Forest hold out despite late Hammers rally

West Ham 1 Nottingham Forest 2

There's a good turnout in the Best Meze Cafe for the final home match of a largely dismal season. Over chips with varying accompaniments we find Matt, Lisa, Nigel, Michael and his pal Stephen discussing why only journalists refer to Nottingham Forest as the "Tricky Trees" and asking if Palace's Eze belongs to Jesus then does this constitute third-party ownership?

Before the kick-off Aaron Wan-Bissaka receives the Hammer of the Year trophy, a fitting reward for our most successful signing from last summer. Potter has named an unchanged side from the win at Man United, leaving our biggest attacking threats, Paqueta and Fullkrug, on the bench.

West Ham make a great start. Coufal in his final home match, whips in a typical cross and Soucek heads for the top bin only to be thwarted by a great save from Sels. Vladimir Coufal has a shot deflected wide but slowly Forest impose themselves on the game. Gibbs-White controls with his chest and fires in a volley that Areola does well to save.

The Irons' bright start is undone after 11 minutes as Areola tries to play out from the back rather than kick it upfield and his pass goes straight to Gibbs-White who gratefully fires home. If in doubt hoof it. The scorer holding up a tribute shirt to the hospitalised Awonyi.

Areola has to make a decent stop to deny Chris Wood as Forest threaten to score again. Aaron Wan-Bissaka still poses problems on the left but Bowen and Kudus aren't getting anything from Forest's giant centre-backs and at the break it's still one-nil.

VAR TROUBLE

Potter has picked the wrong team and surprisingly doesn't make any changes at half-time. When he does act decisively after 58 minutes, bringing on Paqueta, Fullkrug, Alvarez and Soler, Forest have a free kick on the left. Elanga whips in the dead ball and it's deflected in off Milenkovic's shoulder. There's then a bizarre six-minute VAR stoppage while an offside is debated, with the automated offside lines not working and then a communication breakdown with ref Sam Barrott. After a major time rift in Stratford the goal is given anyway.

At least the VAR debacle gets the home crown going with a chant of "West Ham are massive!" though in truth we've been slightly less than large this season. The side looks a lot better with Fullkrug as a focal point and to the players' credit they keep going. A nice move sees Soler get in a shot that the excellent Sels tips away again.

Suddenly we're back in it after 79 minutes. Paqueta chips into the box and a defensive header falls to Jarrod Bowen who takes a touch with his thigh and swivels to fire an unstoppable volley into the top of the net.

Referee Barrott does his best to keep the atmosphere fervid as he is taken in by a lot of Forest timewasting and lets several blatant fouls go. Todibo, Bowen and Paqueta all lose patience with the ref. Even the Vicar's Son is moved to join in with the chants of "You don't know what you're doing!" and "You're not fit to referee!" 

Guilherme comes on late and troubles Forest with his speed on the left. He gets a shot away but is foiled by a fine block from Williams. At the other end AWB makes a fine block to deny Silva. There's an astonishing 16 minutes of added time as Forest get nervy. At one point the ref completely loses control of the players as there's a big fracas and he's pursued round the pitch like a harassed supply teacher. 

West Ham's final chance comes with a Soler corner and Areola up in the box. Fullkrug rises slightly higher than the Mittal Orbital and gets in a really powerful header, but again Sels punches it away.

So a very solid Forest side hold on and are in with a chance of Champions League football. All that's left is a lap of appreciation from the players as Cressy, Vlad, Fab, Ings and co say goodbye to a half-empty stadium. At least James Ward-Prowse's missus seems good at delivery as Mr and Mrs JWP bring on their four kids.

We head off for a final drink at the Eagle. Matt reveals his extensive knowledge of Highland League football, giving us anecdotes about Stranraer and some team near Banff, leading on to a discussion of Pennan, the setting for Local Hero. The film's theme was written by Mark Knopfler and recently re-recorded with guitar heroes like Brian May and Jeff Beck we learn from Wikipedia, not that any of us are into trivia. Meanwhile Nigel says that he's pleased Halifax haven't made it into the League meaning he's still a member of the 92 Club. Lisa then makes the frankly astonishing suggestion that he should visit a Halifax game for pleasure rather than as a ground to tick off. That will never catch on.

So the home season ends not with a bang but 16 minutes of added time and a VAR timeshift. Clubs like Forest have moved way ahead of WHU and Potter needs to rebuild over the summer and sign some dynamic midfielders, a leader at the back, a young striker and anyone else he can get. Meanwhile we still have to win at relegated Ipswich next week to secure 15th place. Roll on next season.

