Daily WHUFC News - 23rd September 2012

Big Sam reflects on Sunderland draw
WHUFC.com
Sam Allardyce had mixed feelings after Saturday's 1-1 Barclays Premier
League draw with Sunderland
23.09.2012

Sam Allardyce was in philosophical mood after watching his West Ham United
side draw a match they should have won but could easily have lost against
Sunderland. The Hammers outplayed the Black Cats for long periods at the
Boleyn Ground, but went into added time trailling Steven Fletcher's
ninth-minute goal after missing a succession of chances. Big Sam's players
refused to give up hope of fashioning an equaliser, though, and were
rewarded when captain Kevin Nolan smashed a low shot past the previously
unbeatable Simon Mignolet in the 93rd minute, sparking wild celebrations
among the home faithful and on the home bench. Speaking exclusively to West
Ham TV, the manager hailed his players for safeguarding their unbeaten home
record this season, but lamented the lack of clinical finishing that cost
his team two points. "If we had come out on the losing side, it would have
been our own fault because of our lack of quality when it came to finishing
chances," said Big Sam. "That would have been a very difficult thing to
stomach considering the way we played and the amount of chances we created.
"We are happy we have got a point - when you score in the last minute you
always feel that way, irrespective of the fact we were the dominant force
throughout the game. We dominated the game, created the majority of the
chances, yet we were still going into the 91st-minute a goal down. "The joy
and the relief of getting a goal at the time was exceptionally good but the
reality is that we should have won this game handsomely. We coped
brilliantly after going a goal down, it was brilliant finish from Steven
Fletcher but to let ourselves down with failing to take the chances we
created is disappointing. In my position as the manager I have to tell the
players 'Well done for equalising after being a goal down in added time',
but you also have to say look we battered them."

Big Sam pointed to the match statistics, which showed West Ham had
'battered' the Black Cats, as he had rightly pointed out. Unfortunately, all
the manager and his players had to show for their efforts was captain
Nolan's dramatic late equaliser. That West Ham were a goal down to start
with owed much to the home side giving possession away inside their own half
and then failing to prevent an in-form Fletcher from controlling and
finishing from inside the penalty area. "They had three for shots on goal
and we have north of 15. We hit the bar, we shot wide and when we got them
on target, which we didn't do enough, their 'keeper pulled off a host of
fantastic saves. Luckily Kevin Nolan popped up when it mattered with a
fantastic finish, in what was a very crowded box indeed. We thoroughly
deserved it but overall it is a mixture of joy and disappointment. "We, of
course, have to be slightly disappointed with the nature of how we conceded
but you get punished heavily in this league. I keep saying that the way
teams will punish you is by capitalising on your mistakes and with a £14
million striker who is on song, you knew when it fell to him that it was
going to end up in the back of the net. "I don't think he had another shot
on goal, but he was clinical and we need to follow him in that sense - we
showed it against Fulham and we need to show it again."

While Fletcher converted his only real chance, West Ham passed up a host of
chances, either shooting or heading off-target or finding their way blocked
by Belgium international Mignolet. "Our set-pieces were very strong, but we
had headers from Winston Reid and James Collins that more often than not hit
the back of the net. Carlton Cole and Ricardo Vaz Te also had chances from
around six yards out but they failed to hit the target - those are the
chances we need to turn into goals. "It was looking like it was going to be
a disappointing afternoon but right after the death we showed that quality
and Kev popped up with a fantastic finish to get us a point. We had 19
crosses go into the box in the second half from left and right and I think
the majority of those came via the boot of Matt Jarvis. "He put an extra bit
of pressure on the opposition that allowed us to remain on the front foot.
We knew it would be difficult to break Sunderland down and in the end they
had ten men camped in their own box or just outside. They wanted to hang
onto their lead which meant we had to be clever and getting it wide was the
way to do that. We mixed the play up well and in the end it paid off. It
should have paid off more handsomely but it paid off."

Having maintained their unbeaten start at the Boleyn Ground, West Ham return
to action on home soil in the Capital One Cup third round on Tuesday
evening, when Wigan Athletic are the visitors. Big Sam made a host of
changes to his starting XI for the second-round victory over Crewe Alexandra
- handing starts to the likes of Gary O'Neil, Alou Diarra and Dan Potts -
and is likely to do the same against the Latics. A number of the club's
in-form youngsters could also get the nod after starring in Friday's 4-1
Barclays U21 Premier League win over Arsenal at Rush Green. "I think that
Wigan will come down here and make seven or eight changes to the side that
played on Saturday, they did it against Nottingham Forest and we did the
same against Crewe Alexandra. We have got George McCartney who is returning
from injury and hasn't been able to get his place back and James Tomkins who
hasn't started many games and is desperate to get more competitive games
under his belt. "We have Dan Potts, Gary O'Neil, Alou Diarra, Modibo Maiga
who could all come in and play a part and also Matt Jarvis who didn't start
the game on Saturday. We will have a strong side out mixed with a few of our
Under-21s who are creating headlines following a string of very good
performances. "They beat Arsenal 4-1 on Friday and they need to come into
the squad to get a feel for first team football, maybe from the bench but a
couple may even start. We will go out and try and continue we are undefeated
at home, that is one thing I am very glad we didn't give up on Saturday
because I think that is now nine games without a defeat at the Boleyn
Ground.

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Three in three for Nobby
WHUFC.com
Kevin Nolan made it three goals in three home Barclays Premier League
matches this season on Saturday
22.09.2012

Kevin Nolan scored for the third home Barclays Premier League match in
succession to secure West Ham United a deserved 1-1 draw with Sunderland on
Saturday. The captain struck deep into added time to equalise and win a
point that the Hammers looked like missing out on, despite dominating the
game for the vast majority of the 90 minutes. Sunderland struck against the
run of play on nine minutes through club-record signing Steven Fletcher and,
despite their bombardment of the the visitors' penalty area, it looked like
West Ham would lose the game until Nolan's late intervention. The No4 had
earlier seen one volley well saved by goalkeeper Simon Mignolet and another
acrobatic effort fly narrowly wide, while James Collins hit the crossbar and
the Sunderland defenders threw themselves in the front of a succession of
goalbound shots.

Just when it appeared time would run out for Sam Allardyce's side, the
skipper controlled substitute Modibo Maiga's header before swivelling and
firing low past Belgium international Mignolet. Speaking after the game, the
captain was pleased with a point but admitted that the home players felt
they deserved all three.

What was your reaction to the game, Kevin?

KN - "We were delighted to the get the point in the end but could have and
probably should have had all three. I didn't think it was going to be my day
when he [Mignolet] got down and clawed that one away and also had the
scissor-kick over my head that went just wide. You start thinking 'Is it
going to be my day?' but we kept plugging away and managed to create another
half-chance and I managed to stick it away, even though he got another good
hand on it.
Thankfully he couldn't keep it out!"

Ghosting into the box and scoring vital goals is your game, isn't it?

KN - "I've got a good goalscoring record and I am just delighted to have
started off so well this season. That's my third goal and I'm just
delighted. It's more about goals that are going to get us points that are
vital to us and that was another vital goal. It's a fantastic point in the
end, but we feel it should have been three even though we scored in the last
minute of the game."

