal.

"It was a great moment to score the goal because they were in a little bit
of shock because they missed the penalty," he said. "And straight away
instead of 1-0 to them, it is 1-0 to us.

"We had those 10 minutes when we could use that situation and maybe score
another one, but it is never too early to score a goal."

Overall, though, Bilic was pleased with his side's display on the south
coast, with the Croat now targeting a win against champions Leicester City
at the London Stadium next Saturday to make up for this painful loss.

"There were a lot of positives in this performance," Bilic said. "But also,
especially in the first half, they were much more aggressive, they were much
better in the transition and winning the second ball. And that is how they
created the chances.

"In the second half we conceded very early, then after that we played really
good, so of course it is a setback.

"Every defeat is a setback, but we are looking like a really good team and
we have another game next week and we have to make up for today."

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