Tomas Soucek nets late winner as West Ham fight back to beat sorry Burnley
Tomas Soucek celebrated scoring West Ham’s late winner (Peter Byrne/PA)
Tomas Soucek’s stoppage-time volley condemned Burnley to a seventh-consecutive home defeat as Vincent Kompany’s struggling side conceded two in the space of five minutes to lose 2-1 to West Ham.
For much of the second half it seemed as though Jay Rodriguez’s 49th-minute penalty was going to earn the Clarets a vital win and lift them off the bottom of the Premier League table.
But an 87th-minute own goal from Dara O’Shea, under pressure from West Ham teenager Divin Mubama, levelled it before Soucek volleyed home a second in the first of seven minutes added on.
It was cruel on Burnley, who had largely contained a West Ham side devoid of inspiration without the injured Jarrod Bowen and Michail Antonio, but just when their fans thought they could celebrate a first home league win since May, it all fell apart at the death.
A side that broke records on their way to the Championship crown last term are now making too much unwanted history, with this loss seeing them match Newport’s 53-year-old record of starting a league campaign with seven home defeats.
Burnley narrowly shaded a fairly dismal first half, but ended it frustrated after Luca Koleosho’s penalty appeals were waved away six minutes before the break.
The teenager ran into the box and tumbled over the dangling leg of Vladimir Coufal but referee Sam Barratt, perfectly positioned, pointed for a goal-kick, deeming that Koleosho had run into the Czech defender, a view upheld by VAR Craig Pawson.
Koleosho and Burnley would get their penalty just two minutes into the second half. The Italy youth international appeared to have hit a dead end as he faced four West Ham players but – as he tried to turn
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