Do you feel West Ham have a certain solidity about them already this season?

KN - "That is what we're about but I think people have been quite surprised
by the way we have played and the way we are playing. We've played some
fantastic football on the floor and have also mixed it up. We were gutted to
lose that early goal to Sunderland because we don't like conceding goals. As
much as we enjoy scoring, we don't like conceding, but it was a fantastic
finish by Steven Fletcher."

Do you feel that West Ham are comfortable at this level?

KN - "We feel we're back where we belong and with the additions that the
gaffer and the Chairmen have made in bringing in top-quality players [we're
in good shape] - you could see that by the quality on the bench and the
players who the gaffer brought on who were able to affect the game. Hats off
to the gaffer and the Chairmen for making sure that, hopefully, this is
going to be a good season for West Ham. We certainly feel we're back where
we belong and we just need to prove it to everyone. In the last few games, I
feel we have but there is a long way to go yet."

You played against Crewe Alexandra in the Capital One Cup second round, so
will you be asking the gaffer if you can be included against Wigan Athletic
on
Tuesday evening?

KN - "Yes, of course. I always like to be involved in games and I am one of
those where, if there is a game there, I always make myself available. The
staff here know what's best for everything but I'll definitely be putting my
hand up if the gaffer asks if anyone wants to play. I'm sure they'll have
their planning and will make the final decision."

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Under-18s lose out at Arsenal
WHUFC.com
Nick Haycock's side suffered a 3-0 Barclays U18 Premier League reverse at
London Colney
22.09.2012

West Ham United suffered a 3-0 Barclays U18 Premier League defeat at Arsenal
on Saturday - but the result fails to tell the full story of the game.
Speaking post-match, U18s coach Nick Haycock pointed to the decision to
award a penalty that allowed the Gunners to go two goals up as pivotal to
the final outcome.
He did, however, draw on the positives and felt that despite losing the game
he and his players could hold their heads high. "Unfortunately we lost 3-0
but the scoreline doesn't tell the full story of the game," said Haycock.
"It sounds like an emphatic win for Arsenal but that was certainly not the
case. "We conceded early on and perhaps should have done better from a
defensive point of view. That said, we reacted well and controlled most of
the first half. "We created a lot of opportunities, particularly in the
first 20 minutes of the second half where we dominated the game, until we
were hit with a sucker punch."

After a 4-0 win against West Bromwich Albion last time out, the young
Hammers were hoping to extend their lead at the top of Group 1, but were
unable to do.
"They were awarded with a very soft penalty and, after watching the
highlights, is it very clear that the wrong decision was made. They were on
the back foot and for them it was the perfect time to score their second
goal. "After that we rightfully went for broke and they added a third from a
set-piece late on. On another day we could have won. I think one-one would
have been a fair result or maybe perhaps a narrow win for them."

Kieran Sadlier, who had scored three goals in two matches prior to Saturday,
continued to impress with Haycock praising the forward for another
outstanding performance. "Another positive was the performance of Kieran,
who was unable to continue his scoring run but did everything but."

No longer top of league, Haycock admitted the defeat was not cause for
concern and, despite going out to win every league game, he believes the
main focus is on the development of individual players for first-team
football further down the line. "Now we need to dust ourselves down and move
onto the Norwich City game next week where we will hopefully get back to
winning ways. "The main focus of the youth team is to prepare the players
for the Development Squad and the first team, we obviously want to win but
it is not the be all and end all. "We will go out to win the FA Youth Cup
because of its naturally competitive nature and the fact you play in large
stadia, but our job is to ensure they are ready to make the step up."

"That could be sooner rather than later, Dan Potts and Rob Hall both played
for Ian Hendon's side on Friday night and they have been in the first team
already this year. If they are promoted, one of the Under-18s will take
their place. Me and Ian speak every day about which players can make an
impact in what team."

West Ham United: Larkins, Siafa (Harney 70), Shaw, Cullen, Nasha (Homans
86), Onnariase, Boakye-Yiadom (Miles 67), Nana Boakye-Yiado, Bywater,
Mavila, Sadlier, E.Lee

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West Ham 1 Sunderland 1
FT 90
HT 0-1
22 September 2012
Last updated at 17:37
By Mandeep Sanghera
BBC Sport

Kevin Nolan dramatically rescued a draw for West Ham with an injury-time
goal against Sunderland. In-form striker Steven Fletcher had put the
visitors ahead when he angled home a powerful shot. West Ham piled on the
pressure but were denied when Nolan's volley was impressively saved by Simon
Mignolet. A header from Hammers defender James Collins struck the top of the
crossbar before Modibo Maiga headed on to Nolan, who hooked in a shot. The
draw leaves Sunderland without a win in 12 league games since March and
while the manner of the draw will leave them frustrated and deflated, they
will also be sick of the sight of Nolan. West Ham's skipper has scored six
goals against them in the top flight, including a hat-trick for former club
Newcastle in the Tyne-Wear derby against the Black Cats in October 2010. The
home side deserved at least a point as they finally broke the resistance of
a Sunderland side who spent most of the second period camped in their own
half trying to resolutely defend the 11th minute lead given to them by
Fletcher. There have been calls for the striker to resolve his differences
with Scotland manager Craig Levein in order to regain his place in the
national team.

"West Ham tried and tried for an equaliser but couldn't find a way though
until deep into stoppage time when the player who looked most likely to
score did as Kevin Nolan cancelled out Steven Fletcher's opener. You could
argue Sunderland deserved a point for their stoic efforts but equally you
can argue West Ham didn't deserve to lose."

His finishing prowess, including an impressive goal which put Martin
O'Neill's side ahead, added weight to the argument. Collins gave the ball
away and winger Sebastian Larsson steered a cross to the far post, where
Fletcher cushioned the ball to control with his first touch before driving
in a left-foot shot past keeper Jussi Jaaskelainen. It was a fourth goal in
three top-flight games for Fletcher this season and, shortly afterwards, he
showed there was more to his game when he held the ball up and released
James McClean. The Black Cats outnumbered the home defence but McClean's
ambitious 25-yard strike went horribly wide.
West Ham went close to an equaliser when Matt Taylor crossed for Ricardo Vaz
Te, whose far-post header went just wide. The Hammers had been kept at bay
by the visitors until they ended the first half in the ascendancy and Nolan
twice went close. He acrobatically put a shot wide before meeting a Vaz Te
cross with a sweetly struck volley. Mignolet flung himself to his right to
palm the ball away for a smart save. Sunderland had not won away in the
league since February and their goal was living a charmed life. But for all
of West Ham's pressure, they were let down by some poor finishing.

Hammers striker Carlton Cole climbed highest when he rose to meet a Mark
Noble free-kick, but his mistimed effort went wide off the top of his head.
Collins also had a good chance from a corner only to see his header graze
the top of the crossbar. It seemed West Ham would be punished for their
profligacy before their captain struck. Matt Jarvis did well to keep the
ball in play and Maiga headed the ball on to midfielder Nolan, who swivelled
and turned in a shot to preserve West Ham's unbeaten home league record this
season, while Sunderland have now drawn all of their four top-flight games.

