LONDON, CMC – Reggae Boy striker Michail Antonio made an assist and then scored for the second time in as many games in a Man-of-the-Match performance, as West Ham maintained their unbeaten start to the new English Premier League season with a stunning 3-1 victory over high-flyers Brighton on Saturday.
The 33-year-old Antonio set up James Ward-Prowse for the 19th-minute opener at Falmer Stadium on England’s south coast before adding the final strike in the 63rd minute after Jarrod Bowen had doubled the visitors’ lead in the 58th.
Pascal Gross’s consolation in the 81st did little to take the shine off a performance that brought the Hammers top of the league on seven points after three games.
“It shows that we’ve got good character, we’re resilient and don’t concede many goals, and that’s one thing David Moyes has always tried [to instill],” Antonio said following the victory.
Fresh from scoring against Chelsea in another 3-1 win last weekend, Antonio was again involved from early, showing significant hold-up play down the left before playing a short pass into Warde-Prowse, who finished from close range.
With Hammers 1-0 up at the break, Said Benrahma picked out Bowen, who beat his marker in the box to nudge an excellent finish past goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen.
Antonio added his second of the season moments later, receiving a brilliant floated Bowen pass with his back to goal, turning center-back Adam Webster before driving a low finish at the far post.
“I’m a bit disappointed about the fourth [goal] I should’ve got, though,” Antonio lamented.
“The last one (chance), I reckon I should’ve scored there. I will be positive about achieving the goal, but it should have been two today.”
Antonio was one of four Jamaica internationals on target on Saturday. In the Scottish top flight, Kemar Roofe scored in his first start in 16 months as Rangers dismissed Ross County 2-0 at Victoria Park.
The 30-year-old, who has battled injury over the last year, struck in the 22nd before James Tavernier added a brilliant second four minutes later.
In League One, Garath McCleary got on the scoresheet in the 74th with a clinical finish after Joe Low had opened the scoring in the 19th minute, as Wycombe Wanderers edged Bristol City 2-1 at the Memorial Stadium in the southwest.
Nineteen-year-old Harvey Vale scored seven minutes from the end for the hosts after Jamaica’s Jevani Brown had struck the post moments before half-time.
At London Road, last season’s Golden Boot winner, Jonson Clarke-Harris, netted his second of the new campaign, but Peterborough suffered a 4-2 thrashing at the hands of Derby County.
The 29-year-old put the hosts ahead in the 23rd minute, but a Martyn Waghorn hat-trick in the 29th, 40th, and 45th minute, along with Eiran Cashin’s 37th-minute strike, turned the game on its head.
Kwame Poku added a second for the Posh in the 90th, but the game was long gone.
At Brisbane Road, Shaq Forde, the son of former Barbados international Fabian Forde, was also on target in the 29th minute, as Leyton Orient quickly brushed aside Cambridge 2-0, Theo Archibald getting his side’s second in the 57th minute.
In League Two, 23-year-old St Kitts and Nevis winger Tyrese Shade grabbed a goal deep into nine minutes of stoppage at the end as Swindon Town crushed Crawley Town 6-0 at County Ground in the southwest.
Jake Young scored four second-half goals (47th, 51st, 60th, 71st) as the floodgates opened after a 1-0 lead at the break.
At Stonebridge Road in the National League, 29-year-old St Lucia international Dominic Poleon lashed in a brace as Ebbsfleet United trounced 10-man Kidderminster Harriers 3-0.
Poleon scored in the 23rd and 29th minutes to move his tally to four goals from his last three outings, Luke O’Neill adding the third in first-half stoppage.
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