PRAGUE (Reuters) – Jarrod Bowen scored in the 90th minute as West Ham United secured a last-gasp 2-1 victory over Fiorentina in the Europa Conference League final on Wednesday to clinch a first major European trophy in over half a century.
The match at Prague’s Eden Arena looked like it was heading to extra time when Lucas Paqueta slipped a ball through to Bowen who outpaced the defenders and fired home past a sprawling Fiorentina keeper.
West Ham took the lead in the 62nd minute when Said Benrahma converted a penalty after a VAR review confirmed a handball by the Italian side’s captain Cristiano Biraghi, who had earlier received medical attention after being struck on the head by a plastic cup thrown from the stands.
Fiorentina immediately stepped up the pace and were rewarded five minutes later when Giacomo Bonaventura controlled the ball with two defenders on him and sent an angled shot past the West Ham keeper.
Both sides struggled to create much in a nervy opening half with Fiorentina controlling possession but lacking a cutting edge in the final third, while West Ham had long spells without the ball after Declan Rice curled a shot wide in the early stages.
(Reporting by Michael Kahn, Editing by Toby Davis)
