West Ham 2 FC Slovacko 2: Ashley Fletcher and Mark Noble on target as Hammers let two-goal lead slip

On target: West Ham captain Mark Noble
Otto Greule Jr/West Ham United via Getty Images
Sam Long20 July 2016

Ashley Fletcher and Mark Noble were on target as West Ham let a two-goal lead slip to draw with FC Slovacko in the first game of their pre-season tour of Austria this evening.

The game, understandably, began at a pedestrian pace but Martin Samuelsen injected some early speed into the encounter, beating one man before being brought down as he broke into the Czech Republic side's half of the pitch.

New signing Sofiane Feghouli posed a constant threat on the right flank and had the beating of his man every time he received the ball.

The Algeria international delivered several teasing crosses into the penalty area but both Samuelsen and Enner Valencia wasted headers at the back post.

West Ham were rarely forced to get out of second gear in the first half and the breakthrough arrived five minutes before the break when Samuelsen pulled the ball back to Mark Noble on the edge of the penalty area, allowing the Hammers' skipper to rifle an effort into the bottom corner.

Slaven Bilic freshened his side up at the break with new signings Gokhan Tore and Ashley Fletcher among four changes to enter the fray.

The latter needed just seven minutes to make an impact after 16-year-old Portuguese youngster Domingos Quina swung a cross into the area and Fletcher steered an impressive header into the back of the net.

Bilic made several more changes as the game wore on and momentum swung towards FC Slovacko during the closing stages as poor marking from a young Hammers' defence allowed Eldar Civic to sneak in and pull a goal back for his side following a corner.

The east Londoners fell asleep again in the 89th minute and Civic grabbed his second goal of the game to ensure the Premier League outfit finished on a sour note, despite plenty of promising play from their new signings.

Next up for Bilic's side is a friendly against Russia outfit Rubin Kazan on Wednesday afternoon.

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