West Ham edge past Burnley to lift gloom after fans fume at ownership

Despair and rancour stalks the concrete corridors of the place that still feels nothing like home for West Ham. Though hope is not yet extinguished. A second home win in succession for Nuno Espírito Santo’s team, the key goal scored by old faithful Tomas Soucek. The defeat of a fellow relegation contender in Burnley may prove vital in the fight against the London Stadium staging Championship football next season. When Soucek’s shot was spilled into Kyle Walker-Peters path for the Hammers’ third, home fans were singing lustily for their team.

They already made it known once again, and in no uncertain terms, what they think of the executives running the club. Following a protest against Crystal Palace, boycotting of the Brentford game, a sit-in against Newcastle, unhappy staged a march. A banner declared “15 years of denying West Ham United”. The service road that surrounds the stadium was filled with thousands of protestors, the entrance for club directors’ luxury cars was blocked off. Black balloons floated, a coffin was carried on shoulders as fans sang West Ham had “sold our soul” by moving to the former Olympic stadium.

The first home win of the season against Newcastle had done nothing to dim dissatisfaction with co-owner David Sullivan and vice-chair Baroness Brady. Though hardly the first dissent of their stewardship, a critical mass is being reached. That will only be furthered by the still lingering threat of relegation.

Pre-match positive vibes were at least given off by Freddie Potts, teenage star of that Newcastle win, again starting in midfield. He has the look of the archetypal West Ham midfielder: upright, strolling, capable of picking a pass, with no little bite in the tackle, as evidenced by an early challenge to stop Loum Tchaouna.

West Ham fans hold a protest against the club’s owners before kickoff. Photograph: Bradley Collyer/PA

The Burnley manager Scott Parker was such a player for West Ham, the one-man team of their 2010-11 relegation season. His players initially showed the caution of an outfit who had taken - with 7.4 - the lowest ever average shots per game across a Premier League season as yet recorded.

Had Zian Flemming connected with Quilindschy Hartman’s cross, Burnley might have taken an early lead. West Ham did not set off at the races to lift the mood of a London Stadium echoing with chat rather than chants, and by midway through the first half, Burnley were setting about increasing that shot average. Lucas Paquetá collected a fifth booking of the season and therefore suspension for smashing into Florentino Luis.

Flemming got to live twice by heading home Burnley’s goal, allowed by Maximilian Kilman to nod in. Burnley’s shot-shyness is levelled out by a high conversion rate. Only then did West Ham lift themselves, Jarrod Bowen’s shot deflecting wide, Callum Wilson at last involved in proceedings. After Summerville skated into the box, the No 9 nodded home to equalise on the stroke of half time.

As a former Millwall player, Flemming received some barracking from home fans, but continued to show some neat touches while leading the Burnley line, and headed another chance narrowly over the bar. Despite a taped Ray Winstone rallying cry in the concourses; the home fans were slow to return to their seats after the break.

West Ham’s Callum Wilson scores their first goal against Burnley. Photograph: Tony O Brien/Reuters

Potts pulling up with a muscle problem was another sad sight for home fans, Soucek replacing him before West Ham had an improved spell, Summerville’s buzzing movement to the fore, though Bowen was short of his usual influence.

Parker, sensing an away win was possible, introduced Hannibal Mejbri and Armando Broja, Flemming and Ugochukwu, departing. Nuno’’s withdrawal of Wilson for Soungoutou Magassa, a defensive player, showed his lack of options in attack.

Soucek remains a Hammers talisman, his deck of important goals usually as untidy as his close-range bundling home of a Paquetá shot, following a corner, that the Burnley goalkeeper Martin Dubravkacould only deflect into the Czech’s path. Burnley’s previous shape and efficiency had departed as Walker-Peters wrapped up the points after Soucek drove forward. Parker’s team were dead level with West Ham in the table until Josh Cullen’s dying-seconds goal, another untidy bundle home after a mistake by a goalkeeper in Alphonse Areola, separated them. A long road lies ahead for both.