WEST HAM dominated this game against Sheffield United from start to finish, with the outstanding Jesse Lingard pulling the strings all night.

The shame was that the Manchester United loanee did not cap his fine performance with a much deserved goal, though he certainly fashioned a few chances.

It looked as though the Hammers were set to go ahead as early as the third minute, when Craig Dawson was brought down by Enda Stevens, with a penalty awarded by referee Simon Hooper.

However, the decision was over ruled by VAR, after Dawson was found to have been previously in an offside position.

A promising partnership seemed to be blossoming between Lingard and Manuel Lanzini, as the two midfielders exchanged passes in rapid fire movements, the first of these seeing keeper Alan Ramsdale beating away a Lingard shot.

West Ham took the lead, after a Lingard breakaway, saw an exchange of passes with Jarrod Bowen that put the former in on goal. The resulting foul by Chris Basham on the United loanee saw Declan Rice convert the penalty.

Sheffield United could have been back in the game just after the break when a point-blank header from David McGoldrick deflected off home defender Ben Johnson but keeper Lukasz Fabianski acrobatically turned the effort over.

The home side increased their lead when Issa Diop stooped to head home a corner from Aaron Cresswell.

Further efforts from McGoldrick and Lingard were foiled before in the 96th minute, substitute Said Benrahama expertly worked some space in the penalty area to lay the ball off for fellow substitute Ryan Fredericks to sweetly sweep home.

West Ham manager David Moyes felt his players did “a great professional job.”

The manager was well pleased that his tactical switch that saw Bowen playing at the front, supported by Lingard, Lanzini and Benrahma, in the absence of injured striker Michail Antonio, worked so well.

“It gives us another option,” said Moyes, who referring to Antonio, said it has worked very well his going from being a winger to a centre forward, “maybe the same will happen with Jarrod.”

Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder felt his side gave away two goals, then there was no coming back. “The timing of the goals and manner of the goals were terrible,” said Wilder, who was also concerned to see John Egan stretchered off towards the end of the game.