West Ham boss Sam Allardyce: "In terms of play and chances we created enough
to get back into the game. "We had pinned them back and were waiting for the
quality of finish, which came in injury time. "Even in the dressing room the
lads are disappointed we didn't win considering the attempts on goal we
had."

Sunderland manager Martin O'Neill: "We are frustrated with the late
equaliser in terms of the way it was conceded and the timing. "We defended
manfully but I thought we could have won. We had some good chances on the
break. "Overall, it was a tough game. We knew it would be and so it proved."

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The graduates
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 22nd September 2012
By: Tom Kilbey

Historically, our academy graduates have formed the backbone of our squads.
Moore, Hurst, Peters, Lampard Sr, Brooking, Ince, Lampard Jr and Ferdinand
are just a handful of names that were products of our famous youth system.

In recent years however, we haven't been able to produce the calibre of
players that we are perhaps used to seeing. Despite this, we currently have
three graduates who have established themselves as key players for the
squad, and all three of them face a different prediciment. Here, we will
look at each of the players, and assess their options for the future.

Mark Noble

As an East Londoner himself, it's obvious that Mark Noble loves the club. He
has played a part in some of West Ham's most important games in the past few
years, and many of the iconic moments of those games involve him in some
way.

Many West Ham fans will remember the fateful match at Upton Park against
Spurs where Mark scored a fantastic first goal for the club, before being
reduced to tears at the final whistle as Tottenham scored two late goals,
eventually winning the game 4-3. He has constantly proved himself as a man
for the big occassions, none less from the penalty spot, where he has scored
many crucial goals with the conviction of a veteran.

Besides this, his all round play has to be commended. His work rate is
admirable, and his new role in a defensive midfield position has allowed him
to take over the role that had once been Scott Parker's. This being said,
it's an unjust criticism to shrug him off as a player who just 'works hard'.
He can tackle and he can pass and rarely loses the ball.

Need convincing? Mark Noble has already made 22 tackles this season - the
most in the Premier League. Against Fulham, he made 81 passes with 98%
completion, far more than the average passes made by, say, Joe Allen. He has
struck an effective partnership with Mo Diame in a short period, and has
been one of the stand out players in a pleasing start to the season.

Despite this, Mark is currently locked in contract negotiations with the new
club. After refusing a new deal earlier this month, little progress had been
made. Considering Noble is in the final year of his contract, this can not
go unnoticed. Despite not being a top earner at the club, West Ham are
apparently unwilling to meet his agent's wage demands - although thankfully
there now appears to be light at the end of the tunnel.

It's sometimes very easy to criticise a player for being too greedy, but
when Mark sees the like of Kevin Nolan earning twice as much as he is,
surely he is within his rights to ask for a similar contract. I think it
would be lunacy not to offer Mark a new deal and his dedication and input to
the club is surely worthy of a new, lucrative long term contract.

Jack Collison

Signed to the West Ham academy aged 16, Collison quickly moved through the
youth and reserve teams, and just three years later, made his league debut.
After scoring on his home debut, and making some excellent performances
under Gianfranco Zola, his efforts were rewarded by receiving the award of
Young Player of the Year.

Fans will remember the iconic images of Jack leaving the field in tears in
the infamous League Cup tie against Milwall, having agreed to play just days
after his father had died in a motorcycling accident, demonstrating his
dedication to the club and the strength of his character. There was real
optimism surrounding the youngster until his progress was cruelly halted by
a serious knee injury which kept him out for over a year.

By the time Collison returned to the squad, West Ham were plying their trade
in the Championship. Its safe to say that for the majority of the season, he
looked a different player from the one that looked so comfortable in the
Premier League. This was not helped by the fact that he was forced to spend
much of the season in a wide area. After returning to a more central
position at the end of the season, he enjoyed more success, scoring a
fantastic goal in the penultimate game of the season against Leicester,
before grabbing a brace in the play-off first leg against Cardiff.

Despite this promising end to the season, he has not featured this season
for the first team due to injury. Despite stating he is nearing a comeback -
and with Sam Allardyce expressing concerns that Jack's knee may never fully
recover, it is really difficult to see how he will fit into our first team.
With a plethora of central midfielders, and with Benayoun now challenging
Nolan to Jack's best position, it may take him some time to force his way
back into contention.

Many people who have worked with the Wales international, including Craig
Bellamy, Tony Carr and Gianfranco Zola, have praised him for his dilligent
attitude in training, and if he can keep fit, I think he still has a career
at West Ham. I just hope that he is utilised in a central role, as he does
not have the attributes to be a Premier League winger.

James Tomkins

At age 23, James Tomkins has been involved with the West Ham academy for 16
years. Unlike his two aforementioned team mates, he only really established
himself as a reliable first team regular last season. Early on in his
career, he was guilty of some costly errors, resulting in him playing
understudy to the likes of James Collins and Danny Gabbidon. He showed signs
of development in the fateful 2010/11 season, but the year he spent in the
Championship allowed him to build confidence and show his true class.

After an excellent first half of the season, he signed a new long term deal
stating that loyalty to the club was far more important to him than money.
He also showed his goal-scoring threat from set-pieces too. Allardyce
utilised his big man as a back-post threat who would head the ball back
across goal and as a result, Tomkins accumulated four goals and two assists.
His performances were recognised by his inclusion in the Championship Team
of the Year, and was also voted Runner up to Mark Noble as Hammer of the
Year.

However, after missing out on the opening game against Aston Villa, a match
which saw James Collins and Winston Reid strike a fantastic partnership, his
chances have been restricted to appearances from the bench. On top of this,
Allardyce seems keen to utilise him as a defensive midfielder, a decision
which I find with our abundance of midfielders.

I am sure his future lies as a Centre Back, and given our lack of depth in
this area, he will get his chance to re-establish himself. However with
Winston Reid who has risen to something of a fan's favourite, and the
resigning of James Collins, for now, JT will have to wait patiently for his
chance to forge his way back into the first team. My only concern is that he
must be frustrated with his place on the bench, and I just hope that limited
first team opportunities do not change his loyalties and love for the club.

All three of our academy graduates are facing a crossroad in their
professional career. I hope the management do the right thing and allow them
to flourish and succeed in a West Ham shirt during an exciting period for
the club. They have the potential to be top players, and to be able to
include academy players in these important next few years will send the
message that we still have a world class youth system capable of producing
top players. If we don't make this effort, we will be turning our backs on a
great tradition that our club was forged from the vision of the likes of Ted
Fenton and Ron Greenwood over fifty years ago.

Tom Kilbey may also be found on Twitter at twitter.com/tom29whu.

