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    Gent 1 West Ham 1: Hammers throw away lead with Europa Conference League quarter-final on a knife edge despite Ings goal

    THIS was as vanilla as it gets from West Ham.David Moyes still regrets the way his side crumbled in their Europa League semi-final against Eintracht Frankfurt last season as emotions got the better of them.
    Danny Ings fired West Ham into the lead against GentCredit: Rex
    He pounced from close-range in first half stoppage timeCredit: Reuters
    Red cards. Accusations of corruption. Balls being booted at ball-boys.
    Yet ahead of this Europa Conference League quarter final first leg, Hammers boss Moyes also told his men not to lose their aggressive edge, their desire to win. Don’t be vanilla.
    Yet vanilla was what the east Londoners offered up, giving Belgium’s KAA Gent real belief they can prevail towards an historic semi-final in a week’s time.
    In first half injury time, Danny Ings finally added some flavour to West Ham’s tepid performance with his first European career goal.
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    But in the end, Moyes and his men head back to the capital with a bitter taste in their mouths. An opportunity wasted. Another game with their frailties fully in the spotlight.
    Hugo Cuypers’ 57th minute leveller ends West Ham’s 10-game winning streak in Europe this season, leaving this tie very much in the balance, yet it could and should have been worse.
    Gent had West Ham seriously on the ropes with the clock ticking down, bombarding the struggling visitors with shot after shot.
    If only the Belgians could have landed a knock-out blow with their 20 attempts at goal.
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    Nigerian wonderkid Gift Orban, 20 – with 14 goals in 12 games in all competitions since joining Gent on January 31 – summed that up, smacking the bar late on.
    Confusion reigned in the dying stages as Kamil Piatowski was initially shown a red card for a last-man challenge on Lucas Paqueta, before VAR overturned it.
    Moyes went ballistic on the sidelines – the first glimpse of passion from a man donning a West Ham badge all game.
    Next week’s second leg at the London Stadium is as big as it gets for Moyes right now.
    Premier League survival is a must, but the chance to win a first major trophy for 43 years is still on the cards, something that may just keep the Scot his job beyond the summer.
    Moyes took a risk with his team selection, opting to leave the likes of Paqueta, Tomas Soucek, Michail Antonio and Kurt Zouma on the bench.
    The result? A seriously sluggish start from the visitors. Loose passes, a lack of urgency and a hesitancy at the back that gave Gent the impetus to try their luck in attack.
    Ben Johnson’s fluffed clearance handed the hosts a fifth corner inside 20 minutes as Jordan Torunarigha headed over before Julien De Sart fired straight at Alphonse Areola.
    West Ham were growing frustrated. Flynn Downes and Angelo Ogbonna picked up early yellow cards, while Gent created and wasted more chances.
    Against the run of play, Nayef Aguerd appeared to have been gifted an opener in the 39th minute as Gent keeper Davy Roef somehow fumbled a routine corner on his own line.
    Gent’s Hugo Cuypers then struck home after the restart to secure a drawCredit: AP
    But not for the first time this match, VAR intervened to spare Roef’s blushes, the ball shown to have been nudged in by Aguerd’s arm.
    The first half was trickling to an end only for Gent to fall asleep yet again, this time from a throw-in. Vladimir Coufal’s quick thinking fed Jarrod Bowen alone in the box.
    One simple pass across goal and Ings was there to gobble up an empty net. A tap-in, but one the 30-year-old will never forget.
    His first goal in Europe in his first start on a European stage since October 2015, for Liverpool under Brendan Rodgers.
    All three of Ings’ strikes in West Ham colours, across 12 games in all competitions, have so far come inside the six-yard box. Poacher is as poacher does. 
    This is exactly what Ings – a £15m January buy from Aston Villa – was brought in to do: score big goals in big moments.
    That was about as good as it got for West Ham. A brief improved period after the break quickly faded and Gent could smell a comeback, but first, an equaliser.
    Three minutes before the hour mark, some quality interchanges – involving 20-year-old Nigerian wonderkid Gift Orban – ended with Cuypers wiggling his way into the box. 
    Areola had no chance down to his left, a goal that invigorated the entire stadium.
    Almost instantly, Moyes reacted by hauling off Ings and Manuel Lanzini for Antonio and Said Benrahma in an attempt to stem the tide. No such luck.
    Orban’s electric pace and surges forward were pushing West Ham deeper and deeper. Skipper Sven Kums soon dragged a shot inches wide of the post.
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    Gent pressed for the winner, and were unlucky not to find it. 
    West Ham escaped with a draw and an ongoing 11-game unbeaten stretch, for now. More

