West Ham United 1-0 Sunderland
WHUFC.com
Michail Antonio scored once again at the Boleyn Ground as his winning strike
helped West Ham United move back up to fifth in the Premier League and made
it a disappointing return for former manager Sam Allardyce. Antonio scored
the crucial match-winner after 30 minutes and made it three goals in his
last three matches at Upton Park. The Hammers winger celebrated in style
with some impressive breakdancing moves and maintained the Club's superb
unbeaten home form with the last defeat coming back in August. The victory
capped off a memorable day as the Club welcomed back the heroes from the
1960's and the likes of Sir Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters would have been
impressed with what they saw from the current team as they kept alive their
hopes of securing a European spot. After a slow start to the game, West Ham
finally created their first clear-cut chance on 17 minutes when Aaron
Cresswell burst clear down the left hand side and saw his dangerous cross
well saved by Sunderland keeper Vito Mannone.
The home side were then denied by the woodwork on 19 minutes. Manuel Lanzini
weaved his way to the edge of the box and laid the ball off for Mark Noble
who struck a powerful right-foot shot which beat Mannone but his effort
cannoned back off the bar. The rebound fell to Emmanuel Emenike and he just
failed to connect with the ball. The Hammers were almost made to pay on 21
minutes as Adrian took too much time dealing with a back-pass from James
Collins and with former striker Jermain Defoe racing in on goal he just
managed to clear the ball. Wahbi Khazri then had a free-kick on the edge of
the box and his curling effort hit the top of the bar. The deadlock was
finally broke on the half hour mark when Antonio cut in from the right hand
side and burst his way past two Sunderland defenders before curling a
left-foot shot past Mannone into the corner of the net.
The Hammers winger raced over to the Sir Trevor Brooking stand and showed
off his breakdancing celebrations - much to the delight of the home
supporters. Antonio could have added his second of the game on 38 minutes
after striking a left-foot half-volley from the edge of the box which
produced a fine save from Mannone diving low to his left hand side.
Sunderland came out at the start of the second half pushing for an equaliser
and came close on 47 minutes. James Collins mis-judged a high ball over the
top of the defence and Defoe fired a left-foot volley inches past the post.
Sunderland came close again on 55 minutes when Patrick van Aanholt had space
inside the box and fired his shot wide of the goal. Adrian then came to the
home side's rescue on 73 minutes when he made a superb save with his legs to
deny substitute Jack Rodwell who looked certain to score from close-range.
The Hammers could have put the game beyond Sunderland after Andy Carroll was
also denied by the woodwork on 76 minutes.
Noble played the perfect cross in for Sam Byram who headed the ball back
across goal and Carroll fired his volley against the bar. Sunderland refused
to lie down and came close again when Rodwell burst clear into the box but
saw his deflected shot fall inches over the bar. But the home side held to
record another crucial three points and will be full of confidence as they
prepare for another big London derby against Tottenham on Wednesday night.
West Ham United: Adrian, Byram, Ogbonna, Collins, Cresswell, Kouyate, Noble
(Obiang 81mins), Lanzini (Moses 65mins), Antonio, Payet, Emenike (Carroll
58mins)
Subs not used: Randolph, Song, Henry, Oxford.
Bookings: Byram
Sunderland: Mannone, Yedlin, Kone, O'Shea, Van Aanholt, Kirchhoff, N'Doye,
Cattermole (Rodwell 65mins), M'Vila, Khazri, Defoe.
Subs not used: Jones, Larsson, Borini, Pickford, Kaboul, Toivonen.
Referee: Mike Dean (Wirral)
Attendance: 34,946
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Antonio - It was a Simpsons tribute!
WHUFC.com
Not many celebrations on the Boleyn Ground pitch have been inspired by The
Simpsons, but Michail Antonio's breakdancing effort on Saturday had Homer to
thank. Antonio marked his third goal in as many Boleyn Ground games with his
tribute to the cartoon star and he hopes his goalscoring streak can
continue. The former Nottingham Forest man now has five goals in 12 games
and was more than happy to speak about his celebration after. He explained:
"I watched The Simpsons Movie the other day and I saw Homer do it, and I
thought it looked hilarious so I'll do it if I score. "It was all planned, I
told Nobes, I told Reece - I told all the boys and they said no way I'd do
it, but I did! I think I pulled it off!
"It looks like I can only score here. Right now I'm getting goals at home,
hopefully I can get some away, but the next game is at home so let's hope
the form can continue. "On Friday after training, I thought there's an
opportunity for me to cut in and shoot on my left foot, so I started
practicing it at the end of the session. I took about ten shots and out of
the ten, I got seven in. "There wasn't a keeper in and if there was some of
them might have been saved, but there was one on Saturday and it went in."
