Michail Antonio fired a broadside at the Spanish officials after West Hamās bid for a third successive European semi-final was thwarted by a second-half Bayer Leverkusen revival.
Antonioās early goal stoked hopes that a 2-0 first-leg defeat could be overturned but Xabi Alonsoās side levelled through substitute Jeremie Frimpong a minute before time and so remain unbeaten in an extraordinary season that saw them crowned Bundesliga champions on Sunday.
Leverkusen may have tamed Harry Kane and Bayern Munich this season but for 45 minutes were made to look ordinary by David Moyesā side and striker Antonio in particular.
Jamaica international Antonio vented his frustration by castigating Spanish referee Jose Maria Sanchez and assistants Raul Cabanero and Inigo Prieto afterwards for their part in failing to punish Leverkusen, persistent time-wasters all night, and their over-physical centre-back Jonathan Tah in particular.
āI felt like I didnāt get a decision all game,ā Antonio complained. āIt doesnāt feel like youāre playing against 11 men, it feels like youāre playing against 13, 14 including the two linos (assistant referees).
āYou just have to keep pushing and try and make the decisions go your way. And they just werenāt.ā
Moyes, though having to be more diplomatic, made it clear he agreed. āI watch a lot of Spanish football and have worked in Spain so I have an idea of what itās like,ā he said. āIf thatās the way it is you wouldnāt watch many Spanish games, I wouldnāt have thought.ā
West Ham, Europa Conference League winners last season, were dynamic from the first whistle but with injuries and suspensions having hit their squad hard and a majority of inexperienced options on the bench, including two goalkeepers, they were out of energy by the end.
āIt was a completely different game in the first half then the second half,ā admitted Leverkusenās Granit Xhaka, the former Arsenal midfielder who joined Leverkusen last summer. āWe competed much more. If you see over 180 minutes, the better team went through.ā
Moyes, without the suspended Lucas Paqueta but boosted by Jarrod Bowenās return to fitness, had joked beforehand that he hoped Leverkusenās Bundesliga-title winning celebrations had stretched long into the week.
Alonsoās men did indeed begin shakily as West Ham, backed vociferously from the stands, pressed high and hard ā and halved the deficit in the 13th minute.
Centre-back Odilon Kossounou gave away possession and then failed to stop Antonio heading home Bowenās cross from six yards. Goalkeeper Kovar had come to meet it too and was also found lacking.
Antonio saw another header saved before Bowen, unmarked at the back post, hit only Kovarās legs, with Moyes toppling to the turf in frustration.
Alonso hooked the hapless Kossounou ā an African Nations Cup winner five months ago ā before half an hour was on the clock but then Sanchez became the centre of attention.
He stepped in to sort out a ruckus on the touchline that spilled onto the pitch. Red cards were shown to West Ham coach Billy McKinlay plus a German counterpart with Antonio and Tah booked.
Alonso made two more changes at the break, sending on Frimpong plus first-leg scorer Victor Boniface, but another big chance came and went for the home side.
Bowen dispossessed Piero Hincapie just before the hour mark but his ball across the box could not locate a team-mate.
Home energy levels began to dip and Frimpong, sent sprinting clear with a pass from his own half in the 83rd minute, somehow failed to score.
The substitute extinguished home hopes in the 89th minute however with a shot that foxed goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski via a hefty deflection off team-mate Aaron Cresswell.
āIt was a thrilling game, two different halves,ā said Alonso, whose side will take on Roma in the last four. āWe knew West Ham were going to press us high but we couldnāt deal with it. We were lucky not to concede another one.
āThe second half was completely different. Now we are delighted to be in the semi-final.ā