West Ham United forced to settle for point against Newcastle United

West Ham United 1-1 Newcastle UnitedPremier League

West Ham United had to be content with a draw against Newcastle United on Saturday, after Joe Willock’s scrambled goal cancelled out Craig Dawson’s opener at London Stadium.

Both goals came in the opening period as the Hammers weathered a bright Newcastle start before settling and moving in front when Dawson headed his second goal in as many games on 32 minutes.

Jarrod Bowen had earlier hit the crossbar and West Ham looked well placed, only for Willock to level on the stroke of half-time.

Newcastle then formed a solid barrier in the second period as they gave little away, leading the hosts to settle for a second draw in succession.

David Moyes made three changes to his starting XI, with Manuel Lanzini and Vladimír Coufal missing out with injuries, while Kurt Zouma returned from illness to replace Issa Diop. Ryan Fredericks and Saïd Benrahma were the other players to come in.

Newcastle made the more confident start, though, buoyed by their recent run of three consecutive wins, and Łukasz Fabiański had to close down the angles smartly to deny Joelinton after a free-kick from deep dropped for the Brazilian in the third minute.

It was clear that the Magpies would offer an altogether different test to the one they posed on the season’s opening day, when West Ham demolished them to win 4-2.

The hosts did work their way into contention as the first half wore on though, and Bowen was so close to extending his run of seven goals in seven games with 20 minutes on the clock.

Fredericks cushioned a neat header into the No20’s path in the right channel of the box, and he hammered an immediate cross-shot towards goal, with the merest of touches from Martin Dubravka in the Magpies goal diverting it on to the face of the crossbar.

Twelve minutes later, though, he was powerless to prevent Dawson’s powerful header from finding the net after Aaron Cresswell delivered a wide free-kick from the left to perfection.

West Ham were buzzing by now, and Dubravka did well to stop Bowen’s deflected effort five minutes before the break.

Just as it seemed as though Moyes’ men would go in at the break with the lead, a moment of uncharacteristic sloppiness saw Newcastle draw level in stoppage time, as Declan Rice’s attempted headed clearance only went backwards, and Willock took advantage by finishing across Fabiański and via the far post.

West Ham started the second half at pace, and only a couple of desperate blocks prevented Cresswell and Dawson netting from a 48th minute corner.

Newcastle soon slowed the pace down and began to hold the Hammers at arm’s length. A break led by Joelinton midway through the half yielded a half-chance for Willock, who exchanged passes with Matt Targett and curled an effort wide from 20 yards.

At the other end Michail Antonio fired high over the bar after charging away down the left, but West Ham were unable to find the key to break down the visitors’ solid set-up with the regularity they needed and the game fizzled out to a draw.

West Ham United: Fabiański, Fredericks (Johnson 46), Dawson, Zouma, Cresswell, Rice ©, Souček, Bowen, Benrahma (Vlašić 73), Fornals, AntonioSubs: Areola (GK), Diop, Alese, Noble, Král, Chesters, Yarmolenko

Goal: Dawson 32

Booked: Fredericks, Bowen

Newcastle United: Dubravka, Krafth, Schär, Burn, Targett, Willock (Bruno Guimarães 88), Shelvey ©, Joelinton, Fraser (Almirón 79), Wood, MurphySubs: Darlow (GK), Dummett, Lascelles, Fernández, Gayle, S. Longstaff, de Bolle

Goal: Willock 45+1

Booked: Krafth, Fraser, Burn

Referee: Chris Kavanagh

Attendance: 59,949