WHUFC.com
The newest Hammers debutant is eager for another taste of first-team action
after a run-out at Millwall
18.09.2011
Sam Baldock was thrilled to get his first taste of West Ham United action
and is already looking to next Saturday's match against Peterborough United.
Another bumper Boleyn crowd is expected, with the club slashing ticket
prices for kids to just a fiver while it is also a free match for all Youth
Academy members. "I want to get in front of the home crowd and really show
them what I can do against Peterborough, if selected. "It didn't fall for me
at Millwall but hopefully I can get a chance in a big home game next
Saturday."
The striker came off the bench at The Den on Saturday in the hope of
snatching a winning goal but found the home team in resilient mood. Although
Baldock could not cap his debut with a goal and the competitive contest
finished goalless, he was thrilled to wear the claret and blue at last. "It
was good to finally run out in a West Ham shirt. I have been waiting a
while. It was a quite good game to get involved in. There was a great
atmosphere and I was pleased to get on the pitch. "We are not too
disappointed with the result. We thought maybe we might have had the better
of the play but under the circumstances we will take a point and build from
here."
Baldock was a lively presence, and did his best to team up with Carlton Cole
and fellow substitute David Bentley in the hope of forcing an opening. "They
have got the ability to create chances for you so I was just trying to be
lively and in and around them. I was also trying to make something happen
for them. " A nice sight on the sidelines just before Baldock's introduction
was John Carew's handshake for the No7 when it was he and not the Norway
striker who got the call to be Sam Allardyce's third change. "We all back
the manager's decision and although we all want to do well, the main thing
for all of us is the team does well. John has been really good for me and
has been talking to me constantly. He has obviously experience of the
highest level and it is nice for someone like him to show me support."
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Sam settles for derby draw
WHUFC.com
The manager was left to rue missed chances but was happy to see the unbeaten
run continue at Millwall
17.09.2011
Sam Allardyce settled for a point from a competitive London derby at
Millwall but knew his team had made enough chances to have taken all three.
The Hammers headed to The Den in great away form and could have had a
tremendous start inside the first minute when Henri Lansbury caught home
keeper David Forde napping. Lansbury shot towards an empty net from fully 40
yards only to see it just flash wide. He also hit the bar and Julien Faubert
went close in the first half before Kevin Nolan and David Bentley spurned
golden opportunities in the second 45. Although it is six games unbeaten, a
first win at Millwall since 1991 still eludes the Hammers.
"We are disappointed we didn't win it but we respect the point we have got
and a clean sheet based on the pressure Millwall put us under in the first
half," said Allardyce. "I thought it was a fantastic piece of vision from
Henri [in the first minute]. I was thinking 'why the hell are you shooting
from there?'He must have seen the keeper in the position he was and had the
ball been on target it would have gone in the back of the net. "It would
have been nice to been talking about that goal but unfortunately it didn't
go in."
Millwall recovered well from that early scare and gave as good as they got
before half-time. Robert Green had to be alert for occasional forays forward
but the Hammers looked more dangerous, even if they did have less of the
ball than their hosts. After the interval, it was more about whether West
Ham would find the finish their enterprising play deserved - with David
Bentley impressing off the bench as a replacement for Matt Taylor. Sam
Baldock came on for the closing stages for his Hammers bow but never got the
chance in front of goal he craved. "We got what we expected," summed up
Allardyce. "They had a very high-tempo start and you expect that in a local
derby. Territorially they got the advantage in the first half. Henri had the
best chance for us and he has hit the bar when we would have expected him to
score there. "Then when the game dipped away from them, which we knew it
would physically, we started to open them up more. We got the subs on and
Kevin Nolan has got a chance we would expect him to score with and instead
of chesting it down and slotting it in he has decided to head it. "David
Bentley then got an unbelievable chance to put the ball in the back of the
net and put it wide."
