adminJarrod Bowen received a yellow card during West Ham United’s dramatic 3-2 victory over Bolton Wanderers, but the Hammers captain is unlikely to have any complaints given the outcome.
The England international was the star of the show at the Toughsheet Community Stadium on Tuesday night, scoring twice to help West Ham secure a thrilling victory.
Bowen opened the scoring before Ethan Erhahon restored parity for Bolton. Ruben Rodrigues then completed the hosts’ turnaround from the penalty spot to put Bolton 2-1 ahead.
West Ham responded before half-time, with Konstantinos Mavropanos heading home after excellent work from Arne Engels to make it 2-2.
Bowen eventually delivered the decisive moment, finding the back of the net 13 minutes from full-time to complete his brace and send the visitors home with all three points.
However, his celebration resulted in a booking from referee David Webb, prompting questions over whether the decision was unnecessarily harsh.
Why was Bowen shown a yellow card?
After scoring the winning goal, Bowen climbed over the advertising boards at the Toughsheet Community Stadium to celebrate with the travelling West Ham supporters.
The winger did not actually enter the away section, with a noticeable gap remaining between him and the fans. Nevertheless, referee Webb decided to show him a yellow card.
The celebration itself appeared harmless, with Bowen simply enjoying a memorable moment with the supporters who had made the trip.
Former PGMOL chief Keith Hackett believes the referee could have handled the situation differently.
Speaking exclusively to West Ham Zone, Hackett explained that Bowen was likely cautioned because his celebration was considered to have delayed the restart.
“The referee will have yellow carded Bowen for delaying the restart,” Hackett said.
“I do believe that David Webb could have managed this situation without resorting to a yellow card.”
Although Hackett questioned the necessity of the booking, it ultimately had little impact on the match, with Bowen’s second goal proving decisive.
Hackett backs Bolton penalty decision
Hackett also gave his assessment of another major decision from the entertaining encounter — Bolton’s penalty.
The hosts were awarded a spot-kick after Kyle Walker-Peters was judged to have caught Kyliane Dong inside the West Ham penalty area.
Webb immediately pointed to the penalty spot, allowing Ruben Rodrigues to convert and put Bolton ahead.
After reviewing footage of the incident, Hackett agreed with the referee’s decision.
“It’s a careless challenge by Walker-Peters,” the former PGMOL chief said.
“The referee is in a good position and has a clear view of the incident.”
He added: “From what I’ve seen, this is the correct decision by Webb to point to the spot.”
Bowen has the final say
Despite the controversy surrounding his booking, Bowen will leave Bolton feeling delighted.
Two goals from the West Ham captain ultimately made the difference in a five-goal thriller, ensuring the Hammers came away with a valuable victory.
While his yellow card may have been avoidable, his contribution certainly was not.
Bowen’s decisive finish 13 minutes from time ensured that West Ham recovered from being 2-1 down and completed an impressive comeback against Bolton.
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