THIS was as vanilla as it gets from West Ham.
David Moyes still regrets the way his side crumbled in their Europa League semi-final against Eintracht Frankfurt last season as emotions got the better of them.
Red cards. Accusations of corruption. Balls being booted at ball-boys.
Yet ahead of this Europa Conference League quarter final first leg, Hammers boss Moyes also told his men not to lose their aggressive edge, their desire to win. Don’t be vanilla.
Yet vanilla was what the east Londoners offered up, giving Belgium’s KAA Gent real belief they can prevail towards an historic semi-final in a week’s time.
Everton ‘Ings loan bid rejected with Aston Villa only accepting full transfer’
In first half injury time, Danny Ings finally added some flavour to West Ham’s tepid performance with his first European career goal.
But in the end, Moyes and his men head back to the capital with a bitter taste in their mouths. An opportunity wasted. Another game with their frailties fully in the spotlight.
Hugo Cuypers’ 57th minute leveller ends West Ham’s 10-game winning streak in Europe this season, leaving this tie very much in the balance, yet it could and should have been worse.
Gent had West Ham seriously on the ropes with the clock ticking down, bombarding the struggling visitors with shot after shot.
If only the Belgians could have landed a knock-out blow with their 20 attempts at goal.
HOW TO GET FREE BETS ON FOOTBALL
Nigerian wonderkid Gift Orban, 20 – with 14 goals in 12 games in all competitions since joining Gent on January 31 – summed that up, smacking the bar late on.
Confusion reigned in the dying stages as Kamil Piatowski was initially shown a red card for a last-man challenge on Lucas Paqueta, before VAR overturned it.
Moyes went ballistic on the sidelines – the first glimpse of passion from a man donning a West Ham badge all game.
Next week’s second leg at the London Stadium is as big as it gets for Moyes right now.
Crystal Palace ready to rival Everton for Ings as Vieira eyes bargain transfer
Premier League survival is a must, but the chance to win a first major trophy for 43 years is still on the cards, something that may just keep the Scot his job beyond the summer.
Moyes took a risk with his team selection, opting to leave the likes of Paqueta, Tomas Soucek, Michail Antonio and Kurt Zouma on the bench.
The result? A seriously sluggish start from the visitors. Loose passes, a lack of urgency and a hesitancy at the back that gave Gent the impetus to try their luck in attack.
Ben Johnson’s fluffed clearance handed the hosts a fifth corner inside 20 minutes as Jordan Torunarigha headed over before Julien De Sart fired straight at Alphonse Areola.
West Ham were growing frustrated. Flynn Downes and Angelo Ogbonna picked up early yellow cards, while Gent created and wasted more chances.
Against the run of play, Nayef Aguerd appeared to have been gifted an opener in the 39th minute as Gent keeper Davy Roef somehow fumbled a routine corner on his own line.
But not for the first time this match, VAR intervened to spare Roef’s blushes, the ball shown to have been nudged in by Aguerd’s arm.
The first half was trickling to an end only for Gent to fall asleep yet again, this time from a throw-in. Vladimir Coufal’s quick thinking fed Jarrod Bowen alone in the box.
One simple pass across goal and Ings was there to gobble up an empty net. A tap-in, but one the 30-year-old will never forget.
His first goal in Europe in his first start on a European stage since October 2015, for Liverpool under Brendan Rodgers.
All three of Ings’ strikes in West Ham colours, across 12 games in all competitions, have so far come inside the six-yard box. Poacher is as poacher does.
This is exactly what Ings – a £15m January buy from Aston Villa – was brought in to do: score big goals in big moments.
That was about as good as it got for West Ham. A brief improved period after the break quickly faded and Gent could smell a comeback, but first, an equaliser.
Three minutes before the hour mark, some quality interchanges – involving 20-year-old Nigerian wonderkid Gift Orban – ended with Cuypers wiggling his way into the box.
Areola had no chance down to his left, a goal that invigorated the entire stadium.
Almost instantly, Moyes reacted by hauling off Ings and Manuel Lanzini for Antonio and Said Benrahma in an attempt to stem the tide. No such luck.
Orban’s electric pace and surges forward were pushing West Ham deeper and deeper. Skipper Sven Kums soon dragged a shot inches wide of the post.
Gent pressed for the winner, and were unlucky not to find it.
West Ham escaped with a draw and an ongoing 11-game unbeaten stretch, for now.