A goodbye from David Moyes and farewell to Luton Town.
In his final home game as West Ham manager, Moyes watched his players overcome an awful start to run out comfortable winners - and consign the Hatters to an immediate Championship return.
And the highlight for a manager historically considered to be conservative when blooding youngsters came when academy graduate George Earthy tapped in their third a minute after coming on for his second league appearance.
The midfielder, 19, was hospitalised having sustained a head injury in his debut against Fulham last month. But the roar that greeted his goal here was both a moment to cherish and nod to the future on an afternoon defined by bidding adieu.
Earthy produced the killer blow for Luton, who were unable to capitalise on being gifted an early lead as their slender hopes of survival were extinguished. At full time their gutted players stood motionless in front of an away support that never stopped singing.
Yet manager Rob Edwards will rue their failure to capitalise on West Ham’s awful start. Luton were in front inside six minutes as Albert Sambi Lokonga was afforded the freedom of the hosts’ penalty area to head home Alfie Doughty’s outswinging cross from the left.
Moyes looked furious with the lackadaisical effort but the concession provided West Ham with a wake up call. Still, they only threatened sporadically throughout a turgid opening half. Jarrod Bowen, again their best performer, looked the only likely candidate to level and twice went close.
Luton, however, never appeared likely to find a second goal as long spells passed without anything of note occurring. Not for the first time, they would pay the price for a lack of ruthlessness.
There were loud jeers from disgruntled West Ham fans at the interval and that seemed to bring the desired response upon the restart.
Their equaliser originated from a Bowen charge down the right. His delivery was awkward for the Luton defence, leading to goalkeeper Thomas Kaminski making a decent save with his legs. Yet his team-mates were slow to react and, having failed to clear, James Ward-Prowse arrived to drill low and hard into the bottom left corner.
From that point on West Ham were dominant and Kaminski offered a smart stop to deny Michail Antonio. Bowen struck his rebound into the side-netting. Emerson Palmieri had an effort blocked and a succession of corners arrived before Soucek clinically volleyed home another weak clearance, this time from Ward-Prowse’s cross, to make it 2-1.
Mohammed Kudus spurned a glorious chance to wrap up the points when grazing the post from 11 yards. But the Ghana star went on a mazy dribble soon after, pulling the ball back for Earthy to make his dream a reality.
West Ham then began to pass the ball for fun in the east London sun, a world apart from their early efforts - though it was at least appreciated by supporters. From boos at the break to oles at the end - that was as neat a summary as any of the extremes throughout Moyes’ four years in charge.
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