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Dicks - The result is always more important
WHUFC.com
Julian Dicks says the result was all that mattered as West Ham United scored
a 1-0 Barclays Premier League win over Sunderland. Michail Antonio's
first-half goal was all that separated the sides as the Hammers climbed back
into the top six, extending their unbeaten home run to 13 matches in all
competitions. The three points also took West Ham onto 43 - their best-ever
haul after 27 league matches since the inception of the Premier League in
1992. "The result is always more important than the performance and today
was a good case because we were poor," said Dicks, with typical honesty.
"The whole atmosphere seemed really low but all that mattered was the three
points. "These things happen. I've played in many games in which we've been
poor and we've won and others when we've been absolutely fantastic and we've
lost, so that's just football. "Again, you can't put your finger on it. It
wasn't the best of games from our point of view, while I thought Sunderland
played well and deserved a point at least, but we're happy with the three
points."
Dicks also revealed that Antonio's solo match-winner was down to some extra
work the No30 did in training in the lead-up to Saturday's clash with the
Black Cats. "To be fair, on Thursday in training he was out there on his own
and I went up and asked 'What are you doing?' and he said 'I'm cutting in
from the right and shooting with my left foot' and the first couple in
training went 200 yards wide, but he did it today! "He works hard and he has
come on leaps and bounds so I'm happy for him."
Dicks says the Hammers will have to improve their performance level when
they host Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday evening - when they will try to
build on the Club's record-breaking season. "Of course we can stay in the
top six but we have to work hard in every game," he continued. "We've got
Tottenham on Wednesday which is a massive game because Tottenham are a good
side and we can't afford to play like that - we have to be on our game
against them. "Every game is tough, whether it's home or away and the
players have to perform. There's no reason why we can't stay where we are.
"They're a great bunch of lads with great team spirit and there is a good
vibe around the place."
Talking of Spurs, there are many YouTube clips of Dicks bursting the net
against Tottenham in the 1990s, and Dicks knows how much the London derby
means to everyone in Claret and Blue. "Listen, I know how much this game
means to the fans and to the players as well," he concluded. "It's Wednesday
under the lights and it's going to be an absolutely fantastic atmosphere.
"It's about the players going out there and performing. We have to start
quicker as Tottenham are a good side. They press quite high so we'll have to
be on our game."
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West Ham United 1-0 Sunderland
By Caroline Chapman
BBC Sport
West Ham extended their unbeaten home run to 13 games with a win over
Sunderland, who missed the opportunity to climb out of the relegation zone.
Michail Antonio's first-half goal, his fifth in 15 starts for the club,
proved the difference. The forward weaved into the box and struck low into
the bottom corner of Vito Mannone's goal. Jack Rodwell had the ball in the
net for Sunderland in the second half but he handled it in the build-up.
Substitute Rodwell also saw a second effort go over the bar after a superb
last-ditch tackle from Hammers full-back Sam Byram, while Andy Carroll's
volley smashed off the cross bar at the other end. It means Sam Allardyce's
side remain second from bottom on 23 points, one behind Newcastle and
Norwich. West Ham move up to fifth place on 43 points - their highest total
after 27 Premier League games.
A happy home for the Hammers
West Ham have only six home games remaining before their move to the Olympic
Stadium and they are making the most of their time left at the Boleyn
Ground. Slaven Bilic's side have won eight and drawn five of their last 13
games on home soil - their last defeat coming against Bournemouth in August.
It was not a performance to remember for the Hammers, off the back of their
5-1 demolition of Blackburn in the FA Cup, but Antonio took his goal
superbly in the first half and they withstood a Sunderland revival after the
break. After being gifted the ball by a Patrick van Aanholt error, Antonio
scrambled his way past the Sunderland defence and switched to his right foot
before curling home. The hosts were twice denied by the woodwork as well.
Mark Noble's first-half strike was palmed on to the bar after a brilliant
reflex save from Mannone while Carroll's fierce shot from close range
cannoned off the top of the goal. "They had a couple of chances but if we
are counting them, we deserved to win the game," Bilic said. "I was hoping
to score again so we could play more freely but we didn't. We didn't have a
great game but we deserved to win and are happy about it." 'We must get over
performing but not winning'
Sunderland came into Saturday's game after a two-week break, having beaten
Manchester United 2-1 in their last Premier League outing. Despite a
warm-weather training trip to Dubai, the Black Cats looked sluggish in the
first-half against the Hammers and failed to register a shot on target. But
they showed spirit after the break, with Jermain Defoe twice volleying wide
early after the restart and Rodwell making an instant impact off the bench.