If it was a frustrating story in the final third, Abdoulaye Faye rightly
earned praise on his first league start as the star man in a dogged
defensive unit. Alongside Faye, James Tomkins limped off midway through the
first half with a groin strain that will keep him out for ten days, meaning
the rested Winston Reid had to come into the fray. He was to more than play
his part but the manager was concerned to lose Tomkins. "James has a groin
strain. We have got a big week coming up with three games and he could miss
all three so it was great to see Abdoulaye Faye start and complete his first
game. "He was a very experienced calming influence for us. He is one of the
reasons we got a clean sheet. Nothing fazes Abdoulaye. He showed a calm
composed performance for us defensively. "We are just disappointed that
having scored so freely before I expected us to score today and we should
have on the chances we created."
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Loanee round-up: Nouble on target
WHUFC.com
Debut goalscorer Frank Nouble was one of seven loanees in action on Saturday
afternoon
17.09.2011
West Ham United's loanees enjoyed a busy Saturday afternoon in the npower
Football League. There was a debut goal for Frank Nouble, victories to
celebrate for Cristian Montano, Robert Hall, Callum McNaughton and Jordan
Brown but defeats for Jordan Spence, Olly Lee and Ahmed Abdulla. Making his
bow for League Two club Gillingham, Nouble set Andy Hessenthaler's men on
the way to a thumping 6-1 victory at Hereford United. The forward, who
turned 20 on 24 August, netted the third senior goal of his career, having
previously hit the target for Swansea City and Charlton Athletic during
previous loan spells.
Elsewhere, Cristian Montano helped Martin Allen's Notts County to climb to
seventh in the League One table courtesy of a 2-0 win at Stevenage.
In League Two, Hall played the full 90 minutes for Oxford United in a 2-0
success at Barnet that lifted the U's into the Play-Off places.
McNaughton also completed the whole game as AFC Wimbledon beat Cheltenham
Town 4-1 at Kingsmeadow, while Brown was an unused substitute as Aldershot
Town continued their recent renaissance with a 1-0 win at Bristol Rovers.
On the down side, Spence started in Bristol City's 2-1 Championship defeat
at Leeds United, while Lee's Dagenham & Redbridge and Abdulla's Swindon Town
went down to League Two defeats by Morecambe and at Burton Albion
respectively.
Further afield, Pablo Barrera's Real Zaragoza face RCD Espanyol in Spain's
Primera Division on Sunday.
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Larkins stars for unbeaten U18s
WHUFC.com
Nick Haycock was full of praise for his keeper as the Academy excelled again
away to Coventry
17.09.2011
Coventry City U18s 1-3 West Ham United U18s
The Hammers made it five wins out of five with another tremendous awayday
display at Coventry City on Saturday morning. Nick Haycock's unbeaten young
side took command against their in-form hosts in the first half, with Elliot
Lee and Jack Powell finding the net. After the interval, Coventry went for
broke to try and force their way back into the contest and won a hotly
disputed penalty to give themselves hope in the closing stages. However,
Jake Larkins was in heroic form in goal and Lamar Hurley bagged a third on
the break to ensure the visitors headed back down the motorway in high
spirits. Although the "commanding" Larkins was inspirational, the coach was
keen to stress that his team had always held the upper hand on their hosts.
Haycock said: "It was a really good performance. We are waiting to trip up
but we just keep getting the results. It will happen but we have to enjoy
our form while we are where we are. We got three good goals and a good team
performance. It is a recipe for success."
The Academy coach paid tribute to Sam Allardyce for letting the U18s prepare
this week with a session matching up against the first team - an ideal
opportunity for all to see what the youngsters are all about at first hand.
"That really set us up well," Haycock added. "It helped us to cope with what
we had to deal with from Coventry."
