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Jack Collison Double Is Just The Ticket

May 4, 2012 By Stevo Leave a Comment

A brace by Hammer Jack Collison at Cardiff last night gave the irons hope in the first leg of their playoff with the Welsh team.

Even Sam Allardyce had to admit that “it was a great night” as his boys firmly planted one foot on the Wembley turf on their road to redemption and back to the Prem.

Cardiff now have to come down to our “manor” in East London and bring it if they want any glory. It’s going to be a tough game at Upton Park for the boyos in blue and the hammers are ready to take them on.The match will be on Bank Holiday Monday so expect a large and lively crowd for that one.

Of course, anything can happen in these games as we have seen all throughout this season. I think the Hammers can hold their heads cool and keep their nerves – I can’t see it being too big a problem to put away another few goals at the Park.

Big Sam said:

“This has been a great night for us but it’s only 90 minutes gone of a two-legged game and anything can happen.”

“We nullified their threat and restricted them to minimal chances on their own ground. Tactically, we did everything right.

“There’s no pressure on Cardiff, they can come and try to claw something but this result gives us a great platform”.

I have to agree with the boss on nullifying Cardiff as the boys did a good job and to be fair Cardiff looked pretty dangerous at times throughout the game and even tested Rob Green in the first 10 minutes or so of the first half.

Ok, so it might not be a cakewalk but we are two goals up thanks to Jack Collison and Cardiff will have to attack if they want to spoil the party.

This is just what West ham needed, too. A clean sheet and a couple of goals – you can’t ask for anymore, can you?

Cardiff boss Malky Mackay said this about his team:

“We’re disappointed with their first goal and our defending”.

Make no mistake though Cardiff will come down here on Monday thinking they are two down and it’s only half time. The boys need to be on the ball and a goal or two will seal the deal I think.

The funny thing is that Collison is a Wales midfielder, so that must have gone down like a hole in the head for the boyos down at Cardiff 🙂 Cardiff have been trying to get into the Premier League for three seasons now and Collison’s double might make the Welsh side wait another year – we will see!

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Hammers Beat Hull And It’s Into The Playoffs

April 28, 2012 By Stevo Leave a Comment

The Hammers did what they had to do yesterday but it wasn’t enough to seal the number two spot for automatic promotion. Saints had a field day yesterday as they bulldozed Coventry City in style to seal the second place promotion spot.

All credit to Saints as they snatch the second place. That leaves the Hammers in the play-offs to snatch the third place and go back to the Premier League. It wasn’t what big Sam and the Hammers had in mind but hey, it’s been a long season and we’ve let a few good points go adrift and we can only blame ourselves for being in the play-offs instead of topping the league or coming home second!

The lads played well yesterday,too. With some classy stuff from Carlton Cole, the hammers looked like Premiership material!

Manager Sam Allardyce was stunned it was only 1-0 at the break.This is what he had to say:

“We completely annihilated Hull City in the first half. I was amazed at half time it was only 1-0 to us it should have been like the Brighton score. But we didn’t convert our chances even though we had the opportunity to do so.”

On Carlton Cole grabbing his brace, big Sam had this to say:

“We deservedly doubled our lead just after half time with an outstanding goal from Carlton Cole. He got two goals, which is very important going into the Play-Offs as our front men will need to contribute in a very big way during the Play-Offs.

It went down to the wire and the Hammers still had a chance of pipping Saints to the coveted number 2 automatic promotion spot. It wasn’t to be however, because Saints pulled off a great escape against Coventry and completely knocked them for six. It didn’t really matter then that the Hammers had won as Southampton already did the damage. You could see the fans faces yesterday at Upton Park as people got wind of what was happening at Southampton. The agony was apparent and West Ham just had to make sure of this game against Hull – no more slip ups please! The lads pulled through and it was thanks to Carlton Cole.

West Ham were always the better side and there was some nice football coming from both Carlton Cole and Vaz Té. West Ham seemed to have drawn a line under previous erratic performances which ended in draws. They looked good and the fans knew it although it got a little scary five minutes from time when Richard Garcia’s diving header, was ruled out for offside!

A word of hope for the Iron’s fans: in four of the past six seasons, the team who finished third in the Championship has ended up winning the play-offs. Ok, we’ve got Cardiff on Thursday and we have to be prepared. The Hammers are up for it, are you?

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Leicester 1 – 2 West Ham

April 23, 2012 By Iron Bobby Leave a Comment

Winston Reid ScoringThe 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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Reading Back In The Prem

April 18, 2012 By Stevo Leave a Comment

You’ve heard that right, Reading are back in the Premier league thanks to a one nil win at Forest with a goal from hero Mikele Leigertwood.