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    West Ham fans slam ‘absolute b*****s’ decision to rule out Aguerd goal for handball after keeper howler and VAR check

    WEST HAM fans were raging that a Nayef Aguerd goal was ruled out against Gent after a goalkeeping howler. The Hammers are in Belgian for the first-leg of their Europa Conference League quarter-final tonight.
    West Ham’s Aguerd thought he had given the Hammers the lead after a keeper howlerCredit: BT Sport
    Fans were fuming when it was disallowed by VAR for handballCredit: Getty
    After a fairly even opening, David Moyes’ side looked to have been handed the lead moments before the break.
    Gent ‘keeper Davy Roef literally gifted them a goal from a corner.
    The set-piece was swung in from the right straight towards the stopper and his outstretched arms.
    But the easy catch was fumbled, with Roef dropping the ball onto the nearby Aguerd, then rebounding back off him and across the line.
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    The embarrassed looking West Ham defender knew little about it as his team-mates celebrated with him.
    However, VAR soon intervened and they determined that the goal would be ruled out as the ball had been spilled onto his hand – and it left supporters raging.
    One tweeted: “That’s b*****ks….he didn’t score with his hand, keeper had the last touch?”
    Another agreed, saying it was “absolute b*****ks” while another said it was a “disgrace”.
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    While another said: “They cheated West Ham out that goal. That was not a handball. Just a sorry ass GK mistake.”
    However, that anger soon turned to joy as Danny Ings rifled the Hammers ahead from close-range in the dying seconds of the half.
    But they were pegged back shortly after the restart. More

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    Gent wonderkid, 20, ‘does best Erling Haaland impression’ with 3-MINUTE hat-trick.. after scoring four in his last game

    GENT secured their passage into the Europa Conference League quarter-finals thanks to a THREE-MINUTE hat-trick from Gift Orban. Orban, aged just 20, fired a record-breaking hat-trick into the net of Istanbul Basaksehir in the Conference League Last 16.
    Gift Orban netted the fastest hat-trick in Uefa club competitionCredit: EPA

    At just three minutes and 25 seconds, it is the fastest hat-trick ever scored in a Uefa club competition.
    Amazingly the young Nigerian forward had also scored four goals in his last game.
    Orban’s performance comes after Erling Haaland’s own record-breaking night when he scored FIVE goals against RB Leipzig in a 7-1 win for Manchester City.
    And fans could not help but draw comparisons between the two.
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    One user on Twitter said: “Gent striker Gift Orban does his best Haaland impersonation and scores three before halftime in Europe.”
    A second user remarked: “Gift Orban scoring a three-minute hat-trick in the #UECL – Erling Haaland eat your heart out. Bosh.”
    A third joked: “Everybody watching Haaland yesterday 👀. Gift Orban: ‘Hold my beer’.”
    While a fourth added: “Gift Orban the Nigerian Haaland.”
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    Despite only making his debut for Gent in February, Orban has already scored nine goals in eight games.
    Haaland has already become Man City’s all-time leading goalscorer in a single season with 39 goals in all competitions.
    Meanwhile, his quintet on Tuesday saw him become the youngest player in Champions League history to surpass 30 goals. More

