FCSB 0-3 West Ham: Hammers seal perfect record in Conference League group stages

It went down cruelly like an own goal, but this was a moment 18-year-old West Ham debutant Divin Mubama will never forget.

His header off Vladimir Coufal’s cross helped David Moyes’ youngsters to victory in Bucharest, regardless of what the official scoresheet says.

The Europa Conference League may only be two seasons old, but to be the only club in the league’s history to win all six group matches is an achievement for West Ham.

West Ham academy graduate Divin Mubama celebrates after scoring his full-length debut

Mubama’s superb header was deflected off the back of Joyskim Dawa’s head, making it 2-0

It meant the 18-year-old was cruelly denied a debut goal for West Ham in Bucharest

To win in Bucharest with two starters in 16-year-old Ollie Scarles and Mubama gave Moyes so much more satisfaction.

West Ham had earned the right to experiment by securing first place in Group B and there were more debutants from the reserve bench in Keenan Appiah-Forson, 21, Kamarai Swyer, 19, and Kaelan Casey, 18.

West Ham’s second goal was courtesy of Mubama. Though it was technically taken from him due to a Joyskim Dawa deflection, the families of these starlets can only burst with pride as they put on a grown-up performance in the Romanian capital.

Scarles’ parents were in the stands at the National Arena to watch him perform after his 16 years on the left wing.

FCSB couldn’t handle him, as West Ham controlled this draw from start to finish.

Pablo Fornals scored West Ham’s other two goals, but this was a night to celebrate the up-and-coming talent as the Moyes men – or rather boys – scored six for six in the Europa Conference League.

Busby had his Babes and Fergie his Fledglings, and Moyes’s confidence in his young men almost resulted in West Ham taking the lead after 22 minutes.

Scarles crossed from the left wing to find Mubama, who had cleverly taken a central position.

He hit it six meters out, but goalkeeper Stefan Tarnovanu made a good save with his back leg.

Fornals tried to finish the follow-up, but Tarnovanu saved again.

In the 35th minute Fornals’ cross found the impressive Flynn Downes, whose delicate touch looked like it was going into the bottom corner until Tarnovanu intervened.

West Ham made it 1-0 after 40 minutes when Ben Johnson’s long ball fell over the shoulder of Fornals, whose left shot reached the corner. He may have been sidelined, but without VAR there would be no judicial investigation.

Pablo Fornals brilliantly broke the deadlock in the first half with a well-taken goal

West Ham’s number 8 shrugged after a challenge to punch in a long ball from Benjamin Johnson

Fornals celebrates with his West Ham teammates after scoring the opener in Bucharest

Goal-line technology saved FCSB from being one second behind when a header from Nayef Aguerd was narrowly cleared by Alexandru Pantea.

FCSB had said goodbye to their manager, Nicolae Dica, two days before this match. At halftime, they hadn’t tested Alphonse Areola in goal as the West Ham youngsters dominated the game.

Scarles’ low cross through the six-yard box deserved a finish, but moments later in the 56th minute Coufal’s cross found Mubama, who headed for goal. The ball dropped into the net for 2-0. “The dream they will never snatch,” said BT Sport. Unfortunately, they would try, with an own goal from Dawa.

Fornals got his brace as West Ham maintained a perfect record in the Conference League

The Spaniard threw himself into a goalkeeper error and scored his second goal of the evening

Fornals celebrates with his West Ham team-mates after making it 3-0 overnight

Still, Mubama’s celebrations for the 2,000 traveling supporters will live on in the 18-year-old’s memory for a long time. “What a moment,” tweeted club captain Declan Rice, watching from home.

In the 65th minute, Fornals made it 3-0 after a cross from Scarles caused confusion in the penalty area.

While West Ham was cruising, Moyes introduced debutants in Appiah-Forson, Swyer and Casey, along with Freddie Potts, 19, and Harrison Ashby, 20.

These young players got a podium from their manager and they shot for the occasion in a super Europa Conference League show.