David Moyes has been left angry as a West Ham fan stops own team’s counter attack invading the pitch during Thursday’s Europa League game.
At the time of the pitch invasion, West Ham were level with Lyon and pushed on with the Hammers on the break after Michail Antonio started the attack.
He lost possession with Pablo Fornals eventually picking out Declan Rice, who returned the ball to the Spaniard.
It looked like a promising attack, with the hosts desperately searching for a goal. However, the move was stopped after a supporter entered the field of play, much to the frustration of West Ham players and Moyes.
West Ham are drawing 1-1 at home, need a goal, on the counter-attack and one of their fans run on the pitch…🤦♂️ pic.twitter.com/YhHfIxDIBN
— Theo (@Thogden) April 7, 2022
As seen in the clip, referee Felix Zwayer blew his whistle to halt the game, with the West Ham players’ reaction summing up the situation.
Fornals and Ben Johnson fumed at the fan for running on the pitch while Ryan Fredericks had some choice words aimed at the culprit.
David Moyes was expressed his disbelief, throwing his arms up as to say who and why would they do such a thing at a point where West Ham were trying to take the lead.
Speaking after the game, he slammed the person who ran onto the pitch.
‘I was baffled,’ said the West Ham boss. ‘This is a really good football club doing so many good things.
‘But those things tonight didn’t help, we were on a counter-attack with an opportunity to score.’
His side, playing in the quarter-finals of a major European competition for the first time in 41 years, were up against it after seeing Aaron Cresswell controversially sent off for a foul on Moussa Dembele before half time.
The decision could have left West Ham with a mountain to climb ahead of the second leg in the French city next week.
But Jarrod Bowen got his second goal in as many matches after a month out injured to put the 10-men ahead before Tottenham loanee Tanguy Ndombele got Lyon level.
A draw keeps West Ham’s dream of a place in the semi-finals, against either Barcelona or Eintracht Frankfurt, alive.
Moyes was booked by German referee Felix Zwayer for protesting about the red card at the break, but refused to be drawn on the official or the decision.
He added: ‘The only thing I’m going to say is there was a tackle on Bowen which was a foul. It was the same phase of play as the red card, and I would have expected VAR to do something about it.
‘I’m certainly not going to talk about the referee, not at all.
‘It was not a good performance by us but it was a resilient performance in the second half with 10 men.
‘We didn’t have much of the ball in the second half. Technically they were very good, but we defended well and made it hard for them.’
‘I think the games in Europe, the way they are played, we’ve moved on from soft free-kicks in this country,’ said Moyes.
‘I think the refs we have had have been good and allowed the game to flow. But this game never got the chance to flow.
‘We’ve got a really difficult game to come, but we expected that. The first leg is always difficult and hard to get a defining result.
‘The game is very much all to play for, at half-time I would have taken that.’
Twitter users reacted with David Moyes left angry as a West Ham fan stops his own team’s counter attack invading the pitch…
@thespursweb: Only West Ham would have their own fans invade the pitch on a counter attack and stop the play 😭
@Bonesy81: Ridiculous levels of fitness from these pitch invaders, making it the whole way from the west ham stand to the pitch.
@VizehYT: I hope the lad that ran on pitch for that West Ham counter gets tied to a lamp post outside ground
@StaceyLittle: To the so called ‘West Ham fan’ who run onto the pitch when we were on the attack. I wholeheartedly mean this…. You’re a cock!!!!
@billyhammer4eva: This is what happens @WestHam when you let fans buy 6 extra tickets and dish them out to their coke head mates that don’t ever turn up to games. They run on the fucking pitch when we break away and have one of our best chances to score. Whoever you are your at utter ✊💦⚒ COYI ⚒
@MitchCotts: Got start giving massive fines out for these dick heads who keep doing this
@JimODonnell6: Who are these pitch invaders at sporting events?! At West Ham last night there were two! You ruin the game for everyone you selfish shits!
@HammerInManny: That fan that ran on the pitch during a West Ham attack is a fucking prick.
@mattbourne93: Dunno what’s more unforgivable. The decision to send Cresswell off or the bloke who invaded the pitch when West Ham countered. Still all to play for and proud of the team tonight, still got a result when everything looked against them. Shows the togetherness of this squad ⚒
@dannypo187: What the fuck are these West Ham fans doing running on the pitch when they’ve got the ball hahaha
@bocreacts: ban that prick for life. how can you call yourself a west ham fan and run on the pitch like that. bastard. #WHUOL
@lisajune1980: WTF you pricks running on to the pitch fucking grow up…. @westham sort it 😡😡😡😡🤬🤬🤬
@MUFC_redarmy99: So a West Ham fan ran on the pitch, in the middle of a West Ham attack and he’ll now probably be banned for life. All of that for 2 seconds on the TV 😭
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