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    Watch Premier League cult hero get sent off for shocking elbow just seconds before final whistle in Europa clash

    A PREMIER LEAGUE cult hero was sent off for a shocking elbow with only seconds left of a Europa League clash. Fiorentina led Turkish club Sivasspor 1-0 in the first leg of their Europa Conference League clash last night.
    A frustrated Max Gradel was sent off after this elbow against Martinez QuartaCredit: YouTube / Stan Sport
    The defender collapses to the ground after the contactCredit: YouTube / Stan Sport
    After some consideration, the ref pulls out the red cardCredit: YouTube / Stan Sport
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    The Italian club dominated and looked set to wrap up a routine win to take to the second leg.
    But the match would end in surprise fashion after former Bournemouth and Leeds winger Max Gradel threw an elbow at Martinez Quarta in an off-the-ball incident.
    The 35-year-old was attempting to chase down the ball as Fiorentina ran down the seconds.
    But he then erratically slams his arm into defender Martinez Quarta.
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    The centre-back collapsed to the ground holding his face and the game was quickly brought to a halt.
    As Fiorentina players ran over to confront Gradel, the referee initially had a yellow card in his hand.
    But he appears to change his mind as he tucked the yellow away and brandished the red.
    It had been a frustrating evening for Sivasspor with Fiorentina controlling most of the game and spurning several opportunities.
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    Viola even hit the cross bar twice before finally breaking through to get the winner.
    Substitute Antonin Barak scored an acrobatic effort from close-range after Sivasspor failed to clear a corner.
    Gradel will now miss the second-leg next week.
    The Ivorian broke through at Championship Leicester between 2006 and 2010 before heading to Leeds.
    He would finally make it in the Premier League when he moved to Bournemouth in 2015 but would tear his cruciate ligament only weeks after the transfer.
    He scored his one Premier League goal in a 3-2 win over Swansea City in 2016. More

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    Fans joke they know what Mark Noble is thinking as they clock hilarious reaction to West Ham Europa draw

    WEST HAM fans reckon they know what Mark Noble was thinking after his hilarious reaction to the Europa Conference League draw. The former midfielder was in Switzerland to find out who West Ham’s opponents would be in the round of 16.
    Mark Noble is now West Ham’s sporting directorCredit: Rex
    Noble was spotted smirking when the Hammers’ name came out of the hatCredit: Twitter: Don Hutchison
    David Moyes’ side topped Group B with six wins from six games, becoming the first side to do so in the two year history of the competition.
    They were drawn against Cypriot First Division leaders AEK Larnaca.
    And supporters jokes the former skipper fancies a few nights on the Aiya Napa strip around the away leg.
    Former Hammers midfielder Don Hutchinson was quick to take to Twitter posting a picture of Noble smirking following the draw.
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    He captioned it: “I know exactly what @Noble16Mark is thinking, with the draw against Larnaca…..A trip to Ayia Napa 🤪”
    One user responded: “That’s certainly my plan Don!”
    Another added: “Bet you would like to join him Don.”
    Former Premier League striker Glenn Murray simply reacted with three laughing emojis.
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    Noble retired at the end of last season having spent his entire career with the Hammers and is now the clubs sporting director.
    The East London side made the semi finals of the Europa League last season before being eliminated by eventual winners Eintracht Frankfurt.
    West Ham are the only English representatives in the Conference League and will likely face competition from Italian side Lazio and Spanish side Villarreal in their quest to lift the trophy. More

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    Europa Conference League match to be played behind closed doors amid fears Russia-backed Ultras will stage violent coup