The Royals are back in top flight football thanks to an 81st minute strike by Mikele Leigertwood. They must be walking on air now as this is only the second time they’ve been in the Premier League. The last time they enjoyed top flight football was for two seasons before being relegated in 2008.

Brian McDermott, a former Arsenal midfielder, who took over from Brendan Rogers in 2009 had this to say:

“It’s my best moment in football, considering the worst moment was losing the play- off final.

“We are in the Premier League and I will celebrate for the next couple of months. But this doesn’t seem real at the moment.

“It’s a strange feeling. In fact it feels like it’s happening to someone else.

“But I’ve been very lucky with the players and staff I have. They have carried me along.

“I’m happy. I’m content. But you do it for the fans.

“I had the worst summer after losing in the play-off final last season. I’ll have the best summer now.”

So where does that leave the Hammers, you may be wondering? To put it bluntly, Big Sam may be forced to use the playoffs to reach the top flight where we belong! The game against Bristol last night ended in a draw thanks to Cole Skuse’s equalizer that leaves the irons 5 points behind Saints with just two “freaking” games left! Rob Green should have done a bit better, we think.

Allardyce admitted that it was difficult now and they only have themselves to blame. I cannot believe it myself, if the Hammers fail to reach the Prem, then what? Another year in the wilderness, simple as that!

West Ham roared into the lead from a Tomkins header which came courtesy of a Mark Noble free-kick just after 25 minutes.That gave us some hope until blooming Skuse stuck one in for Bristol 4 minutes later!

And on that note i’ll leave you with what one Hammers fan posted:

Yes lets prepare for the white knuckle ride the play- offs lottery, worth 90m to the winners,US hammers fans wouldn’t have it any other way lol……….COYI – source here

Come on you irons!

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Hammers 6 Brighton and Hove Albion 0: Match Report

April 14, 2012 By Stevo Leave a Comment

An in form Ricardo Vaz Té helped the Irons to an awesome 6 nil demolishing of Brighton and Hove Albion at Upton Park where he scored a hat-trick.

Vaz Té now makes it 8 goals in 5 games but more importantly has put the Hammers back in contention for an automatic promotion place. The Portuguese striker has now put West Ham 3 points behind Southampton who are sitting in second place with just three games to play. Vaz Té has breathed some life into the claret and blues just lately and today’s performance at Upton Park is no exception.

Brighton’s defending today has been atrocious to say the least which was highlighted when the Hammers hit their crossbar with just 40 seconds on the clock! This was the seagulls heaviest defeat this season and they only have themselves to blame.

Brighton’s chances of making the playoffs look left for dead now as they stand five points behind Cardiff City who are sitting at sixth place. Gus Poyet will certainly not be pleased with his team’s performance today!

To be honest lads, it wasn’t much of a contest, was it? You could say that with a quarter of an hour on the clock it was all over bar the shouting.

Ricardo Vaz Té got on the scoreboard first just after 3 minutes after skipper Kevin Nolan won the ball on the left and threaded it through to the striker, who was 30 yards out. Vaz Te’s shot was powerful and flew through Peter Brezovan’s hands. His second goal came just five minutes after. Vaz Té was left on his own at the far post to head home a cross from Gary O’Neill. Next up was Nolan three minutes later to stick the ball in the net after Tonks headed Matt Taylor’s free-kick back across the goal.

The Hammers had to wait a bit for the next goal and it didn’t come until 63 minutes when Vaz Té found the net and got his hat-trick with a spectacular hook shot over his shoulder. The ref had waived play on when Henri Lansbury was brought crashing down in the box but the ball found the magical Vaz Té and it was crashed home in spectacular style!

Carlton Cole then made it five after his shot was deflected off Lansbury’s heel. To complete the drubbing Seagulls’ Gary Dicker turned a Kevin Noble corner into his own net with 13 minutes left on the clock. West Ham came away on a high note and they could smell the Premier League in the air!

Match Stats:

West Ham 4-4-2
Green, Demel, Tomkins, Reid, Taylor, O’Neill, Nolan, Noble, Lansbury, Vaz Té, Cole

Subs: Henderson, Maynard, Colison, Carew, Collins

Brighton and Hove Albion 4-4-1-1
Brezovan, Calderon, Greer, El-Abd, Painter, Bridcutt, Dicker, Navarro, Assulin, Vicente; Barnes

Subs: Ankergren, Noone, Mackail-Smith, Lualua, Jara

Ref: Roger East

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