Daring Hammers give Moyes' Euro story one more thrilling chapter

IN THE final moments before kick-off, after an endless stream of rousing montages had finally run its course and as West Ham’s players huddled so long they had to be reminded by the referee’s whistle of a second leg to play, the London Stadium filled the airtime with a passionate chorus of the chant it has claimed as its own with such glee all year. Champions of Europe, we know what we are.

- Malik Ouzia

At 2-0 down and with the tie surely beyond rescue, it felt like an act of defiance, a resolve to make full use of the cupboard’s goods before their sell-by dates, the final song before the lights would at last be switched on on their European party, with who knows how long until the next.

In truth, last orders had been called on this quarter-final twice; once when Victor Boniface doubled Bayer Leverkusen’s lead late on in last week’s reverse to turn a tall order into a gargantuan one; and before that, when the draw itself was made.

But with what for an hour was a daring, dominant show, West Ham gave the new Bundesliga champions an almighty scare. After Michail Antonio had capped an all-out start with a goal, David Moyes’s side were just one more away from levelling right up until Jeremie Frimpong’s deflected clincher a minute from time extended Leverkusen’s unbeaten run to 44 games.