    A EUROPA Conference League clash will now reportedly be held behind closed doors after fears that pro-Russian agents could infiltrate the crowd and trigger a coup.Moldovan side FC Sheriff Tiraspol’s upcoming clash with Serbian giants Partizan Belgrade has allegedly been targeted by Putin-backing insurgents, amid instability in the region.
    It is feared fake Serbian hooligans could be used to destabilise Moldova
    Sheriff Tiraspol will have to play their next match behind closed doorsCredit: Reuters
    Moldova’s President Maia Sandu has warned of a Russia-backed coupCredit: EPA
    The Football Federation of Moldova has reportedly been instructed to ensure the match against the Serbian side is played without fans as it presents “real danger” to the country’s statehood.
    Sheriff play their games in the breakaway province of Transnistria, which has a Kremlin-backed puppet government and borders Ukraine.
    The Moldovan Football Association received a letter today from the country’s security services ahead of Thursday’s Europa Conference League clash warning that pro-Russian agents could enter the country disguised as Partizan’s infamous ultras.
    Authorities had already moved the game from Tiraspol to the Moldovan capital Chisinau over security fears.
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    Politician Adrian Keptonar reportedly said on Moldovan television: “At first, it was planned that fans of the Serbian team would arrive in our country.
    “Thanks to the efforts of the Security Intelligence Service long before the information provided by (Volodymyr) Zelenskyy appeared, the Serbian national team will play in front of empty stands because that is how they planned to bring in saboteurs.”
    President of Moldova Maia Sandu yesterday accused Russia of trying to “overthrow” her country’s pro-EU government.
    She also alleged that Serbs were organising a coup in her country, which has expressed a desire to join NATO.
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    Sandu, 50, said: “The Kremlin’s attempts to bring violence to Moldova will not work.
    “Our main goal is the security of citizens and the state. Our goal is peace and public order in the country.
    “The purpose of these actions is to overturn the constitutional order, to change the legitimate power from Chisinau to an illegitimate one that would put our country at Russia’s disposal to stop the European integration process, but also so that Moldova can be used by Russia in its war against Ukraine.”
    Sandu also reportedly revealed that she has received information from Ukraine that Russia are “preparing forceful action” via “saboteurs”.
    These “saboteurs” are claimed to have been prepared from Belarus and the Balkans, which includes Serbia, and Russia itself.
    Earlier on Tuesday, 12 Serbian football fans were reportedly denied entry into Moldova at the capital’s Chisinau Airport due to not meeting conditions for authorisation to cross a state border.
    It comes after Moldova closed its airspace for safety reasons on Tuesday.
    Moldovan media outlet Libera claimed that a reconnaissance drone was spotted over Chisinau.
    The country’s civil aviation authority said the advisory was issued to pilots at 9.24am GMT “to ensure the safety of civil aircraft flights”.
    Transnistria is now at the centre of a growing crisis amid fears of a fresh Russian offensive in Ukraine to mark the one-year anniversary of Putin’s invasion.
    The tiny region of just 500,000 people unilaterally declared independence in 1991 after Moldova broke away from the Soviet Union.
    Armed conflicts took place in the narrow strip of land on the east bank of the Dniester River between 1991 and 1992 before a cease-fire agreement was signed in 1993.
    Since then, an uneasy peace has held, but Transnistria has become a bizarre Soviet throwback.
    It has a so-called constitution, flag and currency, although no UN member country recognises it as a state.
    Russian passports have been issued to some of the country’s residents, while statues of Soviet figures such as Lenin fill the city of Tiraspol.
    Sheriff qualified for the Europa Conference League knockout phase after coming third in their Europa League group, in which Manchester United came second.
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    They welcomed the Red Devils to Chisinau in September, Erik ten Hag’s side winning 2-0 at Zimbru Stadium.
    They then lost 3-0 at Old Trafford the following month, with Marcus Rashford and Cristiano Ronaldo among the scorers.
    Tiraspol is the capital of the Russian-backed puppet state of TransnistriaCredit: Getty
    Cristiano Ronaldo helped Manchester United to a win in Chisinau in SeptemberCredit: AFP More

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    Ross Barkley in fresh career blow as ex-Chelsea star is axed from Nice’s Europa Conference League squad