PLAYER RATINGS: Areola 4; Coufal 6, Kilman 6, Todibo 6, Cresswell 5 (Alvarez 5), Wan-Bissaka 7; Rodriguez 5 (Paqueta 6), Ward-Prowse 5 (Soler 6), Soucek 5 (Fullkrug 6); Bowen 7, Kudus 5 (Guilherme 6).

No doubting Tomas in Hammers comeback win

West Ham 3 Nottingham Forest 2

My pre-match organisation is as haphazard as West Ham's defence, with daughter Nell waiting at Block H and myself loitering outside Hackney Wick station. But a late dash to the London Stadium sees us meet up, along with Fraser, Michael, Matt and Lisa. Nigel is away at Liverpool versus Brentford, having paid an arm and a leg to go on a groundhopping expedition with legendary 'hopper Reg. 

Matt helpfully points out that if West Ham lose today David Moyes will have the record for most defeats as a Premier League manager, beating one Harry Redknapp.  

After the Remembrance Day silence and The Last Post the game begins. West Ham take the lead in the third minute as Dominguez's pass deflects off his own man into the path of Lucas Paqueta, just outside the area. Lucas strides on to confidently place the ball into the corner and do some Strictly-style gyrations before buying a few used motors. Matt is quick to discover that this is West Ham's quickest goal since November 2020.

But Forest look a better team than last season and start to gain possession. Toffolo crosses and Areola has to produce a fantastic one-handed save to deny Awoiniyi. West Ham have a chance to make it two when good work by Kudus and Ward-Prowse sees the Hammers break at speed. But Kudus's pass is slightly underhit and Paqueta's effort is straight at the keeper.

The equaliser, predictably enough, arrives just before the interval. Soucek and Kudos aren't strong enough in a midfield tussle and Gibbs-White is released by a fine-through ball having got beyond Emerson. The Forest man's shot is well-saved by Areola, but he can only palm it out for Awoniyi to tap home.

At half-time we realise that we are without Nigel and his lucky banana, which surprisingly makes little difference to the game. Matt takes a straw poll of predictions. Lisa and myself go for 2-1 to the Hammers, Nell opts for 3-1, while pessimists Matt and Michael predict a 2-1 home defeat. 

The second half begins with some Hammers attacks and also another Forest break, as Elenga sets up Awoniyi for a good chance that he slices wide. Forest take the lead when Aina gets down the right and cuts back for Elanga to lose Coufal and fire into the corner. He celebrates by whipping off his short and GPS Vest in front of the Forest fans and gets a yellow card. 

Elanga may well regret his premature celebration as 123 seconds later the Irons win a corner. Ward-Prowse delivers again and Jarrod Bowen gets between two defenders to rise really well and head home. Game back on.

Moyes takes off Alvarez for Antonio, just to confirm to Fraser that he is a gung-ho gaffer. Kudus is looking tired and playing too deep, but Soucek has a storming last half hour. A bad back-header allows him to nip in and volley against the bar when he should probably score. Then another deep free kick from Ward-Prowse sees him get his head to the ball only to be thwarted by a superb save from Vlachodimos. 

BOUNCING SOUCEK

West Ham win endless corners as the crowd gets behind the Hammers after a quiet first half. The game appears to be drifting towards an entertaining 2-2 draw until the 88th minute when Bowen wins a corner. Ward-Prowse swings in another precision ball to the danger area. Soucek gets between two defenders to send a header firmly into the net and wheels away like a man who has just won a year's supply of Czech potato salad.

There's still time for good control from Chris Wood to set up fellow sub Origi for a shot that Areola tips over the bar as the Hammers see out a nervy seven minutes of added time, with Moyes bringing on Ogbonna and Cresswell to waste time. But the Irons hold on for a much-needed win and move up to ninth place. Absolutely always in doubt.

We head off to the Eagle where Michael muses on the homo-erotic undertones in the anniversary screening of The Tomorrow People he's just seen and Chelsea and Man City trade eight goals on the TV. 

So it's a welcome win before the international break. Not an entirely convincing performance, but the excellence of James Ward-Prowse's delivery (17 dead-ball assists from 2020-2021 onwards), Bowen's goal glut and the renaissance of Soucek as a penalty box threat provide something to build on.

PLAYER RATINGS: Areola 7; Coufal 5, Zouma 6, Aguerd 6, Emerson 5; Alvarez 6 (Antonio 5), Ward-Prowse 8, Paqueta 7 (Cresswell n/a), Soucek 8; Kudus 6 (Ogbonna n/a), Bowen 7.