Report: Ugochukwu rescues late draw at West Ham

It had looked like Jarrod Bowen’s opener would prove the only goal of the game and leave Saints ruing a series of missed chances in East London.

Kyle Walker-Peters shot wide on his 200th Saints appearance before Kamaldeen Sulemana struck the West Ham crossbar in a goalless first half, before talismanic captain Bowen finished a fine counter-attack from a Saints corner two minutes into the second period.

Kamaldeen and Jack Stephens both forced saves from goalkeeper Alphonse Areola before substitute Tyler Dibling blazed over from a golden chance eight minutes from time, but Ugochukwu had the final say with a brilliant volleyed finish three minutes into added time.

Flynn Downes was back in the starting line-up after serving a two-match ban, returning to the London Stadium for the first time since leaving his boyhood club for Saints two summers ago and replacing Cameron Archer in the only change to Simon Rusk’s last team selection.

Saints enjoyed the early possession but Aaron Ramsdale was the first goalkeeper to make a save, stretching to his left to keep out Niclas Füllkrug from Lucas Paquetá’s dangerous low cross.

When Emerson delivered from the opposite side, West Ham’s left, Jan Bednarek was strong enough to hold off Füllkrug and Ryan Manning diligent enough to track the run of Bowen, preventing a tap in for the England international.

Kyle Walker-Peters was making his 200th Saints appearance

Saints’ first attempt arrived in the 14th minute. Space opened up in front of Kamaldeen, inviting the winger to let fly from 20 yards with a left-footed shot that deflected narrowly wide off defender Vladimír Coufal.

A better opportunity would follow for the Ghanaian five minutes later. Slid in by Manning, Kamaldeen jinked inside to see off Max Kilman and should have scored, only to be denied by Areola in the West Ham goal, albeit a delayed offside flag would have seen it disallowed had Kamaldeen finished the chance.

Saints were visibly growing in confidence, and carrying a far greater threat than in recent matches.

The slickest move of the half from either side saw Paul Onuachu’s hold-up play invite Kamaldeen to join a fluid counter-attack, before Mateus Fernandes spotted the run of Walker-Peters to his right, who had a free sight of goal but dragged a glorious chance wide of the far post.

Despite their array of internationals, West Ham began the weekend 17th in the Premier League table, the lowest of the non-promoted teams, and the hosts’ struggles were clear to see as Saints continued to pick holes in their defence.

From a deep Fernandes free-kick, Onuachu kept the ball alive, Manning crossed and Kamaldeen side-footed the loose ball against Areola’s crossbar from 12 yards, leaving Saints wondering how they were yet to score.

When Fernandes was fouled 30 yards from goal and Downes latched on to the loose ball to burst into the box, Saints’ frustrations grew when referee Andrew Kitchen pulled the play back instead of allowing Downes to continue.

Mateus Fernandes carries the ball through midfield

Meanwhile, James Ward-Prowse, whose name was sung by the travelling fans, was eyeing up his first goal of the season but rushed the chance when presented with a free shot from 20 yards, much to the relief of those who once idolised him.

Saints could be pleased with their first-half’s work, albeit frustrated not to lead, and those missed opportunities soon came back to haunt the visitors when Bowen broke the deadlock soon after the interval.

It came from a Saints corner, to compound matters, as the Hammers cleared the ball and surged forward, working the ball from left to right as Füllkrug fed the run of Bowen, who was allowed to shift the ball inside on to his favoured left foot far too easily to score in trademark fashion inside the far post.

Kamaldeen forced a low save from Areola in response, before a last-ditch tackle from Ugochukwu blocked a presentable shooting opportunity for Paquetá.

There was a sense of déjà vu in the air when West Ham’s next attack saw Kudus find Füllkrug who helped it on to Bowen, but this time Saints read the script, as skipper Stephens denied another left-footed shot on Ramsdale’s goal.

The hosts did have the ball in the net from the resulting corner, but Ward-Prowse’s inswinging delivery saw Füllkrug hold Ramsdale down as he jumped, and VAR very quickly confirmed referee Kitchen’s on-field decision of no goal.

Lesley Ugochukwu slides in to block Lucas Paquetá's shot

Rusk made his first move by replacing Onuachu with Archer midway through the second period, but might have wished Onuachu was still on the field when Manning delivered a peach of a cross into the sort of area that the big striker has been in good goalscoring form of late.

West Ham were hoping to wrap the game up at the other end, as substitute Luis Guilherme was denied by a strong left hand from Ramsdale, but Saints kept pushing, with Walker-Peters flashing a low ball across the box that went unconverted.

Stephens stung the palms of Areola, but the best chance of all would fall to another substitute, Dibling, as a long free-kick was nodded down into his path, but the teenager side-footed over from 10 yards with a clear sight of goal.

Ross Stewart was summoned to partner Archer for the last five minutes plus stoppage time, of which there would be five more, but Ugochukwu was the hero, reacting quickest to Walker-Peters’s deflected cross to fire past Areola and send the travelling fans into raptures.

West Ham: Areola, Coufal, Todibo, Kilman, Emerson (Scarles 80), Ward-Prowse (Mavropanos 86), Soler, Bowen (c) (Ferguson 86), Paquetá, Kudus (Guilherme 75), Füllkrug (Souček 80).

Unused substitutes: Fabiański, Cresswell, Irving, Rodriguez.

Goal: Bowen (47’).

Booked: Coufal, Kilman.

Southampton: Ramsdale, Walker-Peters, Harwood-Bellis (Stewart 85), Bednarek, Stephens (c), Manning (Welington 85), Ugochukwu, Downes, Fernandes, Kamaldeen (Dibling 74), Onuachu (Archer 68).

Unused substitutes: McCarthy, Wood, Bree, Smallbone, Aribo.

Goal: Ugochukwu (90+3’).

Booked: Onuachu.

Referee: Andrew Kitchen.