West Ham United forward Evan Ferguson is hopeful that his stunning strike for the Republic of Ireland against Bulgaria on Sunday night can prove to be a catalyst for a strong end to the season at London Stadium.
The 20-year-old - who is currently on loan in east London from Brighton & Hove Albion - had come off the bench for the final 14 minutes of Thursday’s 2-1 UEFA Nations League B/C play-off first-leg triumph in Plovdiv, and delivered on his return to the starting line-up as Heimir Hallgrímsson’s side came from behind to beat the same opponents by the same scoreline for the second time in three days.
They had to do it the hard way, just like in the first leg, as Bulgaria scored first at the Aviva Stadium through Valentin Antov.
However, Ferguson, who earlier saw a good second-half chance pushed away from distance by the Bulgarian goalkeeper Plamen Iliev, popped up with a crucial fifth senior international goal shortly after the hour, following a neat one-two with Middlesbrough’s Finn Azaz, to restore the hosts’ overall lead.
Celtic’s Adam Idah then scored the late winner as he tucked home on the half-volley from fellow substitute Mark Sykes' lofted back-post cross to secure a 4-2 aggregate win, Ireland’s Nations League B status and back-to-back competitive victories for the first time since 2019.
It was a good international window for our No34, who earned his 20th cap in Dublin on Sunday, and he hopes his first goal in four months will kickstart a scoring streak to help push the Hammers up the Premier League table.
Speaking after the game, Ferguson - who has so far featured five times for the Irons following his early-February arrival - said: “It’s always good to score, and for your country as well. It's my job now. I didn’t catch it as cleanly as I would have liked, but that can be the next one.
“I am in a good place, and I feel positive mentally and physically. Everyone wants to play, so when you have your chance, you have to take the minutes as you get them.
“I haven’t played as much football as I’d have liked this season, for a variety of reasons, but I'll be aiming to continue this form after the international break and have a strong end to the season.”
Ferguson was paired up front with AZ Alkmaar’s Troy Parrott, with our No34 dropping into a deeper role at times, which was subsequently rewarded with the all-important equaliser at the Aviva that set the stage for Idah to win it on the night.
“I think it [showed] resolve [to come from behind],” said Ferguson. “We are coming together as one. The more we play - we've got a young squad with players coming through - the more room we get, it will [start] to click.
“It’s been good, two wins from two, so it’s job done, and we will look forward to the summer. I think we were the better side, had the better chances and were deserved winners.”
