Danny Ings’s brief when parachuted into Rush Green was to provide the firepower to keep West Ham in the Premier League, but, in fashion typical of a season where nothing has quite gone to plan, the striker instead popped up here to poke a vital goal in their quest for European glory.
Ings’s close-range finish late in the first half, his first-ever goal in Europe, was not enough to earn a first-leg lead, as Hugo Cuypers rammed in a leveller after the break. But on a night when a much-changed West Ham were second best to an impressive Gent, a 1-1 draw represents a decent result to take back to the London Stadium next week.
