Dublin Hammers - Europa Conference League Final - Wednesday 7th June 2023
Fiorentina 1 vs West Ham United 2
"Oh What a Night!"
For the two weeks leading up to the 7th June 2023, excitement had been building, you could feel it on the club’s WhatsApp group. One member described it as “feeling like a little kid again, waiting for Christmas”. Thankfully time moves forward and eventually the big day arrived. I have to admit I found it hard to concentrate on anything at work, the Whats App group brought news that a couple of members who had decided to travel to Prague without tickets had ‘by hook and by crook’ managed to obtain tickets. Thankfully 3pm arrived and I left home to catch the DART into town and headed for Brannighans.
By the time I arrived the committee were already in, the party tunes were on and the room had been decorated with West Ham and Dublin Hammers club flags. Over the next couple of hours the atmosphere built as more and more members arrived. With 10 minutes to go before KO the room was packed, the bar staff were sweating, renditions of ‘Bubbles’ rang out and we strapped ourselves in for the coming couple of hours.
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We endured a cagey first half, with Fiorentina playing most of the football with West Ham countering on the break. Overall they didn’t really trouble us and seemed to spend most of the time trying to cheat at every opportunity. The play acting became so frustrating that after one pathetic dive right in front of the West Ham fans, emotions ran high and the Fiorentina players were showered with plastic cups of beer. A vape was also thrown which struck the head of one of the players causing some bleeding. The West Ham players went over to the fans and asked for calm. The throwing of beer stopped, sadly the cheating from Fiorentina didn’t!
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A cagey first half, with Fiorentina playing most of the football with West Ham countering on the break. Overall they didn’t really trouble us and seemed to spend most of the time trying to cheat at every opportunity. The play acting became so frustrating that after one pathetic dive right in front of the West Ham fans, emotions ran high and the Fiorentina players were showered with plastic cups of beer. A vape was also thrown which struck the head of one of the players causing some bleeding. The West Ham players went over to the fans and asked for calm. The throwing of beer stopped, sadly the cheating from Fiorentina didn’t!
All square at half time with neither side having the better of the other, the bar food was served and quickly devoured! Things picked up in the second. Bowen ran onto a ball in the Fiorentina area and while the ball was in the air a Fiorentina players hand came forward and pushed the ball away, I don’t think it was intentional, but it was ‘hand to ball’. The West Ham players appealed, but the game continued for 30 seconds or so before the ref stopped the game, VAR reviewed, and then the Ref went over to the monitor. Time seemed to stand still as the room ‘held it’s breath’, a great cheer went up as the Ref turned away from the monitor and his arm went out and the penalty was awarded.
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Benrahma grabbed the ball instantly and placed it on the spot. He refused to look at the keeper who was trying to put him off… the ref blew… up he stepped and ball hit the back of the net. The room exploded and it took a good few minutes to settle back down to watch the resumed game. One nil up! Come on West Ham, could we start to believe?
In classic West Ham fashion, minutes later Fiorentina ran down the other end and scored! An air of disbelief hung around the room. The goal seemed to ‘knock the stuffing’ out of West Ham and Fiorentina attacked relentlessly, and they should have scored again after carving us open, but thankfully the final shot went wide of the post. That woke us up and we had a couple of half chances, both missed and both offside. With minutes remaining on the clock the tension in the room grew and we prepared ourselves for extra time and the possibility of penalties.
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On the 90th minute the ball fell to Paqueta in midfield, he turned a played a delightful ball into the space behind the Fiorentina defence. Bowen was onto it, with two defenders chasing and the keeper rushing out, we held our breath… he shot early, the ball brushed the keeper… and hit the back of the net. The room exploded, there was a brief second as we watched the replay, but Bowen was clearly onside and absolute mayhem ensued.
If you are going to score a winner, do it in the 90th minute, but this is West Ham and with 5 minutes extra time to be played you could cut the tension with a knife! 5 minutes became 8, we screamed at the telly… you couldn’t hear the final whistle, but on the screen suddenly all the West Ham players arms went up into the air and they raced toward the West Ham supporters at the other end of the ground. The room erupted again. We had done it… West Ham United - Europa Conference 2023 - Winners!
What followed over the next couple of hours was pure unbridled joy, on screen the players and fans sang and danced and in Brannighan we sang and danced, there were even a few tears. A huge cheer went up as captain Declan Rice lifted the Cup. Members did Conga around the room as celebrations continued long into the evening.
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It has taken a couple of days for it all to sink in, watching all the videos of the players and fans in Prague celebrating, videos from members taken in the room as we celebrated ourselves. Coverage of the open top bus parade around East End. I have watched the highlights everyday since and everytime Bowen goes through and scores I am consumed by emotion.
I finish this review of the evening with these words, posted on the Dublin Hammers WhatsApp group very late on the Wednesday night by a ‘slightly worse for wear’ long standing member, beginning with a spoken intro and sung to the tunes of ‘Oh what a night’ and ‘Don’t cry for me Argentina”
“Oh What a night, never to be forgotten
And I will sing this song, it won’t take long”…
“Oh what a night, 7th of June in 23
What a very good night for me
I remember what a night”
“Don’t cry for me Fiorentina
The truth is we had Pacqueta”
“and we betcha… two one.. ha ha… good night!”
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