Adrian saved well with his leg after Rodwell's first effort, and the England
international then saw his strike from close range ricochet off the
goalkeeper and on to his arm. And manager Sam Allardyce, on his return to
his former club, was left frustrated by the missed chances. "The bottom line
is we haven't scored. Not converting chances is costly and it's a victory
lost on chances created," said Allardyce. "Getting back in the game and
getting the draw was at least what we deserved. "We've got to get results.
We have to catch up as we have no chance otherwise. We've got to get over
this trait of performing but not winning."
Man of the match - Michail Antonio
Not only did he take his goal with aplomb, but Michail Antonio provided some
entertainment with a breakdancing-style celebration, which he apparently
dreamt up in his hotel room before the game
The stats you need to know
Michail Antonio has scored in each of his last three games at Upton Park in
all competitions.
Vito Mannone has conceded in all 10 of his appearances for Sunderland this
season in all competitions (18 goals).
The woodwork was hit three times during the game, the joint-most in a
Premier League game this season.
West Ham have conceded just four goals in their last eight home games,
keeping five clean sheets in that spell.
What next?
West Ham welcome Tottenham on Wednesday, while Sunderland host Crystal
Palace on Tuesday (both 19:45 GMT)
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West Ham United 1-0 Sunderland: Michail Antonio strike sees off Black Cats
By Richard Morgan
Last Updated: 27/02/16 3:33pm
SSN
West Ham United continued their charge for European football with a 1-0 home
win over struggling Sunderland on Saturday. Michail Antonio scored the
winner on the half-hour mark after an error by Sunderland left-back Patrick
Van Aanholt. And the three points sees Slaven Bilic's side temporarily move
up to fifth in the Premier League ahead of the weekend's other matches,
while Sunderland remain deep in trouble in 19th, a point from safety. The
Hammers made three changes from the team that beat Blackburn Rovers 5-1 in
the FA Cup last weekend, with Sam Byram, Adrian and Manuel Lanzini coming in
for Darren Randolph, Pedro Obiang and Victor Moses. Meanwhile, Sunderland
boss Sam Allardyce - on his first return to Upton Park since leaving the
club last summer - named an unchanged line-up from the 2-1 win against
Manchester United a fortnight ago.
And the visitors appeared to have been boosted by that impressive result in
the early stages at Upton Park as they sought to end a poor run of just two
wins in their last 15 away league games. It did not take West Ham long to
gain a foothold in the match, with captain Mark Noble inches away from
opening the scoring after 20 minutes with a 25-yard shot. However, despite
striking his effort sweetly, Sunderland goalkeeper Vito Mannone somehow
managed to divert the ball on to the crossbar to deny the midfielder another
eye-catching goal after his long-range equaliser at Norwich City last time
out. Three minutes later and the Black Cats also struck the woodwork when
recent new signing Wahbi Khazri caught Adrian out with a free-kick from the
right-hand edge of the area, only for the ball to hit the top of the
Spaniard's bar. But it was not long before the hosts opened the scoring,
albeit with some help from Van Aanholt who instead of clearing Byram's
hopeful ball over the top, was caught in possession by Antonio. The winger
still had a lot of work to do, however, being in a tight spot by the
right-hand corner flag, only to thread an inch-perfect shot into the far
corner of the net for his fifth goal for the club, all since late December.
Antonio almost doubled West Ham's lead before half-time after a neat turn
and volley on the edge of the box which forced Mannone into a smart stop at
his near post. But if the Black Cats struggled to make much of an impact in
the first half, they were far more threatening after the break as they went
in search of a crucial equaliser, with Jermain Defoe a constant menace
against his old team.
Just two minutes into the second period the striker - booed whenever he
touched the ball by the home fans - almost took advantage of a mistake at
the back by defender James Collins, only to pull his shot just past the
post. Sunderland created an even better opening 16 minutes from time after a
nice move down the right involving Jan Kirchhoff and DeAndre Yedlin, only
for Adrian's right boot to keep out substitute Jack Rodwell's close-range
shot. As the game got more and more stretched in the final quarter of an
hour, chances came and went for both sides. West Ham substitute Andy Carroll
volleyed against the bar after being set up by Byram's neat header back
across the six-yard box, before Rodwell's goalbound effort was deflected
over the bar for a corner. However, despite another important save from
Adrian to thwart Dame N'Doye with 10 minutes to go, West Ham held on to
extend their unbeaten run at home in the Premier League to 11 matches, their
best sequence in 18 years.
