Interim Manchester United manager Michael Carrick lavished praise on Benjamin Sesko after the striker rescued a point for the Red Devils with a spectacular late strike.
The Slovenian forward’s stunning effort secured a 1-1 draw at the London Stadium, with Carrick describing the goal as an “unbelievable finish”.
Sesko came off the bench to deliver a dramatic intervention deep into added time at West Ham.
The forward connected with a cross from Bryan Mbeumo in the 96th minute, firing an exceptional volley into the top corner to snatch a point and deny the Hammers what would have been a crucial win in their fight against relegation.
The goal represented Sesko’s second decisive contribution from the substitutes’ bench since Carrick took temporary charge at Old Trafford.
The 22-year-old has yet to feature in a starting lineup under the interim manager, but previously netted a late winner when United faced Fulham.
Speaking after the game, Carrick said: “It’s always the balance.
“The boys who have played have done fantastically well.”
Man Utd snatch late draw as Benjamin Sesko strikes against West Ham to preserve Michael Carrick record | GETTYHe added: “Ben’s doing a lot of work, he’s in a good place and ready to kick on. Certainly, when he came on the pitch, he made a big difference.
“It’s an unbelievable finish from the angle to generate that, to get it on target, to finish it. It’s some goal.
“He’s capable of that, Ben. He’s done it all the time. It’s not that he’s just suddenly burst on the scene. He’s been doing it, he’s proven that he can score goals as well. He’s been doing it in training for us as well.
“It’s not surprising, to be honest. I think it’s what he does, it’s what he’s good at. The last one would have done him the world of good.”
Michael Carrick has worked wonders at Manchester United so far | PA“Tonight, a little bit different with the emotion of the game, but certainly important and a big moment for him and us.”
United were bidding for a fifth straight Premier League victory under Carrick but were grateful for a point after Tomas Soucek put West Ham in front early in the second half.
Carrick added: “Mixed feelings. We know we weren’t at our best and we can credit West Ham with that.
“Finishing with a late goal when we’ve had to find one is a positive for us. In the grand scheme of things, we can take a point and dust ourselves down a bit. Four wins and a draw from these five games is a positive.”
Tomas Soucek put West Ham ahead but it was not enough as United struck late | GETTYWest Ham boss Nuno Espirito Santo: “We are disappointed of course, the players and the fans.
“We competed really well and were able to contain a very good team.
“The way we started the second half was really positive, we scored and we defended very well. Overall, a very positive performance defensively, and we had situations where we could have put the game to bed.
“We have to bounce back from these disappointments. We have to keep going. There is no other way.”
