Europa League

[monks data]

Europa League | First Qualifying Round

Jul 9, 2015 at 6.30pm UK

Lusitanos Lusitanos
0-1
West Ham West Ham United

FT(HT: 0-1)

Lee (21')

Ten-man West Ham United overcome minnows Lusitanos to keep European dream alive

By Daniel Lewis, Senior Reporter and Pascal Lemesre, Football League Editor | 09 July 2015

Elliot Lee scores the only goal of the second leg to see West Ham United comfortably through to the second Europa League qualification round, with a 4-0 aggregate win.

Ten-man West Ham United have comfortably navigated their passage into the second round of qualifying for the Europa League, courtesy of a 4-0 aggregate victory over Lusitanos.

The Hammers had Diafra Sakho sent off early on, but they added to their 3-0 first-leg lead against the Andorran minnows through Elliot Lee's 21st-minute strike.

Lusitanos failed to get a single shot on target during last week's tie in East London, but they were able to test Darren Randolph inside five minutes as Luis Miguel dos Reis's cross almost caught out the new Hammers stopper.

Sakho, scorer of two goals in the opening leg, was given his marching orders not long after following an off-the-ball incident.

That left Lee up front on his own and it was the youngster who bagged the only goal of the contest with a pinpoint finish after being played in by Matt Jarvis.

Moments after scoring his first West Ham goal, Lee almost grabbed his second, but he was denied just as he was about to shoot.

The second half took time to get going, as the sun began to set over the Pyrenees mountains in picturesque Andorra, but it was the visitors who constantly remained on top.

Reece Oxford and James Tomkins were relatively untroubled at the back in front of a capacity 1,300 crowd, although the game threatened to burst into life when Lusitanos skipper Dos Reis lunged in on Morgan Amalfitano to earn a yellow.

Home defender Moises San Nicolas did appear to give the Primera Diviso outfit some hope to cling on to when finding the net with a well-taken header, only for the offside flag to be raised.

Having had their celebrations cut short, Xavi Roura's men pushed on in search of a breakthrough goal, but a lofted free kick into the box was easily dealt with by Randolph.

Youngster Amos Nash was introduced for the closing stages, making his first-team debut in place of Josh Cullen, as the Hammers professionally saw out the remainder to set up a meeting with Maltese side Birkirkara in the next qualifying round.