Player ratings
West Ham United: Adrian (8), Byram (6), Ogbonna (6), Collins (6), Cresswell
(7), Noble (8), Kouyate (7), Antonio (9), Payet (8), Lanzini (7), Emenike
(6)
Used subs: Carroll (6), Obiang (6), Moses (7)
Sunderland: Mannone (8), Yedlin (7), Kone (6), O'Shea (7), Van Aanholt (6),
Kirchhoff (7), N'Doye (6), Cattermole (6), M'Vila (6), Khazri (7), Defoe (7)
Used subs: Rodwell (7)
Man of the match: Michail Antonio
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Slaven Bilic says West Ham deserved to beat Sunderland
By PA Sport
Last Updated: 27/02/16 7:29pm
SSN
Slaven Bilic felt West Ham deserved to beat Sunderland 1-0 on Saturday
despite squandering several opportunities to make the game safe. Both sides
hit the woodwork at Upton Park before Michail Antonio struck after half an
hour, when the winger fired past Vito Mannone following a mistake from
Sunderland's Patrick van Aanholt. The visitors laid siege to the Hammers'
goal after the break, but West Ham held on for the narrow win as substitute
Andy Carroll hit the bar late on, and boss Bilic felt his side were worthy
winners despite failing to find the second goal.
"We deserved to win," said Bilic. "We scored the goal, we hit the post twice
and we could have had a penalty for a foul on Dimitri Payet. "But more than
a few times there were situations where we tried to be too cute. This is the
Premier League. Until you score the second one there is always the danger
you will concede. "They created a couple of chances and they played some
good football in the second half but if you are trying to tell me they
deserved to win this game more than us, no way."
Antonio scored for the third consecutive home match, and Bilic paid tribute
to the former Nottingham Forest forward after his match-winning
contribution. "He's a good example for this new generation of players who
are expecting first to get a chance and then they are going to show you how
good they are. They don't need to deserve a chance," he said. "He probably
dreamed about the Premier League for a few years at Forest or before in
non-league football." Antonio said: "They threw everything at us, it's a
great three points and now we kick on to the next game.
"I put five-in-five of my finishes in at training [like the goal] yesterday
so I thought I would have a go today." Goalkeeper Adrian added: "We defended
so well, but I think we deserved the win and the three points. We are on a
good run but we need to keep going. "We have shown great spirit in the last
[few] games and we are in a good position in the league."
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Antonio's ready as Byram get two game ban
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on February 27, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
Sam Byram's yellow card took his tally to the season to ten and an automatic
two match ban at the worst possible time. With James Tomkins sidelined and
Joey O'Brien it means of course that Michel Antonio will again be pressed
into emrgency action at right back against Spurs and Everton.. He picked the
card up for a harmless looking challenge and the misery was immediately
written all over his face clearly realising that he would be missing for the
next 180 minutes. However, Antonio adopted a brilliant attitude to Byram's
misfortune immediately after hearing the news on the final whistle. With a
huge "aaah" he said: "Oh does that mean he's suspended? Well it is what it
is is and if it means I'm in the team and keep the shirt that's what it's
all about."
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DG full of praise for this Hammer
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on February 27, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
David Gold tonight paid a special tribute to Michail Antonio who has shown a
fantastic attitude since he first arrived at the club. The chairman -
admitting that today's wasn't too much of a spectacle - said: "Michail has
been great since Day One. It was hard for him when he couldn't get games. "I
had a number of chats telling him his chance would come, t be ready and he
couldn't have reacted better. He's a great lad. To be honest we are blessed
at the club right now because the dressing room has great lads. It's a good
place to be. "When Michail's chance arrived he grabbed it and has been an
absolute revelation. It's hardly surprising he has become such a huge fans'
favourite. "He gives everything and today scored a special goal. Now it
looks very much as though he will be called on to perform at right back
again against Spurs on Wednesday evening and I have no doubt he will again
give everything he has. "I'm absolutely delighted for him and us that it's
worked out so well. His versatility is so important to us. He's become a
real utility player."
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Antonio shows how practice makes perfect
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on February 27, 2016 in Leroy's Blogs, News,
Whispers
C and H
It's not always been usual for us to apply the words resolute, determined
and committed to West Ham but all that and more was in evidence this
afternoon. No, of course it wasn't a great performance - we were off our
game but I honestly didn't feel at any time we were likely to be pulled back
once we got in front. Having said that, there was a laziness and a tiredness
in our play and it all became a bit to open and shapeless at times. But
there remains a resilience and spirit in the team which has been instilled
by the manager. Even when they are under the cosh they work for each other
and none more so than Michail Antonio who was absolutely outstanding today.
I was very impressed when he said after the game that the goal was the
result of extra practice he's been putting in on the left foot. That he's
prepared to stay behind and put in time on the training ground like that is
praiseworthy and it's great when it gets an immediate reward like today's
match winner. I was also impressed to hear him say he is happy to play
anywhere in the team when told Sam Byram would be missing for the next two
games. This is a very committed footballer and he is going to go from
strength to strength with us. Not a great Irons performance but three points
is three points - onwards and upwards.
COYI
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
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