West Ham maintained their 100 per cent record in the Europa League so far this season with a comfortable and highly professional 3-0 defeat of Belgian side Genk at the London Olympic Stadium.
Despite enduring a difficult start in which the visitors were unlucky to see an effort chalked off for a marginal offside decision just ten minutes in, David Moyes' side ran out convincing winners in the end.The opening goal of the game came in first half injury time from the head of Craig Dawson, latching onto an Aaron Cresswell corner to give West Ham a half time advantage.
And although Genk came out of the blocks quicker after the half time interval it was West Ham who grabbed the all-important second goal when Issa Diop converted a second Cresswell set-piece to make it 2-0 just a head of the hour mark.
West Ham supporters had barely finished celebrating that vital second when Andriy Yarmolenko stole the ball in midfield before feeding Jarrod Bowen.
West Ham's stand-in striker, playing in attack in the absence of the rested Michail Antonio went on a surging run before beating teenage goalkeeper Vandevoordt rather too easily at his near post to make it 3-0 and put the game beyond a shellshocked Genk.
The night was also one to remember for teenage midfielder Dan Chesters, who has been impressing for the Under 23s of late. The youngster was brought on to a rousing reception in the 89th minute as replacement for Manuel Lanzini to make his first team debut.
And not a bad night on which to do it, all things considered.
West Ham Utd: Areola, Johnson, Dawson, Diop, Cresswell (Fredericks 67), Rice (Noble 67), Soucek, Yarmolenko, Lanzini (Chesters 88), Vlasic (Fornals 83), Bowen (Benrahma 83)
Subs not used: Fabianski, Randolph, Ashby, Masuaku, Zouma, Ogbonna
Goals: Dawson (45+1), Diop (58), Bowen (59)
Genk: Vandevoordt, Preciado, Cuesta (Sadick 45), Lucumi, Arteaga, Thorstvedt (Toma 83), Hrosovsky, Heynen, Bongonda (Tresor 73), Onuachu (Ugbo 73), Ito (Oyen 83)
Subs not used: Chambaere, Leysen McKenzie, Geusens, Eiting, Paintsil, Nemeth
Referee: Donatas Rumsas (Lithuania)
Attendance: 45,980
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