MISFIRING BOWEN HAS NUNO SEEING 'UNHAPPY DAYS'

NUNO ESPIRITO SANTO admitted he thought West Ham had three points in the bag when the ball fell to Jarrod Bowen in the dying seconds against Bournemouth.

- BY ANDY SIMS

The Hammers had already had 19 attempts at goal when, deep into stoppage time, Crysencio Summerville burst forward yet again and played in Bowen.

The West Ham skipper was just the player Nuno would have wanted in that situation, 12 yards out with the goal at his mercy.

But Bowen blazed his shot over the crossbar, the match finished goalless and Nuno was left to reflect on missing a glorious chance to give their survival hopes a huge shot in the arm.

"I was praying for that," said the Hammers boss. "What I was thinking, I was seeing three points and happy days."

This was a meeting of two of the Premier League's form clubs, with only Chelsea and Manchester United having earned more points over their previous five league games.

The 18th-placed Hammers could have seriously put the frighteners on the teams above them.