Antonio

Antonio: We'll take the win and go again next week

Michail Antonio may have got the winning goal on Thursday night, but the forward knows there is still work to be done. 

The No9 was in the right place to poke home the Hammers' second on 76 minutes, earning a 2-1 win for the home side against AZ Alkmaar in the UEFA Europa Conference League semi-final first leg. 

The home side had to fight back from a goal down, which the visitors netted in the first half through Tijjani Reijnders' powerful low effort four minutes before the half-time interval. 

But the advantage was secured before the trip to north Holland next week, as Saïd Benrahma's penalty on 67 minutes was followed up by Antonio's winning finish. 

At the end of the day we got to 2-1 and we’ll take it to their place and hopefully get the win there.
Michail Antonio

Victory was no less than West Ham deserved from their efforts, but David Moyes' men got an idea of the threat AZ Alkmaar will pose in the second leg next Thursday, and Antonio knows the Hammers will still need to be at their best to book a trip to Prague for the final.

"It was hard work," the 33-year-old told BT Sport. "We knew that they were going to play some good football, from what we had seen from the analysts before the game, and that they are a decent team.

"We made it difficult for ourselves with the first goal and we had a load of chances that we created, but didn’t finish off right.

Antonio

"We needed to be a bit more clinical, but at the end of the day we got to 2-1 and we’ll take it to their place and hopefully get the win there."

Antonio was full of credit for Alkmaar's style of play but noted that the Hammers were ready to make it work in their favour.

"We knew that they were a possession-based team and they like to play a bit of football. They know how to work it.

"We were like ‘alright, we’ll let you have it, but once we get it we’re going to counter quickly and try to damage you’.

"It worked out, but we weren’t quite clinical at the end. We always believed in ourselves and we managed to get two goals."

Michail Antonio

The striker's finish puts him on nine goals in Europe for West Ham, once again making him the sole, leading goalscorer in European competition for the Hammers. 

Antonio, ever the perfectionist, is already hoping to reach double figures in Europe for the Club next week in the second leg.

"I was hoping to drop on a couple of other things, but it dropped down to me perfectly for the goal," he added. 

"I didn’t think I had the best of games tonight, but hey, I got the goal, it got us the win and we move onto next week. It was a bit frustrating today but we move and I go again next week."
 

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