MATIC CRNIC’S double means the Hammers MUST christen their new home with a win.
Slovenians Domzale will be the Olympic Stadium’s first competitive visitors on Thursday.
And they will rock up at Stratford with a deserved lead after this embarrassing slip-up from West Ham.
Mark Noble converted his 25th career spot-kick on 18 minutes. But Crnic had already struck from the spot himself — and he popped up with the winner four minutes after half-time.
Noble said: “I don’t think it was a penalty in the first half but you have to get on with it — and we ended up losing the game. Playing at the Olympic Stadium is something to look forward to, but obviously this result isn’t ideal.
“It’s our first game there and we’ve got to be positive.
“I’m sure the fans will be behind us — we will have to win the game.
“We had a good enough team to come here and win but we didn’t do that.”
“These games are tough but we didn’t play well. They played well and deserved it.”
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This time last year they fell at the third and final hurdle to Romania’s Astra Giurgiu.
Hammers boss Slaven Bilic watched from the stands as he served a two-match European touchline ban.
And Havard Nordtveit was the fall guy when West Ham went on to concede a shock 11th-minute penalty.
The defender was booked for a debatable handball — but Crnic made no mistake.
Within seven minutes there was a spot-kick at the other end after home keeper Axel Maraval clattered Winston Reid coming for a high ball.
Noble slotted home from 12 yards to hand the Hammers a vital away goal.
Crnic soon fired narrowly wide as Domzale, playing in the 16,000-seat Stozice Stadium in Ljubljana because their own ground is too small, attacked eagerly. And West Ham were caught napping soon after the restart.
Michail Antonio, playing at right-back, was caught too far upfield and Crnic placed the ball perfectly between Hammers keeper Adrian and the far post after exploiting acres of space down the left.
Adrian then had to divert away a similar effort as again Domzale continued to make hay down the left.
West Ham needed Adrian’s tip-over to stop Zan Majer from making it 3-1.
The Spaniard was the hero again two minutes from time with a cracking double save.
He pushed away Crnic’s attempt at a hat-trick curler — and somehow got a touch on sub Jan Repas’ follow-up.
WEST HAM: Adrian, Antonio (Quina 81) Nordtveit, Reid, Byram, Feghouli, Kouyate, Noble, Obiang, Valencia, Carroll. Booked: Nordtveit. Subs not used: Randolph, Fletcher, Burke, Oxford, Page, Cullen.
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