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West Ham Utd 1 Sunderland 1
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 22nd September 2012
By: Staff Writer

An injury time goal from captain Kevin Nolan earned West Ham a share of the
spoils against Sunderland at the Boleyn Ground today. A point was the very
least Sam Allardyce's side deserved as they threw everything at Sunderland
having gone behind to an early goal from Steven Fletcher. But they so nearly
went home with nothing having played 84 minutes a goal behind having
conceded after just nine minutes following a James Collins error. The Welsh
international, who gifted Swansea a goal in West Ham's only defeat this
season was equally at fault when his mishit pass was intercepted by Seb
Larsson. The Swede delivered an inch-perfect pass for Fletcher who fired
between a retreating Collins' legs into the far corner to give the away side
a ninth-minute lead. West Ham soon hit back and Kevin Nolan was denied twice
in the first half - firstly by firing inches wide and then by a wonder save
from Sunderland 'keeper Simon Mignolet - before grabbing the all-important
goal in the third of four minutes of injury time.

Substitute Matt Jarvis, who had been excellent since entering the fray 12
minutes into the second period hooked the ball back over his head to prevent
it from going out for a goal kick. Fellow sub Modibo Maiga provided the
knockdown and Nolan was on hand to volley home the equaliser to the delight
of the vast majority of the Boleyn crowd, who to their credit back the team
all afternoon. The point ensures that West Ham have remained unbeaten at the
Boleyn Ground since going down 4-2 at home to Reading on March 31st - some
nine home matches ago. Whilst for the last home defeat prior to that you
have to go back to December 2011 for a 2-1 reversal against Burnley. The
point keeps the Hammers in the upper half of the Premier League table, with
a total of eight points from five games - an excellent start to the
campaign.

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O'Neill on... West Ham United
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 22nd September 2012
By: Staff Writer No.2

Sunderland manager Martin O'Neill shares his thoughts on this afternoon's
1-1 draw at the Boleyn...

Martin, was that frustrating for you having held on for so long?

It was. I'm obviously disappointed because we looked as if we had dealt with
just about everything they had thrown at us.We were never able to kill the
game off. We had some great opportunities, particularly in the second half
and with a little bit more care... I know they were on the break but they
were really good opportunities, 2v2s on a couple of occasions, a great ball
by McClean and I thought David (Vaughan) might have scored. Just when we
thought we'd seen it through, it was disappointing.

Nolan's a bit of a bogeyman for Sunderland. He scored a hat-trick against
you for Newcastle?

Yes he's been a very useful player for a long time.

Was it via their pressure or from your thought of hanging on to that? You
seemed to defend very deep in the last ten minutes and seemed to invite them
on either by accident or design?

That's a good point. That said, we still have had those opportunities, great
opportunities to have scored in that time. As West Ham were pressing forward
leaving the door open for us we ought to have taken advantage of that.

Having got to that stage of the game is it all the more disappointing?

Yes it is. I just mentioned in a previous interview both in the manner in
which the goal was scored and, obviously, the timing. It was disappointing -
I thought we should have won tthe game. The first game of the season against
Arsenal we were under pressure, possibly of a different kind and we saw it
through. Swansea were flying high at the time - it was a tough game for us.
Liverpool definitely had the better of the second half against us then. Here
today I thought we should have won the game.

On the positive side today another goal from Fletcher?

He's playing brilliantly for us. He's scored all our goals so far but it's
also the rest of his game. He's bringing other players into play and is
giving us a respite from time to time. He's proving himself an all-round top
quality centre-forward.

Not being flippant but you are unbeaten, so that's one positive thing from
today?

We've not won, I think it's in twelve matches. Obviously I'm not
over-concerned as it's over the two different seasons. We got a lot of
points early on in December, January and February. Maybe we escaped
relegation quicker than we thought. At the back end of the season we never
recovered from Losing to Everton in the FA Cup Quarter Final. Our next game
was against Manchester City at the Etihad where we drew 3-3 and we should
have won that. If we'd won today - it's always "ifs" - with three games away
from home and one at home it would have been a good start to the season.
That said, we have to carry on and try to win a game. Obviously I believe
that this side is capable of doing that.

How's Fraser Campbell?

I think he may be going for some kind of X-ray after he got a stamp on the
foot. It was particularly sore. I was hoping that he'd come off the pitch a
wee bit more quickly than he did because I felt the referee would probably
add on another half an hour. We didn't want to give him the opportunity.
Whatever he added on for the second half was fine.

Was it a stamp on the foot?

When he came off as much as he's my player that wasn't my main concern, how
he was at that particular second. I was more worried about the next ball
into the box. Of course I asked him how he was later on when he was on the
treatment table. We'll see how he is.

It sounds a bit sinister somebody stamping on his foot?

Oh, no,no listen it could have been an accident. Sorry - I didn't realise
the point you were making!

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Noble resolution close
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 22nd September 2012
By: Staff Writer

West Ham United vice-chair Karren Brady has revealed that midfielder Mark
Noble is close to agreeing terms on a new contract. The 25-year-old
midifelder is currently the club's longest-serving player but his current
deal, signed in 2009, is set to expire next summer. At one point during the
last transfer window it appeared as if he may be leaving the club after
earlier talks had reached a stalement. However Brady believes that the two
parties are on the verge of reaching a deal that will keep Noble at the club
for several more years. "Mark is a proper Hammer, practically born and
certainly bred by the club and I'm really pleased he's about to sign a new
contract," she said. "He's 25 and already played 190 games for us so there
has to be a chance of him hitting as many as 500 one day. "Mark's a fine
midfielder but much more because he's a giver as well as a taker, always
prepared to put himself out, happy to help with anything that connects to
the club and our fans. Old-fashioned, I suppose, and I can think of no
greater praise."

Brady, speaking in her column for a tabloid newspaper also revealed that
Wigan - who travel to West Ham next Tuesday for a third round Capital One
Cup clash - have sold just 69 tickets.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Under 21s: West Ham Utd 4 Arsenal 1
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 22nd September 2012
By: Willis Jamieson

It was a great result on a wet night at Rush Green Stadium for Ian Hendon's
West Ham under 21 side as they managed a 4-1 win against Arsenal. And it was
a win that took the young Hammers to the top of the Premier League Group 1
with 10 points. The game opened up with an early goal from the visiting
team as Elton Monteiro headed from a cross past Raphael Spiegel in the West
Ham goal after just five minutes. But with West Ham passing the ball around
well it wasn't long before they equalised. Rob Hall ran at the Arsenal
defence having received a neat ball played through before slotting the ball
home beyond James Shea. The home side then took the lead thanks to Blair
Turgott who, after some good work down the right-hand side, put a great
cross in. Although Paul McCallum narrowly missed a spectacular overhead
kick, the ball fell perfectly for Matthias Fanimo who placed it in the back
of the net.

West Ham just about deserved to go in to half time with the lead, although
the teams were very close. Therefore it was encouraging to see Hendon's team
come out and control the second half. The third goal resulted from a corner
that Arsenal failed to clear; in the ensuing scramble the ball fell to Dan
Potts who swivelled his feet so that he could prod it over the line. There
were a number of other chances before the fourth goal arrived, with the home
side controlling possession. The best of these came from a superb run by Leo
Chambers who, after cutting inside, played in Blair Turgott. Turgott's shot
was heading for the top corner but Shea made a superb save.

