The mighty Hammers have kept their hopes of automatic promotion alive from tonight with a 2-1 win at Leicester City.
Knowing anything less than a win would gift Southampton the second automatic promotion place, West Ham knew they had to do the business and were definitely in the mood.
It looked like it could be slipping away when Beckford popped up with a header in the first half for Leicester against the run of play.
If Leicester thought this would rock West Ham then they were wrong, because The Irons went straight on the attack again like they had been for much of that half and grabbed a well deserved equaliser through the unlikely source of Winston Reid within 5 minutes, who finished from close range from a delightful Matty Taylor cross, not sure where our forwards were but I was happy our Kiwi defender was to hand!
Carlton Cole was in a ding dong battle with the Leicester City defence and proved a real handful for them until he was substituted in the second half.
Into the second half and Leicester made some changes, probably concerned by how dominant West Ham were in the first half.
The changes didn’t work as West Ham were still on top and creating chances, and in the 58th minute one was finally taken with Jack Collison smashing home from outside the box with a lovely strike. Fortunately for us Collison was still on the pitch to score as Henri Lansbury was on the sidelines waiting to replace the Welshman.
Vaz Te set-up Collison again inside the box only for a defender to nip in and win the ball much to Vaz Te’s frustration who thought Jack should have been more aware.
Nolan then spurned a gift of a chance in the last minute and instead of playing the ball to Lansbury who had an open goal he went for glory and missed the best chance of the match. West Ham nearly paid for this as Leicester got a free kick in the 4th minute of injury time and pumped it into the box with Winston Reid nearly kicking the Tigers players head off and giving away a penalty, fortunately it came to nothing and West Hams slim chance of automatic promotion remains alive.
Vaz Te impressed me again though and looked very lively and if we do go into the play off’s then I think he could be the man to win it for us.
So another eventful West Ham game and a nervous final day of the season although Southampton remain in the box seat. COYI!
TEAMS:
Leicester City: Schmeichel, Peltier, Konchesky, Bamba, Morgan, Marshall, King, Drinkwater, Wellens, Beckford, Nugent
Subs: St.Ledger, Howard, Dyer, Waghorn, Vassell
West Ham United: Green, Demel, Taylor, Reid, Tomkins, Noble, Nolan, Collison, O’Neil, Vaz Te, Cole
Subs: Baldock, Faubert, Diop, Lansbury, Collins
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