West Ham reach Conference League final

* Score: Fornals 90'+4.

The last time West Ham reached the final match of a European Cup was in 1976, when they lost 2-4 to Anderlecht in the final of the C2 Cup - the tournament was discontinued in 1999.

The victory over AZ Alkmaar in the Conference League semi-final yesterday gives West Ham another chance to conquer the second European Cup. The only continental title of the London team so far is the C2 Cup in the 1964-1965 season, when they won 1860 Munich 2-0 in the final.

On June 7, West Ham will compete for the Conference League title with Fiorentina - the team that defeated Basel in the remaining semi-finals. The Conference League is the third stage in the European Cup third hierarchy, after the Champions League and Europa League. This tournament was born last season, with Roma being the first champion.

The drama of the semi-final second leg between AZ Alkmaar and West Ham yesterday came in the fourth minute of injury time, when Pablo Fornals scored the only goal, ending the home team's hopes of progressing. Taking advantage of the rising opponent, the Spaniard went from the middle of the field, past the host captain Jordy Clasie before shooting diagonally to save goalkeeper Mathew Ryan.

After scoring, Fornals ran to the stands for the away team's fans to celebrate. West Ham manager David Moyes did the same thing at the end of the game. Meanwhile, the coaching staff and leaders of AZ Alkmaar were dumbfounded on the field.

The Dutch team entered the game with the intention of attacking after losing 1-2 in England. Jesper Karlsson had two chances to finish early in the game, but neither his long shot nor his close-range touch failed. West Ham's chances are clearer. Jarrod Bowen missed the post in the penalty area and Lucas Paqueta made AZ Alkmaar's goal shake with a sharp cut.

The scenario is not much different in the second half. AZ Alkmaar pressed but did not know how to take advantage of opportunities. West Ham responded with a long shot from Declan Rice, which Ryan struggled to save. In the 63rd minute, the home striker Vangelis Pavlidis went on the ball and finished technically to the near corner, but Alphonse Areola pushed the ball over the bar.

The French goalkeeper continued to save West Ham before the technical stroke of midfielder Pantelis Chatzidiakos. An away defender - Nayef Aguerd - also had a chance but shot wide from close range. Towards the end, the host became more impatient, creating conditions for West Ham to play stalking and then scoring to decide the outcome of the match.