Just a few minutes later Turgott - who will go on from here to meet up with
the England U19 squad for the Euro qualifiers - got the goal his performance
deserved. A great through ball from Paul McCallum - who had caused the
Arsenal defence problems all evening - sliced the Arsenal defence and left
Turgott one on one with goalkeeper; he skilfully slotted it into the back of
the net. Although the game had been won with a great team performance, the
biggest cheer from the 704 in attendance came with five minutes to go for
the appearance of Dylan Tombides, who played his first minutes of
competitive football since he was diagnosed with cancer.

It was a great end to an entertaining game.

West Ham Utd player ratings

Raphael Spiegel (7) He wasn't really troubled by the Arsenal attack but made
a couple of good saves.
Callum Driver (7) Did well at right back but struggled to get forward.
Dan Potts (7) Solid and strong at centre back and did well for the third
goal.
Jordan Spence (7) The back four all played well. Arsenal didn't have many
chances.
Leo Chambers (8) Played at left back which is not his best position but did
very well. Very good on the ball as usual and considering he was one of the
youngest players on the pitch he was excellent.
Sebastian Lletget (7) Protected the back four really well. Worked very hard.
George Moncur (7) The central midfield partner for Lletget, he worked hard
and always looked at getting the ball forward.
Matthias Fanimo (7) Played on the left for most of the game, always looked
dangerous going forward and took his goal well.
Blair Turgott (9) Excelled in everything he did. He worked hard winning the
ball back and was tricky and skilful going forward. Scored one and got one
assist.
Rob Hall (7) Like all the forwards and all the team he worked hard and was
always causing Arsenal problems. A cool finish for his goal.
Paul McCallum (9) An excellent game. He won most things in the air and
brought others into the game. A great assist for the last goal and he did
everything except score.

Subs

Pelly Ruddock (7) Brought on to keep us solid in defence.
Dylan Tombides (10) He hardly got a touch of the ball but I'll still give
him a 10 for getting through his illness and getting back to playing.

Subs not used: Larkins, Piquionne, Wearen.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Collison career in the balance
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 22nd September 2012
By: Staff Writer

Jack Collison has been told that his injured knee will never fully recover.
The Welsh midfielder has been out of action since the end of last season and
according to Sam Allardyce, will have to manage the problem for the rest of
his career. Allardyce - whose West Ham team look to continue their winning
ways with a potential fourth straight victory at home this season - revealed
that the problem arose as a result of Collison's involvement in the final
few games of the 2011/12 campaign. "We thought it would be okay and he
thought it would be okay," he told reporters ahead of today's Premier League
clash. "At that particular time he had no real problems with his knee.
"Perhaps it was the excitement and the adrenalin of the games we were
playing and his strong mental state that it did not appear to be a problem.
"But once it is all over, the body relaxes and the mind relaxes you start to
feel those aches and pains. Then, the fluid got involved around the knee and
we have had a lot of trouble overcoming that. "It is a concern to us because
we would hope Jack would recover enough to start training and playing. If
that does not happen very soon our medical staff will have to seek somebody
else's advice on what we can do. "An operation would make it better but it
would never recover 100 per cent. I don't know how long that would put him
out for and I hope it doesn't get to that."

Collison, who played a major part in West Ham's return to the Premier League
having scored both goals in the play-off semi final first leg win at Cardiff
hasn't played since appearing at Wembley in May. The 23-year-old, who made
his debut for West Ham at Arsenal on New Years Day 2008 has made a total of
87 appearances for the Hammers.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Nolan rescues Irons a point
Hammers skipper denies Sunderland first win
Last Updated: September 22, 2012 7:27pm
SSN

Kevin Nolan's injury-time strike secured West Ham a 1-1 draw and condemned
Sunderland to their fourth consecutive Premier League draw.

Man of the match : Mohamed Diame ran the show from the West Ham engine room.
Save of the match : Simon Mignolet brilliantly dived to his left to push
away Kevin Nolan's spectacular volley just before half-time.
Miss of the match : None stood out but the quantity of misses will worry
Allardyce. West Ham had 24 shots on goal but only four on target.

Steven Fletcher's fourth goal in three matches had put Sunderland ahead and
seemingly set them on the road to victory at Upton Park. West Ham had huffed
and puffed without reward until Matt Jarvis hooked the ball back to fellow
substitute Modibo Maiga and Nolan beat goalkeeper Simon Mignolet with a shot
on the turn.

In many ways it was nothing more than West Ham had deserved after dominating
possession, but they had been too direct and too predictable until Jarvis
and Yossi Benayoun were sent on after 57 minutes. Nolan had already brought
a magnificent save from Mignolet and missed an effort from close range
before volleying the equaliser for his third goal of the campaign. Hammers
boss Sam Allardyce had named an unchanged starting XI from the goalless draw
at Norwich, which meant Jarvis, Benayoun and Maiga were consigned to bench
duty. Sunderland were forced into one change from their draw with Liverpool,
with Titus Bramble replacing the injured Carlos Cuellar while Adam Johnson
was still absent with a thigh injury.

Route one

Allardyce and his coaching staff rail at suggestions they are a long-ball
team and they did have some craft in the side, with man of the match Mohamed
Diame looking a shrewd signing and Ricardo Vaz Te willing to run at
defenders. But more often than not their enterprise stretched no further
than playing it long to Carlton Cole in the hope of causing some confusion
in the Sunderland defence. This approach came as no surprise to the Black
Cats, who scrambled well at the back and almost preserved the lead gifted to
them after just nine minutes by a double mistake from James Collins.

Sebastian Larsson pounced on Collins' scuffed clearance and lofted the ball
back over his head for Fletcher, who had peeled away into space, to drill a
low shot that Jussi Jaaskelainen got a hand on but could not keep out. West
Ham came close to an equaliser after 23 minutes when Nolan's shot on the
turn was blocked and Matt Taylor turned the ball back in for Vaz Te, whose
far-post header was just wide. Diame worked some space for himself on the
edge of the box but shot wide before earning a free-kick, which Nolan struck
against the wall. Sunderland broke quickly and should have punished West
Ham. They had a three-on-two advantage but James McLean wasted the
opportunity with a tame shot from distance.

Too predictable

For all their possession, West Ham had so few ideas. Cole was not providing
the same kind of silver service as Andy Carroll but they were keeping
Sunderland busy. Diame's quick feet drew another free-kick and Cole's flick
on fell to Noble, who had his back to goal on the edge of the six-yard box
and turned his shot just wide. Vaz Te then combined with Guy Demel to reach
the byline and pick out Nolan, whose acrobatic volley was brilliantly saved
by Mignolet. Allardyce eventually sent on Jarvis and Benayoun after 57
minutes and West Ham immediately looked more varied and dangerous in attack.
Jarvis was a constant thorn in Sunderland's side. He immediately ran at
opponents down the left and Craig Gardner was booked for a cynical block,
but Cole headed wide from Noble's free-kick. Jarvis teed up Joey O'Brien for
a shot that was saved by Mignolet and he then caused more panic in the
Sunderland box with another teasing cross which earned a corner. From
Noble's delivery, Collins rose well but planted his header onto the bar and
over as Sunderland clung on. The visitors were still dangerous on the
counter-attack but Winston Reid was standing firm and Fletcher's left-foot
shot flew over the bar. In the fourth minute of added time, Sunderland's
rearguard effort finally cracked and it was no surprise that Jarvis played a
key role. Noble launched the ball forward and Jarvis threw himself at it to
just keep it from going out for a goal-kick. The England winger hooked it
back to Maiga, who headed down to Nolan and the West Ham captain volleyed on
the turn to beat Mignolet and earn a point.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Allardyce concedes relief
Hammers boss frustrated but happy to take a point in the end
Last Updated: September 22, 2012 6:49pm
SSN

