Rutter levels as Albion find another late goal

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Striker's first goal of the season secures stoppage-time point against West Ham in 1-1 draw at the Amex..

Bruce Talbot

2025-12-07T16:00+00:00

Delight for Georginio Rutter after his stoppage-time equaliser against West Ham. 📷Paul Hazlewood.

Georginio Rutter timed his first goal of the season to perfection as Albion claimed a stoppage-time point against West Ham.

The Frenchman fired home from close range as Albion maintained their happy habit of scoring late on. This was their 11th goal in the last 15 minutes this season and came after Jason Bowen had put West Ham in front in the 72nd minute.

Alphonse Areola was certainly the busier keeper in the closing stages, turning Matts’ Wieffer’s deflected cross onto the crossbar before defying Rutter and substitute Babis Kostoulas. He had no chance, though, with Rutter’s powerful low strike.

Sliding in: Georginio Rutter celebrates his first goal of the season. 📷Paul Hazlewood.

Driving rain made conditions difficult and neither side created anything of note in the first half hour, although Albion dominated possession with Rutter and Yankuba Minteh combining dangerously down the right without producing anything threatening on goal.

Albion did go close when Maxim De Cuyper whipped in a great cross from the left and Wieffer, arriving late, just couldn’t get enough contact to divert it past Areola.

At the other end Bart Verbruggen got down smartly to his left to keep out Lucas Paqueta’s skidding 25-yarder before Crysencio Summerville had the best chance of the half when he got through on the left-hand side of goal but guided his right-foot shot beyond the far post with only Verbruggen to beat.

Rutter and Bowen both had efforts deflected off target before the break but if ever a game needed a goal it was this one and Verbruggen prevented West Ham from getting it with a superb double save on 58 minutes when he stuck out a right hand to keep out Bowen’s powerful shot before reacting athletically to turn Summerville’s close-range volley over the bar.

Lewis Dunk tussles with Jarrod Bowen. 📷Paul Hazlewood.

The visitors had momentum at that stage with Albion struggling to break down West Ham’s low block. Fabian Hurzeler turned to his bench and brought on Jack Hinshelwood, Kostoulas and Brajan Gruda, who replaced Minteh moments after he ghosted past Malick Diouf but rattled a right-foot shot just over.

The deadlock was broken with 18 minutes to go. Callum Wilson latched onto Jan Paul van Hecke’s poor header and found Bowen who, with Ferdi Kadioglu for company, still managed to whip a low shot past Verbruggen’s outstretched left foot from an acute angle on the left and into the corner.

Albion nearly responded immediately but Areola acrobatically tipped the ball over the bar after Max Kilman deflected Wieffer’s cross.

Rutter then got to the line and pulled the ball back to Kostoulas, but his right-foot effort was off target.

Mats Wieffer was inches away from scoring in the first half. 📷Paul Hazlewood

It looked like being one of those days but Albion are the kings of the late goal and in the first minute of stoppage time they got another.

Alphonse had already denied Kostoulas when he made another great save low to his right to keep out Rutter’s volley. But van Hecke won the loose ball and teed up Rutter whose low shot went through the keeper’s legs and make it 1-1.

The VAR checked for possible handball by Rutter in the build-up but the goal stood and Albion’s late pressure was rewarded.

Albion: Verbruggen, Kadioglu (Boscagli 82), Dunk, van Hecke, Wieffer, Gomez, Baleba (sub: Hinshelwood 60), Minteh (Gruda 72), De Cuyper (Kostoulas 72), Rutter, Welbeck.