Midfielder Andy Irving believes West Ham United’s important victory over Fulham was just reward for a gutsy collective effort with everyone in the squad playing their part.
The Scotsman’s 72nd-minute introduction - as a replacement for goalscorer Carlos Soler - represented his seventh Premier League appearance of the season en route to a battling 3-2 triumph under the lights at London Stadium.
The Irons endured a frustrating opening 25 minutes against the in-form Cottagers, and after weathering a strong start by the visitors, an attempted pass across the face of goal from Andreas Pereira fell to the feet of Soler, who kept his cool and lashed a curled effort into the bottom corner.
Hammers captain Tomáš Souček struck his fifth goal of the season just two minutes later to make it 2-0, and despite Alex Iwobi twice cutting our advantage after the break, Lucas Paquetá scored the decisive third in between to secure all three points.
“I’m delighted to just get back out there at home and feel the energy from the crowd, and it was a massive win for the team,” Irving beamed.
“It was a team effort, as you could see. I think we were up against a very good opponent in Fulham with a lot of quality, but I think at times we had good control of the game, and towards the end it was more about sticking together and fighting as a team and making sure that we got the three points in the end. I think the fans definitely played a big part in that, so it was great.
“I think we have that quality within the team. Football can be a bad game at times, but the focus for us is that we keep pushing, we keep things like tonight and we keep that momentum going. That togetherness on the pitch, fighting, doesn't always have to be pretty, but I think keeping that togetherness is going to take us a long way.”
During the first week of his tenure, Head Coach Graham Potter has repeatedly outlined his vision of utilising the whole squad among the Claret and Blue ranks, and has reassured players who were on the periphery that they will have the opportunity to impress him.
Our No39 is encouraged by the early stages under his tutelage, and is determined to add to his appearances tally in the coming weeks.
The 24-year-old Heart of Midlothian youth product also opened up on his already well-established relationship with fellow countryman and new first-team coach Billy Reid, who he remembers fondly from his time north of the border.
“It's been great. The first week we've had with the manager has been really good,” confirmed Irving. “I think it's been a tough time for everyone at the Club, but I think the manager has helped us a lot, and the staff that have come in have been really clear and brand new. It's been really good.
“I've had a good bit of craic going on with him [Billy Reid], chatting about Scotland and whatnot. I remember him from Hamilton, and I'm pretty sure his team was often successful against Hearts’ rivals, so I was always happy about that at the time! He's been great, as have all the staff, so it's been a really good first week.”