West Ham United: Larkins, Young, Chambers, Lee, Potts, Turgott, Powell,
Hurley, Sadlier, Vose (Fanimo 70), E Lee
Subs unused: Cowler, Miles, Shaw
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Millwall 0 - 0 West Ham
BBC.co.uk
Page last updated at 14:58 GMT, Saturday, 17 September 2011 15:58 UK
David Bentley missed a sitter as West Ham United dropped their first away
points of the season in a bruising derby at Millwall. Sam Allardyce's side
were left to rue their wasteful finishing after Bentley somehow dragged his
shot wide late on when it looked easier to score. Henri Lansbury, who almost
scored from the kick-off, also had a shot cleared off the line. Millwall had
chances too, with Liam Trotter at fault. The Hammers made the short trip
across the Thames to face their bitter rivals on the back of three straight
away wins and looking to go top of the Championship. Off the pitch there was
no repeat of the crowd trouble which marred the Carling Cup meeting between
the sides at Upton Park two years ago. On the field, there were plenty of
casualties with James Tomkins limping off, Julien Faubert spitting out blood
after catching a stray elbow and Tamika Mkandawire bandaged up with a head
injury - all in the first 20 minutes. Straight from kick-off, Lansbury
looked up and saw home goalkeeper David Forde adjusting the net behind his
goal, apparently unaware the game had begun. Fortunately for Forde, the
40-yard shot flew just wide of the empty goal. Millwall recovered from that
shaky opening and went close to scoring three times in the first half. By
then West Ham had also been denied after Lansbury's shot in the area was
bravely headed off the line by Paul Robinson. Bentley's big moment arrived
in the 75th minute when Faubert's low shot was palmed across goal by Forde.
But the former England winger, in only his second appearance for West Ham,
somehow dragged his effort wide.
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Millwall 0 West Ham Utd 0
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 17th September 2011
By: Staff Writer
West Ham blew the chance to go top of the Championship after being
frustrated by neighbours Millwall at the Den this lunchtime. This
much-heralded fixture failed to live up to expectations as neither side
managed to take the game by the scruff of the neck. With chances few and far
between, it was a disappointing outcome for a fixture that had promised so
much. Despite the lack of opportunities, both sides wasted a great chance to
take all three points. For Millwall, Liam Trotter's failure to beat Rob
Green when sent through on goal after 19 minutes cost the home side dear.
However the best chance of the game surely fell to West Ham substitute David
Bentley, who will be left to rue the open goal he missed as the game entered
its closing stages.
Sam Allardyce went into the game having made just one change from the team
that beat Portsmouth 4-3 last weekend; Abdoulaye Faye being given his first
start of the Championship campaign at the expense of Winston Reid. However
Reid's temporary demotion to the bench was to last for just half-an-hour as
he was called upon to replace the injured James Tomkins, who was worryingly
withdrawn after several minutes treatment with what appeared to be a groin
strain. With only three recognised central defenders on the books, that
could prove to be a major problem for Allardyce in the coming weeks.
In front of a partisan crowd, it was always going to be the case that West
Ham would start in a defensive frame of mind. That proved to be so as
Millwall - who racked up six corners to West Ham's one in the first half -
threatened on several occasions to make the breakthrough, although a
combination of poor delivery and woeful finishing - none more so than when
Trotter made a pig's ear of his 19th minute effort - ensured the match
reamined goalless.
However Sam Allardyce's side could have been ahead in the opening seconds of
the game thanks to an effort that, had it gone in, would have been one of
the most controversial ever scored. Referee Lee Mason allowed West Ham to
kick off having failed to check that both goalkeepers were ready; Henri
Lansbury's long-range shot missed its target by a matter of feet whilst
'Wall 'keeper David Forde was still busy re-arranging his goal net. The
protests that followed were swiftly dealt with by an embarrassed Mason and
the game continued. It was the classic game of two halves for as weak and
ineffectual as West Ham looked in the opening period, the tables were turned
after the break and, in the end, it was the home side who were probably
happiest to take the point.
As the game wore on United's experience began to make a difference and Kevin
Nolan - who was mostly anonymous throughout the game - should have put West
Ham ahead on 68 minutes when he met a great cross by Lansbury with a timid
header that was easy for Forde to claim.
click here for audio: David Bentley misses a sitter
But with only 15 minutes of the game remaining Bentley, who had replaced the
disappointing Matt Taylor on the hour mark missed an absolute sitter.
Carlton Cole's ball inside to Julien Faubert saw the Frenchman hit a
tremendous effort that Forde managed to palm away - only in to the path of
Bentley who looked odds-on to score.
