For so long, this game looked destined to end with two sides huffing and puffing and sharing the spoils on a cold, dreary night on the south coast – and then all hell broke loose.

Lucas Paqueta’s penalty three minutes from time, when VAR decided Tyler Adams handballed Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s cross, looked to have sealed it for West Ham only for substitute Enes Unal to curl in a stunning free-kick in stoppage time and snatch a point for Bournemouth.

What a breathless finish to a ridiculous game at the Vitality Stadium where, after a near 40-year-old Lukasz Fabianski defied his passing years by pulling off a string of saves, both sides come away pleased they didn’t lose in a game they thought they could have won.

And, even though they didn’t win this, they never give up. Unal’s strike was Bournemouth’s sixth in the 90th minute this season and the eighth scored by a substitute.

For West Ham and Julen Lopetegui, it’s the first time this season they have followed up a win with anything other than a defeat.

Enes Unal scored a stunning free kick to rescue a point for Bournemouth against West Ham

Unal’s effort was perfectly placed from about 30 yards out as he made it two goals in two

Lucas Paqueta looked to have won the game for West Ham after a controversial late penalty

Because in what is meant to the season of goodwill, the Premier League is now deep into sacking season as owners of sides towards the bottom get twitchy.

Steve Cooper at Leicester, gone. Gary O’Neil at Wolves, gone. Russell Martin at Southampton, gone.

West Ham held their nerve. Victory against Wolves lifted the immediate pressure on Lopetegui and this was a point that surely keeps Lopetegui in a job for Christmas.

Hammers fans, too, will be happy to see academy product Ollie Scarles handed a Premier League debut for the closing stages.

The ending was chaotic, but the start was scrappy and sloppy. Misplaced passes and ricochets between crowds of bodies littered much of the early exchanges.

Both sides hit the woodwork. Antoine Semenyo drilled his shot across goal and off the upright. Jarrod Bowen returned the favour after good work from Mohammed Kudus and curled his effort from range on to the crossbar.

As is so often the case with West Ham, when they do something good, it’s Bowen at the heart of it. He showed quick feet to kill a fizzing ball with his back to goal, get it out of his feet, turn and unload a quick shot at Kepa.

Carlos Soler and Lucas Paqueta linked up on the edge of the box and the former curled it around the post. Vladimir Coufal saw his shot deflected wide.

The spot kick was given after Tyler Adams was adjudged by VAR to have handled the ball

The goal kept up Paqueta’s superb record from the spot and seemed to be enough for the win

Antoine Semenyo hit the post in the first half as Bournemouth looked dangerous in attack

But West Ham skipper Jarrod Bowen also saw his stunning curling effort strike the crossbar 

Hammers keeper Lukasz Fabianski, 40, made a string of brilliant saves before the late drama

Andoni Iraola’s side rose up to sixth with the draw as they continue their impressive season

But as is so often the case with the Hammers, who edged a first half of little quality, they seem incapable of taking advantage of their periods of pressure.

So it was unsurprising that, on the stroke of half-time, Bournemouth nearly took the lead. Semenyo’s deflected shot dropped to the feet of an unmarked Dango Outtara at the back post but he could only find the legs of a sprawling Lukasz Fabianski.

Whatever Iraola said at the break inspired his troops to come out with some impetus. Justin Kluivert, Semenyo and Ryan Christie all forced saves from Fabianski. Whatever Lopetegui had said appeared to have gone in one ear and out the other.

Bournemouth in full flow, when they move the ball quickly up-field, are a joy to watch. Evanilson found Kluivert through the middle, who slung out wide to Outtara who played it back across goal to Semenyo and only the scrambling shape of Kilman denied the hosts an opener.

Both managers roared their animated instructions on the touchline. Lopetegui, whose already served one touchline ban this season, picked up his fourth yellow card of the campaign for another over-enthusiastic reaction to a decision.

West Ham, meanwhile, chipped away. Paqueta, who’d sent a cryptic post ahead of the game hinting at his desire for a move back to Brazil, had a long-range effort deflected. Konstantinos Mavropanos headed wide at the resulting corner. Kudus, again, making a nuisance of himself forced a fine block by Zabarnyi.

Evanilson forced another save from Fabianski with a flicked header at a corner and Kuivert rattled one over the bar as the back-and-forth between the two sides continued with no one able to make the breakthrough.

Niclas Fullkrug should have won it late on but could only put his header straight at the keeper but in the build-up, Wan-Bissaka’s cross hit Tyler Adams on the arm and VAR awarded the penalty. Paqueta scored it only for Unal to save the day and steal the show.