West Ham United 3-0 Karlsruher SC
Pre-season match
West Ham United saw off German side Karlsruher on Saturday to end the build-up to their UEFA Europa League campaign on a high.
Andy Carroll, Sofiane Feghouli and Ashley Fletcher were all on target as the Hammers ran in three unanaswered goals on a sweltering afternoon in Kapfenberg, Austria.
It was a performance full of promise from Slaven Bilic’s men, who attacked with force and looked a threat throughout.
The only sour point was a late injury suffered by Aaron Cresswell and the Hammers will now wait to see how that settles down.
Carroll partnered Enner Valencia up front to make his first appearance of the tour and he did not have to wait long to leave his mark, heading the Hammers in front with just nine minutes played.
It was a well-worked goal too, started by Feghouli who cleverly found space between the lines to receive a pass from Cheikhou Kouyate.
He saw Enner Valencia peeling off his man and fed the ball into the Ecuadorian to stand up a cross to the back post where Carroll did the rest.
With 15 minutes on the clock Tim Fahrenholz was not far away from a leveller when he sent a 25-yard free-kick just over the angle of post and bar, and two minutes later the Hammers went further ahead.
Feghouli has been a real livewire throughout pre-season and he showed his threat again, collecting the ball 22 yards from goal, seeing the goalkeeper out of position and drilling low into the net.
Midway through the half, wingers Gokhan Tore and Feghouli combined with some lovely interplay to leave the German side having to defend desperately to fend off the latter’s burst into the box.
Then, with 28 minutes played, Valencia again noticed an opportunity with Dirk Orlishausen out of position, but could not hit the target from fully 40 yards.
Darren Randolph showed good hands to clutch a Dennis Kempe free-kick to his chest, but it was the Hammers who ended the first period strongly and Michail Antonio, who got forward well from right back throughout, saw his dangerous left-footed shot deflect behind.
The Hammers always looked capable of unpicking the Karlsruher defence and Valencia almost took advantage of some hesitancy at the back after half time when he got in between the centre back and goalkeeper to reach a lofted ball, but prodded just wide of Rene Vollath’s post.
At the other end, Darren Randolph made comfortable diving stops from Gaetan Krebs and Nick Depuy, but he was not overly tested and it was the Hammers who added further gloss to the scoreline late on.
Fletcher was introduced from the bench with 75 minutes played and just five minutes later he touched home from Cresswell’s dangerous low cross.
Five minutes from time Cresswell had to be substituted following a tackle on him which provoked anger from the Hammers players on the pitch and focus will now turn to Thursday’s UEFA Europa League tie in Slovenia on Thursday.
West Ham United: Randolph, Antonio (Martinez 85), Nordtveit, Reid (Rice 85), Cresswell (Makasi 85), Feghouli (Quina 75), Noble (Cullen 85), Kouyate, Tore (Byram 64), Valencia (Fletcher 75), Carroll (Obiang 64)
Subs: Spiegel, Page, Samuelsen
Goals: Carroll 9, Feghouli 17, Fletcher 80
Booked: Valencia, Reid
Karlsruher SC: Orlishausen, Stoli, Kom, Hoffer, Diamantakos, Yamada, Barry, Sallahi, Valentini, Rolim, Hoffman
Subs: Voilath, Srtitzel, Gessl, Kempe, Kinsombi, Torres, Promel, Krebs, Thoelke, Fahrenholz, Bader, Depuy, Sverko, Maiga
Booked: Promel
Pre-season match
West Ham United saw off German side Karlsruher on Saturday to end the build-up to their UEFA Europa League campaign on a high.
Andy Carroll, Sofiane Feghouli and Ashley Fletcher were all on target as the Hammers ran in three unanaswered goals on a sweltering afternoon in Kapfenberg, Austria.
It was a performance full of promise from Slaven Bilic’s men, who attacked with force and looked a threat throughout.
The only sour point was a late injury suffered by Aaron Cresswell and the Hammers will now wait to see how that settles down.
Carroll partnered Enner Valencia up front to make his first appearance of the tour and he did not have to wait long to leave his mark, heading the Hammers in front with just nine minutes played.
It was a well-worked goal too, started by Feghouli who cleverly found space between the lines to receive a pass from Cheikhou Kouyate.
He saw Enner Valencia peeling off his man and fed the ball into the Ecuadorian to stand up a cross to the back post where Carroll did the rest.
With 15 minutes on the clock Tim Fahrenholz was not far away from a leveller when he sent a 25-yard free-kick just over the angle of post and bar, and two minutes later the Hammers went further ahead.
Feghouli has been a real livewire throughout pre-season and he showed his threat again, collecting the ball 22 yards from goal, seeing the goalkeeper out of position and drilling low into the net.
Midway through the half, wingers Gokhan Tore and Feghouli combined with some lovely interplay to leave the German side having to defend desperately to fend off the latter’s burst into the box.
Then, with 28 minutes played, Valencia again noticed an opportunity with Dirk Orlishausen out of position, but could not hit the target from fully 40 yards.
Darren Randolph showed good hands to clutch a Dennis Kempe free-kick to his chest, but it was the Hammers who ended the first period strongly and Michail Antonio, who got forward well from right back throughout, saw his dangerous left-footed shot deflect behind.
The Hammers always looked capable of unpicking the Karlsruher defence and Valencia almost took advantage of some hesitancy at the back after half time when he got in between the centre back and goalkeeper to reach a lofted ball, but prodded just wide of Rene Vollath’s post.
At the other end, Darren Randolph made comfortable diving stops from Gaetan Krebs and Nick Depuy, but he was not overly tested and it was the Hammers who added further gloss to the scoreline late on.
Fletcher was introduced from the bench with 75 minutes played and just five minutes later he touched home from Cresswell’s dangerous low cross.
Five minutes from time Cresswell had to be substituted following a tackle on him which provoked anger from the Hammers players on the pitch and focus will now turn to Thursday’s UEFA Europa League tie in Slovenia on Thursday.
West Ham United: Randolph, Antonio (Martinez 85), Nordtveit, Reid (Rice 85), Cresswell (Makasi 85), Feghouli (Quina 75), Noble (Cullen 85), Kouyate, Tore (Byram 64), Valencia (Fletcher 75), Carroll (Obiang 64)
Subs: Spiegel, Page, Samuelsen
Goals: Carroll 9, Feghouli 17, Fletcher 80
Booked: Valencia, Reid
Karlsruher SC: Orlishausen, Stoli, Kom, Hoffer, Diamantakos, Yamada, Barry, Sallahi, Valentini, Rolim, Hoffman
Subs: Voilath, Srtitzel, Gessl, Kempe, Kinsombi, Torres, Promel, Krebs, Thoelke, Fahrenholz, Bader, Depuy, Sverko, Maiga
Booked: Promel