Danny Ings had remained adamant all summer that he did not want to leave West Ham.
The striker was not part of Julen Lopetegui’s plans for this season but, determined to stay and fight for his place, the 32-year-old rejected a move away from the London Stadium.
With time running out at Craven Cottage yesterday, Ings showed why you cannot write him off.
He may not have made the bench had it not been for an injury to Niclas Fullkrug, but on he came in the 82nd minute to equalise in the 95th.
‘Danny Ings in the summer was more or less out but he stayed and we believe in him,’ Lopetegui said.
Danny Ings scored a 95th-minute equaliser to rescue a point for West Ham against Fulham
Ings slots the ball into the back of the net to score with just seconds remaining
The Hammers striker wheels away in celebration to silence the Craven Cottage crowd
‘He has been working very hard despite the fact he doesn’t play. It is a good example for his team-mates. All of them have to be ready and Danny was always ready.
‘I am happy for him. He was talking about leaving being a possibility in the summer but he stayed and he is working very well.’
Fulham had taken the lead in the 24th minute through Raul Jimenez but missed a series of chances to extend their advantage – with Adama Traore the most guilty party.
‘We needed to be more clinical and ruthless,’ Fulham boss Marco Silva said. ‘We should have killed the game. Even so it should have been enough if we had kept our focus until the last second.’
Silva believed his side should have been awarded a penalty when Traore went to ground under a challenge from Max Kilman in the 16th minute. Traore was through on goal when Kilman made contact from behind, but referee Tim Robinson did not point to the spot, while VAR decided the touch from the defender was ‘minimal.’
‘It was a clear, clear penalty in my opinion,’ Silva said. ‘It’s incredible how it wasn’t a penalty. It’s really difficult to accept.
‘It had a massive impact on the game. If it’s a penalty, it’s a red card. He didn’t try to play the ball.’
Silva did not have to wait long for his side to take the lead after that incident. Andreas Pereira picked out Emile Smith Rowe with a ball over the top and his cross found Jimenez, who prodded a finish past Alphonse Areola.
It took until the hour mark for West Ham to have their first sight of goal, with Jarrod Bowen forcing a fine save from Bernd Leno after connecting with Mohammed Kudus’ cross.
Raul Jimenez’s (right) first-half goal gave Fulham the lead against West Ham on Saturday
The Mexican striker squeezed the ball through Areola’s legs to break the deadlock
Jimenez watches as the ball rolls into the back of West Ham’s net at Craven Cottage
West Ham players celebrate with Ings at the full-time whistle after their 1-1 draw
Traore should then have doubled Fulham’s lead when he was picked out in the box by Tom Cairney, but the forward’s header sailed just over the bar.
Deadline day loan signing Carlos Soler came on for his West Ham debut in the final 20 minutes but it was the man who came on in the 82nd who made the crucial impact. Vladimir Coufal’s quick throw found Bowen on the right and he sent a first-time cross into Ings, who took one touch before firing past Leno.