West Ham manager Sam Allardyce was relieved that his side snatched a point
against Sunderland through Kevin Nolan's injury-time equaliser, but his
overriding emotion was one of frustration. Steven Fletcher's fourth goal in
three matches had put Sunderland ahead and West Ham dominated the game
without reward until Nolan beat goalkeeper Simon Mignolet with a shot on the
turn in the dying seconds. "Didn't we deserve more than that on the balance
of play? I thought from the start to finish we were the dominant side and
created far more chances," Allardyce said. "Because we didn't capitalise by
having enough players showing a clinical finish we have ended up having to
be satisfied with a draw. "We are relieved and happy to have a point
because, irrespective of who was the better side, we were still 1-0 down.
"But we will wake up tomorrow disappointed, knowing we should have won the
game on the chances we created.

Mixed emotions

"At that late stage the point is something we are happy with but overall we
are disappointed." Nolan had an acrobatic volley saved brilliantly by
Mignolet and missed another effort from close range while Carlton Cole,
Ricardo Vaz Te and James Collins all squandered good chances. "Sunderland
had four attempts at goal today. That shows the dominance we created but our
Achilles heel was our finishing," Allardyce added. "It wasn't good enough
and that made us struggle to the very end. From a manager's point of view I
have to be concerned about that."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
O'Neill rues late lapse
Black Cats boss praises record signing after another goalscoring performance
Last Updated: September 22, 2012 6:51pm
SSN

Martin O'Neill concedes he thought his Sunderland side had got the job done
at Upton Park prior to Kevin Nolan's goal in the final minute that rescued
West Ham a point. Steven Fletcher's fourth goal in three games since joining
Sunderland from Wolves had looked set to earn the Black Cats a first win of
the season when he capitalised on a misplaced James Collins pass in the
ninth minute. After that, the Black Cats were under siege but could still
have put the game to bed with chances on the counter-attack wasted by David
Vaughan and James McClean. In the end, Sunderland had to settle for a fourth
consecutive Premier League draw courtesy of Nolan's late intervention. "I am
obviously disappointed," manager Martin O'Neill said. "We looked as if we
had dealt with just about everything that had been thrown at us but we were
never able to kill the game off.

Missed chances

"We had some great opportunities in the second half. West Ham were pressing
forward and leaving the door open for us. "We should have taken advantage of
it. We should have won the game." O'Neill was again quick to praise the
performance of Fletcher, who many felt could struggle to justify the record
transfer fee Sunderland paid for him. "Fletcher is playing brilliantly for
us. He has scored all of our goals so far," add O'Neill. "He is bringing
players into play, he is proving himself an all-round high quality centre
forward."

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Match Report: West Ham 1 Sunderland 1
By Iain Dale
West Ham Till I Die

I've just driven from Upton Park to Brighton, as I have to spend three days
at the LibDem conference. No, really... So I have had a couple of hours to
mull over what happened. There's little doubt that the performance warranted
a point at the very least, but the more I think about it, the more I think
that with different team selection, we'd have had all three. Lack of fitness
can surely be the only reason that Matt Jarvis and Yossi Benayoun didn't
start. Jarvis was a revelation when he came on. Every time he crossed the
ball, you felt a goal was possible. Benayoun didn't have quite the same
impact, but he was better than the player he replaced. It was another
ineffective performance from Vaz Te, who stormed down the tunnel when he was
subbed. He's developing into a right little prima donna.

We can all agree that Fletcher's goal was a soft one, But apart from that
chance Sunderland threatened very little. But they were well organised, and
a typical Martin O'Neill side. Many of their players were new to me, but
they worked well together and always looked dangerous on the break. But the
more the game went on, the more West Ham dominated possession. In the second
half we spent large parts of it camped in their penalty area. But they
packed their defence and most of our shots ricocheted off a Sunderland
player. Their goalkeeper was in good form too and saved a dead cert Kevin
Nolan bicycle kick at the end of the first half.

I thought Winston Reid had a superb game today, eclipsing his defensive
colleagues. In midfield Diame was given Man of the Match by the sponsors and
you could see why. He improves with every game. I also thought Mark Noble
had an immense game, anchoring the midfield and spraying balls all over the
field. Carlton Cole didn't get much joy again and only had one header which
genuinely threatened the Sunderland goal. I didn't think Madiba did a lot
after he came on either.

We've got to be pleased that we're in 8th place, but I am sure we're all a
bit disappointed that we didn't win, because we could have gone second
today.

Jaaskelainen 6
Reid 8
Collins 6
O'Brien 6
Demel 6
Noble 7
Diame 8
Nolan 6
Vaz Te 4
Taylor 5
Cole 5
Madiba 5
Jarvis 8
Benayoun 6

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Relief for Allardyce after Nolan equaliser, but Hammers could have got more
By SPORTSMAIL REPORTER
PUBLISHED: 19:07, 22 September 2012 | UPDATED: 19:07, 22 September 2012
Daily Mail

West Ham manager Sam Allardyce was relieved that his side snatched a point
against Sunderland through Kevin Nolan's injury-time equaliser, but his
overriding emotion was one of frustration. Steven Fletcher's fourth goal in
three matches had put Sunderland ahead and West Ham dominated the game
without reward until Nolan beat goalkeeper Simon Mignolet with a shot on the
turn in the dying seconds. 'Didn't we deserve more than that on the balance
of play? I thought from the start to finish we were the dominant side and
created far more chances,' Allardyce said.

'Because we didn't capitalise by having enough players showing a clinical
finish we have ended up having to be satisfied with a draw. 'We are
relieved and happy to have a point because, irrespective of who was the
better side, we were still 1-0 down. 'But we will wake up tomorrow
disappointed, knowing we should have won the game on the chances we created.
'At that late stage the point is something we are happy with but overall we
are disappointed.'

Nolan had an acrobatic volley saved brilliantly by Mignolet and missed
another effort from close range while Carlton Cole, Ricardo Vaz Te and James
Collins all squandered good chances. 'Sunderland had four attempts at goal
today. That shows the dominance we created but our Achilles heel was our
finishing,' Allardyce added. 'It wasn't good enough and that made us
struggle to the very end. From a manager's point of view I have to be
concerned about that.' Fletcher had taken advantage of a mis-hit pass from
Collins to put Sunderland ahead after nine minutes. After that, the Black
Cats were under siege but could still have put the game to bed with chances
on the counter-attack wasted by David Vaughan and James McClean. In the end,
Sunderland had to settle for a fourth consecutive Premier League draw. 'I
am obviously disappointed,' manager Martin O'Neill said. 'We looked as if
we had dealt with just about everything that had been thrown at us but we
were never able to kill the game off. 'We had some great opportunities in
the second half. West Ham were pressing forward and leaving the door open
for us. We should have taken advantage of it. We should have won the game.
'Fletcher is playing brilliantly for us. He has scored all of our goals so
far. 'He is bringing players into play, he is proving himself an all-round
high quality centre forward.'