Whether or not the late intervention of Alan Dunne was enough to put Bentley
off we'll never know, but for whatever reason the on-loan winger screwed his
effort wide of the target when it seemed easier to score. West Ham did
eventually find the back of the net when Faubert converted a Sam Baldock
through-ball in injury-time, but the whistle had been blown long before the
Frenchman hit the target. All in all it was, for the most part, a drab,
disappointing affair and one that ensures West Ham's failure to beat their
bitter rivals in a league fixture since February 1991 continues.
Millwall 0 West Ham Utd 0: match facts
West Ham Utd: Green, O'Brien, McCartney, Tomkins (Reid 30), Faye, Noble,
Lansbury (Baldock 73), Nolan, Faubert, Taylor (Bentley 59), Cole.
Subs not used: Boffin, Carew.
Booked: Cole (39).
Millwall: Forde, Dunne, Ward, Robinson, Stewart, Abdou, Trotter, Mkindawire
(N'Guessan 87), Bouazza (Simpson 63), Feeney (Henry 63), Marquis.
Subs not used: tbc.
Booked: Dunn (19).
Referee: Lee Mason.
Assistants: Ceri Richards and Simon Bennett.
Fourth Official: Gavin Ward.
Attendance: 16,078.
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Lions and Irons share spoils
Last updated: 17th September 2011
SSN
David Bentley missed a sitter as West Ham dropped points on their travels
for the first time this season after a bruising 0-0 draw at Millwall. The
Hammers made the short trip across the Thames to face their bitter rivals on
the back of three straight away wins and looking to go top of the
Championship, at least temporarily, following their noon showdown. But they
could not find a way past the Lionswith on-loan Tottenham winger
Bentleyblowing the best chance of the afternoon on only his second
appearance. Henri Lansbury also had an effort cleared off the line but
Millwall missed plenty of chances too, with Liam Trotter the main culprit,
as a fixture traditionally not for the faint-hearted ended all-square.
Millwall have been eagerly awaiting the renewal of hostilities, so much so
that some fans chartered a plane to fly over Wigan's ground trailing a
banner with the words 'Avram Grant, Millwall Legend' as the Hammers'
relegation was confirmed last season.
And while the atmosphere crackled, there was thankfully no repeat of the
crowd trouble which marred the Carling Cup meeting between the sides at
Upton Park two years ago. There were plenty of casualties on the pitch,
though, with James Tomkins limping off, Julien Faubert spitting out blood
after a whack from a stray elbow and Tamika Mkandawire bandaged up with a
head injury - all in the first 20 minutes. But Grant's replacement, Sam
Allardyce, has added the steel the Hammers were evidently missing last term
as the teams went toe-to-toe in a fiercely contested encounter.
The match got off to a comical start, although Lions manager Kenny Jackett
was not laughing. Straight from kick-off, Lansbury looked up and saw home
goalkeeper David Forde adjusting the net behind his goal, apparently unaware
the game had begun. Fortunately for Forde, Lansbury's 40-yard shot flew just
wide of the empty goal as the keeper sheepishly jogged back into position.
But Millwall recovered from that shaky opening and came close to scoring
three times in the first half.
Mkandawire put a header narrowly wide and Trotter shot too close to Robert
Greenbefore hooking a volley over from six yards just before the break. By
then West Ham had also been denied, in spectacular fashion, after Forde
initially made a meal of coming for a corner. He got up in time to keep out
Lansbury's shot and when the ball fell back to the midfielder his second,
fierce effort was bravely headed off the line by Paul Robinson. In the
second half Lansbury floated in a dangerous cross but Kevin Nolan's diving
header was held by Forde. Bentley's big moment arrived in the 75th minute
when Faubert's low shot was palmed across goal by Forde. But the former
England winger, looking to become the first West Ham player to hit a winner
at Millwall since Paul Ince some 23 years ago, somehow dragged his effort
wide.
