West Ham substitute Danny Ings stopped his former club Burnley earning a rare win as the home side fought back from 2-0 down in a pulsating Premier League game.
Ings, who had an effort ruled out by VAR moments before the equaliser, almost nicked a winner but saw his shot cannon off the crossbar even deeper into injury-time.
Burnley still moved off the bottom of the Premier League with the draw, but were left to rue dropping more points from a winning position.
The Clarets were on course to earn just their fourth win of the top-flight season – and first victory in 10 attempts – through David Datro Fofana and Konstantinos Mavropanos’s own goal before half-time.
West Ham were lifeless in a poor first half where they did not manage a shot on target.
However, the Hammers reappeared after the break looking like a different side and pulled a goal back within 30 seconds of the restart.
Midfielder Lucas Paqueta showed the desire which had been previously missing to press Burnley high, winning back possession to go clean through and calmly stroke past Clarets keeper James Trafford.
David Moyes’ side continued to press for a leveller and Burnley looked set to hang on for victory until Ings’ dramatic late intervention.
The draw moves Vincent Kompany’s team back above Sheffield United into 19th place on goal difference, with both teams remaining 10 points adrift of safety with 10 games remaining.
West Ham, who were aiming for a third straight league win, stay in seventh place.
Moyes grateful to Ings but won’t escape scrutiny
The relationship between a section of the West Ham fanbase and their manager always feels fractious, meaning a home defeat by Burnley would have further fuelled Moyes’ detractors.
While the Scot will not escape criticism after a draw against one of the worst sides in the league, the fightback meant he did not feel the full brunt of the home support’s frustrations at the final whistle.
However, the loud boos after Burnley’s second goal, and at half-time, illustrated how quickly Hammers fans could voice their displeasure.
With his deal running out in the summer, Moyes’ future has come under increasing scrutiny and some fans waved a ‘Moyes Out’ banner during a defeat at Nottingham Forest last month.
A poor start to 2024 saw the Hammers go eight matches without a win, but back-to-back victories against Brentford and Everton lifted Moyes’ side to seventh in the league.
They were expected to build on that with another win against Burnley, but in the end they had to be content with a point thanks to a player who has struggled to make an impact.
Moyes threw on Ings after 82 minutes and the former England international, who has struggled for game time since a £12m move from Aston Villa in January 2023, spared his side’s blushes with a wonderfully-timed first goal of the season.
Ironically it came against the club where he made his name in the Premier League.
“It’s hard to feel the emotions after scoring, because you just need to keep going, but everyone knows how difficult for me on personal level to get started here,” said Ings.
“It was nice to get a goal and they were unlucky at the end.
“Burnley are fighting for everything and have a real identity in how they play and keep possession, but for us we look at the home games as ones to win and overall we will be disappointed.”
Burnley ‘get done’ again in key moments
Burnley started bottom of the league after Sheffield United’s draw at Bournemouth on Saturday and looked well placed to go back above the Blades with what would have been a much-needed win.
The first half was the perfect away performance. The Clarets played with energy, were organised when they needed to defend and were rewarded for their sharp attacking play.
But the Hammers reacted after the break as one suspected they would and the failings which have cost Burnley dearly this season reappeared.
Kompany’s team dropped more points from a winning position – taking the total to 20 points this season – while being unable to take their chances to score a third in a frenetic second half.
Asked if not keeping West Ham out or Burnley not being more clinical was his biggest regret, Kompany said: “Both. But mainly the timing of goals conceded. You can’t put every chance in the back of the best, otherwise we wouldn’t be where we are.
“But the timing of the goals we conceded – if you had to write as bad a scenario as you could, those two goals fall in those two moments.
“We are where we are because not been perfect all the time, but that can’t be the centre of attention.
“We show fight, we show desire and we are dangerous ourselves, but we get done in some key moments.”
–BBC
