Felipe Anderson’s thunderous late leveller gave the Hammers a point their second half display deserved, and ultimately made it another frustrating afternoon for Huddersfield.
The Terriers had led thanks to Pritchard’s early strike yesterday, which made it two goals on their own patch in the last 67 minutes.
Considering it had taken them 929 minutes the last time they’d managed it, there was every cause for optimism.
Especially as they dominated the opening half so emphatically, too.
Pritchard’s opener, from a left foot daisycutter, was almost in slow motion, but not half as lethargic as Lukasz Fabianski’s dive in trying – and failing – to keep it out at his near post.
Fabianski was almost left red-faced ten minutes later, when Philip Billing skewed his cross and it flew over the keeper’s head, but came back off the inside of the post and to safety.
Yet in fairness he had already made one outstanding stop, tipping Steve Mounie’s thundering header onto the crossbar.
And Jonas Lossl had followed suit at the other end, turning Marko Arnautovic’s pick-your-spot sidefoot behind after he beat the offside trap.
But by and large the Hammers were pretty clueless and even more toothless – so it was no shock to see Javier Hernandez thrown on to save the day at half time.
Inside three minutes he nearly did, as well, bustling into the box, but nodding over a gaping target when his first effort pinballed up off Lossl’s legs.
INTERACTIVE STATS – CLICK on the categories to find out how the teams fared
Then Pedro Obiang raced across the near post and flicked a header inches wide of the far one, from a Robert Snodgrass corner, as West Ham finally bared their teeth.
And 17 minutes from time they duly got their reward when first Chicarito’s shot was blocked and then Michail Antonio’s follow-up.
Yet there was no way Anderson’s rising rocket meant the third strike was going anywhere but the roof of the net.
It was no more than the Hammers deserved.
INTERACTIVE LINE-UPS– CLICK on a player’s number below to see their stats
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