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Big Sam frustrated
Hammers chief wanted derby win
Last Updated: September 17, 2011 7:00pm
SSN
West Ham boss Sam Allardyce insisted that his side should have beaten
Millwall in their early kick-off. The Hammers travelled to South London for
a win which would have taken them top of the table. But instead Allardyce
and his side had to make do with a goalless draw. "Henri Lansbury had the
best chance in the first half, Kevin Nolanhad a chance we'd expect him to
score, if he'd chested it down and slotted it in instead, and David Bentley
had an unbelievable chance but he put it wide," said Allardyce. "In the end
we are disappointed we didn't win it but we are happy and respect the point
that we've got."
There was almost a goal in the opening seconds as Millwall keeper David
Forde was still behind his goal, adjusting his net when West Ham kicked off.
Henri Lansbury noticed Forde was not paying attention and sent a 40-yard
shot bouncing narrowly wide as the keeper sheepishly jogged back into
position having avoided an embarrassing gaffe. "He wasn't happy with the
referee and I'm looking forward to seeing it again. "It looked exactly like
he hadn't seen the game had kicked off, but I haven't spoken to him yet."
Vision
Allardyce added: "I thought it was a fantastic piece of vision by Lansbury -
I hadn't got a clue and was thinking 'why the hell are you shooting there?'
"But he'd obviously seen the keeper and the position he was in, and if the
ball had been on target it would have gone in the back of the net. "It would
be nice to be talking about it for a long time if it had gone in, but
unfortunately it didn't." Millwall chief Jackett was not too disappointed
with the draw, adding: "I'm not disappointed with a draw.
"West Ham are very strong, they have a very good side so I'm pleased. "We
defended well and we are competitive but now we have to find our way going
forward and get some goals."
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Millwall 0 West Ham United 0: match report
By Jonathan Liew, at the New Den1:25PM BST 17 Sep 2011 1 Comment
Telegraph.co.uk
Out on the Ilderton Road, all along the Surrey Canal Road, at London Bridge
and South Bermondsey station and everywhere in between, the police in yellow
coats were out in force, truncheons hanging menacingly by their sides. The
last time these two teams met, there were 80 arrests, three pitch invasions
and one stabbing of a Millwall fan. That was two years ago, in a Carling Cup
tie at Upton Park that brought shame on the English game. Thanks to the
heavy police presence and the lunchtime kick-off, this fixture was free of
major incident - off the field, mercifully - but alas, on the field as well.
Nevertheless, it was a febrile, tempestuous affair, seething with ferocious
challenges and gleefully obscene songs. Neither, however, proved
particularly conducive to a fluid football match. Urged and whipped into a
frenzy by their supporters, both teams flew into the tackle and fought for
every scrap. James Tomkins limped off, Tamika Mkandawire required lengthy
triage on a bloody head injury and Julien Faubert got a painful whack in the
face from a stray arm. Joey O'Brien and John Marquis angrily squared up to
each other. And that was just the first half. As so often in fierce local
derbies, heart ruled head, but studs ruled both. For every heroic tackle to
win possession back, there was an insipid misplaced pass to squander it
again.
Amidst the baring of teeth and rattling of sabres, the game was crying out
for someone to get the ball down and play it. Consummate, cultured passers
like Kevin Nolan, Mark Noble and Jimmy Abdou were drawn into the affray,
unable to keep the ball for more than a few seconds. Chances were few, the
finishing rushed and poor. The scoreline was ultimately a fair one. And yet
it could all have been so different, within just 20 seconds of the start of
the game. From kick-off, West Ham's Henri Lansbury took the ball into the
opposition half and spotted Millwall goalkeeper David Forde off the pitch
checking the goal-net, evidently unaware the game had started. Lansbury shot
from 40 yards, the ball fizzing just wide of the post with a startled Forde
still out of position.
You can well imagine the volcano that would have erupted had the ball gone
in. Referee Lee Mason would have had to award the goal - he eventually, with
some relief, pointed for a goal-kick - but the recriminations would have
been severe and far-reaching. Millwall manager Kenny Jackett described it as
"a bizarre incident". "I thought it was a fantastic piece of vision," West
Ham manager Sam Allardyce said, with a rye smile. "We'd have been talking
about that one for a long time."