    ROSS BARKLEY has been snubbed from Nice’s squad for the Europa Conference League knockout stages.The 29-year-old joined the French club last September after leaving Chelsea by mutual consent.
    Ross Barkley has not been included in Nice’s squad for the Europa Conference League knockout stagesCredit: AFP
    While he hasn’t been a weekly starter, Barkley has made 15 appearances in all competitions for Nice this season.
    So boss Didier Digard’s decision to omit Barkley from the 25-man Europa Conference League knockouts squad, according to Get French Football News, comes as a surprise.
    Barkley, who has 33 England caps, also wasn’t part of the squad for the group stages.
    However, that was because he joined the club too late to be registered.
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    Reports suggest he had been expected to be named in the squad for the knockouts, with three spots up for grabs.
    But January signings Terem Moffi and Youssouf Ndayishimiye, as well as youngster Badredine Bouanani, have got the nod instead.

    Bouanani, 18, makes the squad despite starting just one game this season.
    Although the teenager does play on the right hand side, and an injury to Arsenal loanee Nicolas Pepe means the club could be short of options in that position.
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    But Barkley’s omission still comes as a shock, especially after he scored twice in a 6-1 win over Montpellier last month.
    The Ligue 1 outfit will discover their opponents for the Round of 16 when the draw is made on February 24th.
    Barkley is out of contract at Nice at the end of the season. More

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    FCSB 0 West Ham 3: Fornals celebrates 150th game for Hammers with two goals as Moyes’ troops make it a perfect six

    WEST HAM ended their Romania hoodoo on a history-making European night.The Hammers became the first team since the Europa Conference League’s inception last year to win six from six group stage games after a comfortable victory over FCSB.
    Pablo Fornals scored twice on his 150th appearance for West HamCredit: Rex
    Fornals celebrates after scoring his secondCredit: AP
    Divin Mubama thought he had made it two before his effort went down as an own goalCredit: EPA
    On his 150th appearance for the club out in Bucharest, Pablo Fornals scored twice in a first win in five on Romanian soil – a run dating back to 1980.
    Cruelly, 18-year-old academy graduate Divin Mubama was denied a goal on his senior debut, with his deflected header being awarded as an own goal for defender Joyskim Dawa.
    Having already topped their group, boss David Moyes took advantage of this dead rubber to also hand a starting debut to another homegrown talent in Ollie Scarles.
    At 16 years and 326 days, midfielder Scarles is the sixth youngest debutant in West Ham’s history, and came close to scoring himself.
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    The bench had an average age of just under 19 – excluding 35-year-old back-up keeper Darren Randolph – with several of them being chucked on late on.
    A total of four home grown talents started the game, including Conor Coventry and Ben Johnson – the latter teeing up Fornals with a long ball in the 40th minute.
    Replays showed the Spaniard – also becoming the first West Ham player to chalk up 20 Euro outings – was clearly offside before volleying home but the goal stood with no VAR to call on.
    Skipper Declan Rice stayed at home for this one, alongside the likes of Gianluca Scamacca, Michail Antonio, Jarrod Bowen, Said Benrahma, Craig Dawson and Tomas Soucek.
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    But it did not take long for Moyes’ starlets to strut their stuff, Scarles flashing a superb delivery across goal only for Mubama’s effort to be blocked by keeper Stefan Tarnovanu.
    FCSB’s shot-stopper was called into action soon after to prevent Flynn Downes from bulging the net with a flick-on from a Fornals pick-out.
    Mubama wheeled away in celebration in the 56th minute, connecting with a Vladimir Coufal cross, yet Uefa deemed Dawa’s touch was decisive.
    Fornals made sure of the result with an acrobatic 65th minute finish, their 13th goal of the group stages – a tally only Villarreal and Basaksehir could better.
    Fornals fires his first effort of the night into the bottom cornerCredit: AP More