UECL : Orban's bicycle kick hits the bar as Gent become first team not to lose to West Ham 

West Ham's central defender of Nigerian descent Angelo Ogbonna did a good job preventing Gift Orban from finding the net as the Premier League side were forced to a 1-1 draw by Gent in a UEFA Europa Conference League quarter-final first leg clash at the Ghelamco Arena on Thursday evening. 

The Hammers headed into the game looking to extend their ten-match winning run in the Europa Conference League, including the qualifying rounds, but a second half goal from Orban's strike partner Hugo Cuypers saw the encounter end in a draw. 

For a big chunk of the first half, Gent were the better team but they were behind at halftime as Danny Ings, with his first goal in European competition, converted a cross from Jarrod Bowen following a quickly taken throw in in the third minute of stoppage time. 

The opening goal was scored eight minutes after Nayef Aguerd's goal was disallowed following a VAR review. 

Ogbonna received a booking in the 34th minute after clattering into the back of Orban. 

In the 57th minute, Cuypers slotted past Areola with a left-footed finish from about 14 yards out after he was found by Castro-Montes.

Orban fired a rasping shot from about 30 yards in the 63rd minute but it went wide and he could have scored a goal of the tournament in the 82nd minute when his acrobatic bicycle kick clipped the top of the crossbar with the West Ham goalkeeper beaten. 

That was to be his last act of the game as he came off to be replaced by Tarik Tissoudali with seven minutes left on the clock. 

Ifeanyi Emmanuel 

Photo Credit : uefa.com 

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