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Vinny's Sunderland Report
Vinny 2:59 Sun Sep 23
West Ham Online

West Ham United 1 Sunderland 1

Kevin Nolan struck deep in injury time to ensure West Ham went away with a
more than deserved point in a dramatic ending to a good game. With the way
we scored our equaliser I think many of us came away from the ground feeling
as if we had won give the injury time dramatics which saw us come away with
a point. As I walked to the train station my view became a little clearer
and frustration is certainly at the forefront of my mind as we controlled
the game and in the second half we battered Sunderland who sat so deep they
were almost camped in their area.

Our style was direct for the majority of the game and when Matt Jarvis was
introduced there was a lot more quality to our delivery into the area. A
draw was the least we deserved and it is disappointing that we could not
find the equaliser a few minutes earlier as I believe we would have gone on
to win the game.

The stats back up our dominance with 20 shots at goal and 11 on target
compared to that of Sunderland who had just 4 shots and 2 on target. For a
'long ball' side we certainly had a lot of the ball with 61% possession in
or favour and we also amassed 10 corners whereas Sunderland had just the
one. The Sunderland keeper made a wonderful save to deny Kevin Nolan in the
first half, and James Collins saw his header crash off the crossbar. There
is no doubt about it – we dominated the game and this is exactly how I want
us to be playing at Upton Park as we took the game to the opposition and
made them work.

Whilst we may not have been as effective as we were against Fulham we were
still dangerous and this is yet another indication that we are not out of
place at this level which was an accusation spouted by many before the
season kicked off. The strangest thing I witnessed was the streams of 'fans'
walking out before the final whistle and many of them were leaving before
the 90 minutes were even up. I could perhaps understand this if we were 4-0
down but we were really going for it and the game was quite exciting.

How disappointing for those 'fans' as they missed Kevin Nolan's goal in the
93rd minute which sent Upton Park mad. I cannot understand the mentality of
some but then when I am asked which football supporters annoy me the most I
tend to always say 'West Ham'.

The Team

I like many expected there to be changes to side who drew 0-0 at Norwich but
the team announced was exactly the same. O'Brien was at left back again
despite being right footed and George McCartney being fit and Matthew Taylor
kept his place with Matt Jarvis again having to settle for a place on the
bench which was probably the most surprising.

Many had expected Modibo Maiga to perhaps start but he was also on the bench
with Carlton Cole given another chance up front. On the bench Gary O'Neill
was named amongst the subs with Diarra not included in the 18 man squad. On
the bench for Sunderland was former Hammer Matthew Kilgallon who was at the
club on loan in 2003 from Leeds United. He made two league starts and two
substitute appearances before going back to Leeds.

The referee was 40 year old Lee Mason from Lancashire.

First Half

It was clear that we wanted to start the game at a high tempo similar to
that of the Fulham game and with Mohammed Diame we had a player who could
burst forward with speed and power which he attempted to do early on.

The early stages of the game were scrappy with both sides surrounding
possession easily and in our case we just looked a bit too eager and were
rushing the passes.

With little going on in the way of chances Sunderland scored the opener
after only 9 minutes in a goal which seemed to come out of nowhere.

Again it was largely down to James Collins who mishit his pass cross the
defence and straight into the path of Seb Larsson who picked out Steven
Fletcher in the area and the striker took a touch and smashed it past Jussi
Jaaskelainen who did get a hand to the ball but couldn't keep it out.

So 1-0 to Sunderland out of the blue and bit of a shock as we conceded our
first goal at home this season.

We attempted to get back on level terms straight from the restart as Noble
put a corner into the area which was cleared but only as far as Diame but
his cross was knocked behind for another corner.

We had begun to win a number of free kicks but Sunderland defended them well
although in fairness some of the balls played into the area by Noble were
not all that great.

Sunderland were starting to commit quite a few fouls with many of them being
obvious although any side with a player such as Lee Cattermole in the
midfield is not going to get much else.

Diame was doing all the running and he won a free kick just outside the
area. It looked as though Noble might have a go but he prodded the ball to
Kevin Nolan who saw his shot smash into the wall and it was cleared.

Nothing was really going for us and although we were comfortable at the back
(given that Sunderland didn't really want to attack us) we were struggling
to find any fluidity going forward.

A free kick was pumped into the area by Reid and the ball fell to Demel who
hit a shot which was deflected wide for a corner. The resulting corner
eventually found its way to Nolan who hit a sort of cross shot across goal
which no one could get on the end of.

With ten minutes to go until half time we were starting to knock on the door
and another free kick was put into the area, this time by Noble and Cole
nodded the ball down for Nolan with his back to goal to turn and shoot just
wide.

Two minutes remained of the half and we created our best chance so far when
Vaz Te received the ball on the right and did well to get a cross into the
area for Kevin Nolan to meet the ball with an acrobatic effort which was
superbly saved by the Sunderland keeper Mignolet. It had looked destined for
the back of the net but for a terrific save from the keeper.

We may have gone in at half time losing but I was not too despondent as we
had created chances and if we did more of the same in the second period we
would surely get the goal.

Second Half

If anyone tells you that we didn't batter Sunderland in the second half then
they are either a little simple or of course a Sunderland supporter. But
surely not even the most ardent Sunderland fan can deny that all they did in
the second half was hold on.

We started fast and the noise inside the ground was creeping up as we took
it to them and got the ball into the area quicker.

On the 56 minute mark we should have equalised when a ball forward saw Cole
flick the ball into the path of Vaz Te but he couldn't apply the finish
which he had looked poised to do.

Vaz Te and Matthew Taylor were replaced a minute later with Matt Jarvis and
Yossi Benayoun coming on in their place.

Jarvis was in the thick of things just moments after coming on as Gardener
cynically took him out and was shown the yellow card. This card had been
coming for Sunderland as they had begun to try and disrupt any flow to the
game but making a number of poor tackles.

Sunderland looked as though they may catch us on the counter attack but some
last ditch defending from Winston Reid made sure one of their moves broke
down.

Joey O'Brien collected a ball from Jarvis and the full back burst forward
and hit a decent effort at goal but Mignolet was right behind it.

Jarvis was making a real difference for us and was putting some quality
balls into the area but there were not enough players in the box attacking
the ball which was frustrating to watch.

Another corner was won and put into the area by Noble as it landed at the
feet of James Collins who smashed a shot at goal but it was charged down and
despite appeals for handball Sunderland survived again.

Sunderland had got deeper and deeper and were defending from their own area.
If this was a boxing match we would be winning on points by some way but we
needed that killer blow.

With 77 minutes on the clock Carlton Cole was taken off with Modibo Maiga
replacing him.

A lapse in concentration saw Noble caught in possession and he was saved by
a superb sliding tackle from Winston Reid who was really having an excellent
game.

