London-based side, West Ham overcame an almost 60-year wait for a European trophy after Jarrod Bowen secured late to secure a 2-1 win over Fiorentina in the Europa Conference League final.
Bowen sped on to connect to Lucas Paqueta’s brilliant pass in the 90th minute before slotting a shot past Pietro Terracciano to earn the Hammers a 2-1 victory over Fiorentina in Prague on Wednesday.
Africa Today News, New York reports that the hard fought win secured West Ham’s first piece of silverware since the 1980 FA Cup and their first European trophy in 58 years.
Bowen told BT Sport: “You always say you want to score in the last minute and to do it here in front of these fans. I thought I was going to cry”.
‘I’m so happy. We haven’t had the best season, myself included, but to do it tonight, I’m over the moon,’ he said.
‘I think in my position you make that run 10 times you might get that ball once. As soon as you get it you’ve got to put it away.’
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Bowen had earlier won the penalty from which Said Benrahma opened the scoring but Giacomo Bonaventura equalised just four minutes later for the Serie A side Fiorentina.
Fiorentina had no answer to Bowen’s goal despite nearly eight minutes of injury time being played, setting off wild celebrations among the West Ham players as they danced in front of their fans after winning the London club’s second-ever European title and the first since the old European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1965.
West Ham only finished 14th in the Premier League but went unbeaten through its European campaign, coming through qualifying before winning 12 out of 13 games in the tournament. The win also means the team earns a berth in the Europa League next season.
‘I’ve had a long career in football and you don’t get many moments like this,’ said West Ham coach David Moyes, whose job was under threat earlier in the season as the team was struggling near the relegation zone in the league.
Moyes became the first Scottish coach to win a UEFA competition since 2008 when Alex Ferguson claimed his second Champions League title with Manchester United.
Fiorentina dominated possession in the first half and nearly took the lead just before the break when Christian Kouame’s header bounced off the post. Luka Jovic headed home the rebound but the goal was disallowed for offside.
Fiorentina has been waiting even longer than West Ham for a European title, having also won the Cup Winners’ Cup in 1961.