But out of the initial chaos emerged a hesitant order. Millwall had the
better of the opening period, West Ham the better of the second. Liam
Trotter had two good opportunities to score, Hamer Bouazza's effort was
fumbled by Robert Green, and Lansbury hit the bar with a fierce shot from
close range. The game became stretched in the second period, and West Ham
had two golden chances to win it. First Nolan headed Lansbury's cross
straight at Forde when he had time to bring the ball down and swing a boot
through it, and then after Faubert's shot had been parried by Forde, on-loan
substitute David Bentley inexplicably blasted wide from six yards. "We're
still not at our best yet," Allardyce said. "We're still very new as a unit,
and when we get to know each other better, we'll improve as the season goes
on."
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Forde focus keeps Hammers at bay
Millwall 0 West Ham United 0
By Nick Callow at The Den
Sunday, 18 September 2011
The Independent
"Welcome To Bandit Country" proclaimed the Millwall banner aimed at the West
Ham fans, but like any chance of drama here yesterday, it had gone before
the final whistle blew.
As an industrious Millwall side made it six-and-a-half hours without scoring
and ambitious West Ham extended their unbeaten run to six games, maybe the
banners' owners had plans for fun of their own; for this was the first
meeting between these fierce London rivals since it all went horribly wrong
in a League Cup tie two years ago at Upton Park.
That night featured a stabbing amid running battles inside and outside the
ground; the three pitch invasions by West Ham fans resulted in a £115,000
fine and ensured a massive police presence just over the river yesterday.
No official figures were released but it looked as though the police had the
2,000-strong visiting West Ham fans marked man for man, with a handsome few
left over to deal with any potential Millwall miscreants.
Local business owners were warned to beware, the club shop was closed and
the visiting supporters were penned in to the top deck of a two-tier stand
behind a goal; the lower tier populated solely by a large Millwall Lion
flag.
The West Ham fans probably did not have as good a view of that as they did
the Millwall fans' banner celebrating their rivals' relegation from the
Premier League last season; with a group flying a plane over Wigan's ground
proclaiming "Avram Grant – Millwall Legend" as that fixture sealed their
rivals' fate.
And about 100 Millwall fans went to greet the West Ham team coach an
hour-and-a-half before kick-off. The bus was escorted by three police "meat
wagons" and a human shield of police officers but the only things thrown at
the West Ham players this time were verbal insults and a deep rumble of the
drawn-out "Millwall" chant.
On the picth it could have been so different had we witnessed one of
football's funniest goals barely 10 seconds in with the Millwall goalkeeper
David Forde off the pitch, unaware the game had started when Henri Lansbury
spotted this only to shoot wide from the centre circle.
Forde and Lansbury met again in the 35th minute when the goalkeeper fumbled
a cross but made up for it with a stunning point-blank save from the on-loan
Arsenal man, who then blasted the rebound against the crossbar.
Millwall had a few first half chances of their own with the impressive Liam
Trotter forcing a good save from Robert Green.
As this nervy encounter headed for stalemate, West Ham sent on David Bentley
while attack-minded Jay Simpson and James Henry were introduced by Millwall.
The former Arsenal man Simpson's poor touch denied him the chance to make an
instant impact as the ball ran away from him as he broke clear form the half
way line.
With 15 minutes to go, Forde palmed away a Julien Faubert shot low to his
left but Bentley dragged his close-range shot wide with the goal at his
mercy.
There was still time for late Millwall substitute Danny N'Guessan to make an
impact but his powerful low drive was well saved by Robert Green at the foot
of a post.
The West Ham manager, Sam Allardyce, correctly identified his side had the
better chances and his new-look team is likely to improve as the season
progresses.
Millwall (4-2-3-1): Forde; Dunne, Robinson, Mkandawire (N'Guessan, 87),
Ward; Stewart, Trotter; Bouazza (Simpson, 64), Feeney (64 Henry), Abdou;
Marquis.
West Ham (4-5-1): Green; O'Brien, Tomkins (30 Reid), Faye, McCartney;
Faubert, Nolan, Taylor (59 Bentley), Noble, Lansbury (73 Baldock); Cole.
Referee: Lee Mason
Man of the match: Trotter (Millwall)
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