Bowen double sees West Ham into quarter-finals

West Ham 4 AEK Larnaca 0 (Europa Conference League)

It's to the Best Meze Cafe pre-match where Matt and Lisa only drink white wine. We're joined by Nigel and Lisa's pals Bob and Dan. The menu goes upmarket at night so its falafel, halloumi mushrooms and chips all round. The sad news for Nigel is that his electronic ticket works for once as we join Fraser in the stadium. Michael is away on thespian duties, possibly playing God.

Scamacca starts and gets a good long-distance shot away early on. Then he gets the luck he needed with a tame effort that goes under Piric. That goal should boost his confidence at leasr.

Fornals hits the bar with a rasping effort. Johnson gets out-paced before Areola punches a cross away and then the Irons escape when AEK have a goal disallowed by VAR. But the tie is effectively over when AEK have a Ledes dismissed for a late tackle on Fornals, even though a sporting Pablo pleads for leniency. 

"What sort of number is 99?" asks Nigel, observing Larnaca's Nikolic. "It's Cornet who should be wearing 99," I quip. Behind us are several squeaky-voiced young boys singing "Antonio!" causing us to wonder if Freddie Sears has been allowed out late.

After the break  Scamacca shoots, Piric parries and Bowen fires home the rebound. Two minutes later Jarrod gets his head to a Cresswell cross to score a great goal. The Hammers are disrupted by a series of substitutions, but it's good to see kids Laing and Potts come on and even better when Divin Mubama diverts Soucek's header into the net with a clever finish for his first Hammers goal.

Strange to be relaxed at a West Ham game but a 6-0 aggregate win isn't bad against a limited side. Now for a bigger side in the draw. 

PLAYER RATINGS: Areola 6; Johnson 5, Zouma 6 (Laing 6), Ogbonna 6, Cresswell 7 (Potts 5); Soucek 7, Paqueta 5 (Cornet 5), Lanzini 7, Fornals 6; Bowen 8 (Mubama 7), Scamacca 7 (Ings 6).