We continued to push forward and another corner was won. Noble played it in
again and Collins met the ball with a thumping header which crashed off the
cross bar and went over.

It was at this point where I thought this just wasn't going to be our day. I
couldn't believe we hadn't scored because there had only been one team in
the game.

Sunderland were playing time wasting tactics which was infuriating the West
Ham players and support. Frazer Campbell had gone down with injury but the
Sunderland players had not put the ball out and we got possession back.

When the ball did go out Campbell was up on his feet but the referee then
allowed the physio to come on the pitch which saw Campbell go down again.

This really enraged Jussi Jaaskelainen who raced over to the referee in the
other half to protest. This saw the keeper booked.

So as Campbell was about to hobble off with the touchline about a foot away
Sunderland decided to take him off and he had to then hobble all the way
across the pitch which seemed to take forever. In fairness to Sunderland
Manager Martin O'Neill he was urging his player to hurry up.
As we went into four minutes of added on time it seemed as though we were
not going to get the deserved goal.

Noble (who was now almost a centre half) drove a long ball forward which
looked to be going out but Matt Jarvis kept going and hooked the ball back
into the area for Maiga to nod down and Kevin Nolan to turn and shoot past
Mignolet and send Upton Park absolutely fucking mental.

A last minute goal in football is amongst one of the most joyous feelings
one can have and the celebrations were fantastic.

Kevin Nolan had yet again come up with the goods and he scored his 3rd goal
of the season.
Unfortunately there was just not enough time to muster another attack and we
had to settle for the 1-1 draw.

An entertaining game and one which we never deserved to lose.

Player Reviews

Jussi Jaaskelainen
Having not seen a replay of the goal from Fletcher I did think at the time
he may have done better with the shot although it was probably hit with too
much power. Apart from that I don't think he had to make another save. 6

Guy Demel
With no Adam Johnson to trouble him he had a relatively easy afternoon. His
link up play with Vaz Te was not great and both players offered little going
forward on the right hand side. 6

James Collins
For the most part he was decent and won a lot of headers but the fact is yet
again he has had a major part to play is us conceding a goal and you almost
wince every time he has the ball at his feet. 5

Winston Reid
An excellent display from Reid who showed great recovery on a number of
occasions. Solid, and starting to become quite dependable. 7

Joey O'Brien
Reluctant to use his left foot which for a player playing at left back is
quite odd to see. In the first half when he was moving forward he would slow
the play down to adjust the ball to his better foot. He could have at least
attempted to use the left foot. I remember him using it away at Watford last
season. He needs to be replaced by McCartney now. 6

Mark Noble
There was a few complaints about his set pieces although the majority of
them did cause problems in the Sunderland area and we were unlucky that
nothing fell our way in and around the box. He sat deep, sprayed the balls
about and did what he does usually. Not a bad display from Noble. 6

Mohammed Diame
The beast of our midfield. Another display of his ability to be an
all-rounder. He can run with the ball, he can head, he tackle and soon we
will be seeing him score I suspect. He was given the man of the match award
by the sponsors and I cannot disagree. 8

Kevin Nolan
With little going on in the way of a 'strike force' Nolan was usually the
man who was getting on the end of the chances. If anyone was going to score
it was going to be him and he took his goal so very well. It has been a long
time since we had such a good goal scoring midfielder. 7

Ricardo Vaz Te
Poor for most of his time of the pitch although he did nearly get an assist
for the Nolan chance in the first half. His attitude didn't look great and
it wasn't a shock to see him taken off. I would also think he will be
sitting out the next league game. 5

Matthew Taylor
Just never really got into the game. He put in a few decent crosses but
there wasn't enough aggression in his game to make an impact. I would have
actually kept him on and put him at left back and took off O'Brien. 5

Carlton Cole
Much like against Norwich it is difficult to remember him doing much. He
never saw even of sniff of a shot at goal and never once was in a position
to have a go at goal. He was never given a ball over his shoulder or into
the channels and had no impact whatsoever. It's time for Maiga to have a go
now. 5

Subs Used

Matt Jarvis (on for Taylor 57 mins)
A really brilliant contribution from Jarvis who I am again extremely
impressed with. I look forward to watching him play and he will start
against QPR surely. 7

Yossi Benayoun (on for Vaz Te 57 mins)
Always comfortable on the ball and gave us something different on the right
but drifted inside too much which really saw us lose the right hand side as
a way to get the balls into the box. 6

Modibo Maiga (on for Cole 77 mins)
Like Cole he was given very little to work with but he did have a telling
contribution as his header made the goal for Kevin Nolan. He deserve a go
against QPR if Carroll is not fit.

Sub Not Used: Henderson, O'Neil, Tomkins, McCartney

Bookings: WH: Jaaskelainen, Reid SUN: Gardener

Goals: WH: Nolan (90+3) SUN: Fletcher (9)

Man Of The Match: Mohammed Diame

Sunderland: Mignolet, Gardner, Bramble, O'Shea, Rose, Cattermole, Larsson,
Colback, McClean, Sessegnon, Fletcher
Subs: Westwood, Kilgallon, Vaughan, Meyler, Campbell, Wickham, Saha

Referee: Lee Mason, 4

Attendance: 33,052

Overall

We know how tough this league is and we do not have a divine right to win
every game especially against a well organised unit such as Sunderland. But
if we are going to draw games then at least we can do it like this by which
I mean we dominated the game, were the better team and on another day we
would have won the game comfortably. The positives outweigh the negatives
for me and we clearly are not even playing our best side. By my reckoning
there are three and maybe even four players who will come into the team and
make it better. Jarvis, Benayoun, McCartney and of course Andy Carroll will
make the team even stronger and none of those players even started this
game. I firmly believe we are going to get better and we are still finding
out style and also bedding in the new signings.

Next Game – Wigan Athletic (h) Wednesday 25th September 7.45 Kick Off –
League Cup 3rd Round

Not exactly the most exciting tie but one which sees a chance to get into
the next round of the League Cup which I should point out is one of just two
things West Ham can realistically win this season and I hope we take it
seriously because I am never going to subscribe to the notion that you can't
have a good league season if you have a cup run. This is a media myth. I
would think a few of the players who were on the bench for this game against
Sunderland will make an appearance but that should still be strong enough to
be Wigan.

We may not have beaten Sunderland but we can still come away feeling
positive about the game and the manner in which we scored our goal.

The View From Sam

"Didn't we deserve more than that on the balance of play? I thought from the
start to finish we were the dominant side and created far more chances,"
Allardyce said. "Because we didn't capitalise by having enough players
showing a clinical finish we have ended up having to be satisfied with a
draw. "We are relieved and happy to have a point because, irrespective of
who was the better side, we were still 1-0 down. "But we will wake up
tomorrow disappointed, knowing we should have won the game on the chances we
created. "At that late stage the point is something we are happy with but
overall we are disappointed." "Sunderland had four attempts at goal today.
That shows the dominance we created but our Achilles heel was our
finishing," "It wasn't good enough and that made us struggle to the very
end. From a manager's point of view I have to be concerned about that."

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