Genk Spoil Moyes' Day With 2-2 Draw!

With all the build up to Thursday evening's game focusing on David Moyes' 1000 game as a manager, it was perhaps easy to overlook how determined Genk would be to put right their 3-0 defeat at the London Bowl earlier on in the competition. Genk were at it from the get go and raced into the lead with a sharply taken goal that Alphonse Areola won't want to see again before many supporters had taken their seats, Hammers were dreadful and the three at the back system initially deployed proved to be awful and was changed midway through the first half to a much more reliable and effective back four.

This was an end to end game and very entertaining for the neutral, especially so after Moyes sent his players back out for the 2nd half with a flea in their ears! Cometh the hour, cometh the Algerian, Said Benrahma, often on the receiving end of the Moyes glare, was at his imperious best, his brace would have won the game for the Irons but for Tomas Soucek's unfortunate own goal in the dying minutes.

Benrahma's 2nd goal was worthy of winning the match, it was an exquisite piece of individual brilliance that confirmed what a talent he is and how he is growing into the team. What was not so pleasing was the team's profligacy in front of goal, as well as a whole barrow load of bad luck, on another night it could have been 5-3 to the Irons! Goal line clearances and good saves kept Genk in it during the 2nd half, but they never gave up and were ultimately rewarded for their late pressure with the own goal from an out of sorts Tomas Soucek.

Hammers had so many opportunities to put the tie to bed, but alas it was not to be. Tonight we saw the good, the bad and the ugly from West Ham, it was after all a draw, but it didn't half feel like a defeat! At least the team is still undefeated in Europe and still on the way to topping their group, but make no mistake, this was NOT the result David Moyes wanted today.

Moyes was extremely positive in his post match presser, much more so than he would have been in the past, don't tell him to his face, but maybe he is mellowing?