- Full-back Sam Byram secured 90 minutes in Romania in the 1-1 draw with Astra Giurgiu
- Defender admits that the squad is disappointed to have conceded a late goal to draw the tie in Romania
- Byram says Hammers can get their first three points in the Premier League against AFC Bournemouth on Sunday
West Ham United defender Sam Byram says that the squad was left disappointed after conceding a late goal in Thursday’s 1-1 draw against Astra Giurgiu in Romania.
Denis Alibec’s 83rd-minute equaliser denied West Ham a valuable win after Mark Noble’s first-half penalty, but the No22 says the players remain confident they can get the job done at London Stadium in the second leg.
Despite the disappointment among the Hammers about not bringing home a win, Byram believes that the positive atmosphere and team spirit will see them qualify for the group stage of the UEFA Europa League.
The defender explained: “We had done our research on the opposition, so we knew what to expect. We are disappointed to give away a goal so late on, but we still have the home tie next Thursday at London Stadium and we will take the positives that there were from our performance in Romania.”
The 22-year-old, who joined from Leeds United in January, has a chance to stake a claim for a regular starting place in Slaven Bilic’s team, and has featured in all four matches played so far this season, starting all three Europa League ties.
The full-back put in another impressive performance at Stadionul Marin Anastasovici and he will be looking to produce more of the same on Sunday, when the Hammers host AFC Bournemouth in the first Premier League fixture at London Stadium.
The Cherries lost too, 3-1 at home to Manchester United, so both sides will be seeking their first points of the 2016/17 season.
“Bournemouth on Sunday will be a very different game from the one last night against Astra which wasn’t the best of games,” Byram observed. “We are looking forward to playing back at home and we will be doing everything to pick up the three points in our second league game of the season.
“We just lost out to Chelsea on Monday and so we are determined to get the ball rolling and get some points on the board.
“The team is relaxed and we have got a good squad, so we will go into the game with confidence and we will get the win we deserve.”