Although 32,000 tickets have been sold the crowd is a lot less as thanks to the train strike most fans from Essex haven't turned up, while the Central line is also dodgy and a tube strike is due for Friday. Diehards Matt and Lisa have been in the Best Cafe beforehand while Fraser is also there early. Michael is away spending more time with his musicals, perhaps fearing that West Ham are playing a team of cyborgs from The Terminator.
There's a good contingent of away fans living Danishly, bouncing up and down, going topless and chanting throughout what is apparently the biggest game in their history.
It's an experimental side with Scamacca and Cornet starting and Conor Coventry and Harrison Ashby getting games, plus a welcome return for Angelo Ogbonna. Viborg are fielding Grot, perhaps as a tribute to all the Grot we've seen at the London Stadium over the years. And in one of the few positive things to come out of Brexit, Viborg have been unable to get visas for two of their African players thanks to government red tape.
Early on Scamacca tests the keeper and after being released by Ashby, Bowen cuts inside to chip over the keeper and just wide. A tardy Nigel then arrives, having walked from Cambridge Heath, carrying a huge sausage, perhaps in place of his lucky banana. The Irons take the lead as Cornet twists his full-back one way, then another, and sends over a perfect cross from Scamacca to rise above his defender and power home a header. Hopefully the first of many.
Macca has another long-range effort saved, but Viborg have chances too, shooting just wide and then causing Areola to race smartly from his goal to foil a one-one-one with Grot. At the other end Ashby forces Lund to tip over a fierce shot.
BOWEN SCORCHER
The game seems safe after 64 minutes as Bowen latches on to a loose ball and scores with a quick low shot from distance, fooling Lund, who was probably expecting a pass. Kehrer, Benrahma and Antonio come on but the triple substitution unsettles West Ham a little, as almost immediately Viborg get in a cross from the left. Our defence has not been expecting Mr Bonde, who scores with an unopposed header.
Areola has to make an excellent tip-over to prevent a Viborg equaliser. Thankfully Benrahma carries on his good from from the Forest match, making a great run down the left, getting to the byline and pulling back for Antonio to tap home. We've seen three key players get off the mark in Scamacca, Bowen and Antonio, which should be good for the Brighton game.
After the final whistle we make an unusually quick exit to the Olde Black Bull with Matt's mate Steve. There's no Titanic Plum Porter, though a pint of Tribute goes down well. Then it's a dash with Nigel to the Central line and a quick discussion about Wainwright bagging before he departs for a long day's journey into night back to Kew.
Always good to secure the first win of the season and Scamacca has now scored more than Simone Zaza. There's still work to do in the second leg but a two-goal lead should be enough. Irons!
PLAYER RATINGS: Areola 7; Ashby 6, Johnson 6, Ogbonna 6 (Kehrer 6), Coufal 6; Soucek 5, Coventry 5 (Downes n/a), Lanzini 5 (Fornals 6); Cornet 7, Bowen 7 (Benrahma 7), Scamacca 7 (Antonio 7).
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