Noble voted Hammer of the Year
WHUFC.com
Mark Noble has been crowned 2011/12 Hammer of the Year - sponsored by Alpari (UK)
30.04.2012
Mark Noble has been crowned Hammer of the Year.
The midfielder capped a superb 2011/12 season by scooping the prestigious award - sponsored by Alpari (UK) - at West Ham United's fourth annual Awards Dinner at the London Hilton on Park Lane. Alpari (UK) COO David Stuart was on hand to present Noble with his award. Twice runner-up, Noble was rewarded for his outstanding performances over the past nine months by edging James Tomkins into second place after more than 10,000 votes were cast by West Ham supporters. Robert Green came in third and Kevin Nolan fourth. "It does sound really nice to be named Hammer of the Year, to be honest!" said a delighted Noble. "I have been runner-up a few times so it is just nice to win one. "I just want us to get back in the Premier League - that's my aim and I've just tried my best to help my club to do that. We've got three more games left and hopefully we can do it."
Lifelong Hammers Noble joins an elite band of winners that includes greats such as Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst, Billy Bonds, Trevor Brooking and Scott Parker. He is naturally honoured to be in such company. "Some of the players I have come second to over the years have been pretty special. I lost to Teddy Sheringham the first year when I got Young Hammer of the Year, then Carlos Tevez and then it was Scotty Parker. If I have half the career those players have then I'll be happy."
Homegrown hero Noble has enjoyed a fantastic season in claret and blue, scoring a career-high nine goals and chalking up a club-best 45 npower Championship appearances and nine assists. Perhaps the 24-year-old's best run of form came during February, when he was the driving force behind the Hammers collecting seven points from a possible nine - despite having a player sent-off in fixtures against Millwall, Southampton and Blackpool. Noble has fired in eight nerveless penalties out of eight this season, helping his side to secure vital victories over Peterborough United, Nottingham Forest and Portsmouth, while his tenacious tackling and tireless tracking was a constant thorn in the side of the opposition. The Academy graduate is the sole survivor from West Ham's 2004/05 Championship Play-Off-winning squad and is hoping to celebrate his first Hammer of the Year award by inspiring the club to promotion to the Premier League via the same route.
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Manager on Monday
WHUFC.com
West Ham United have begun their preparations for Thursday's Play-Off semi-final first leg at Cardiff City
29.04.2012
West Ham United manager Sam Allardyce was happy that the Hammers once again have promotion to the Barclays Premier League back in their own hands. Big Sam and his squad were back at Chadwell Heath on Sunday morning after Saturday's 2-1 win against Hull City did not prove to be quite enough as Southampton secured the final automatic promotion spot. That means West Ham will now face a Play-Off semi-final away at Cardiff City on Thursday before a Bank Holiday Monday second leg to decide who goes through to the Wembley final. "It'll be a Bank Holiday Monday and everyone will be looking to finishing the long weekend off by coming here and supporting us and hoping that we can get through the two-legged tie," said the boss. "We just have to not worry about it and relax and enjoy the couple of days that we'll have to recover from Saturday, not just with ourselves, but at home with our families, to make sure we rest the bodies and get as much mental and physical fatigue out as you can. "We're stronger and fitter than we were at the start of the season and that's an important thing at this stage of the season. We've increased the fitness levels by preparing and recovering and using them in the right way and keeping them as fresh as we can."
Allardyce had the luxury of a near fully-fit squad on Saturday and will help the minor knocks and bumps will be patched up in time for Thursday night's game. James Tomkins and Kevin Nolan are both expected to be passed fit from head and leg injuries respectively, while there is some concern that Gary O'Neil will not make the game after a strong second-half tackle from Hull's Corry Evans left him with a sore right ankle. "The main problem is the short time between now and Thursday after 46 long and tough games," said Big Sam. "We could have done with a bit longer to overcome the injuries that we might have but the schedules have to be met and that's where it fits it in. "I had 21 players available on Saturday and I think the last time I had that was about five games in. The rest of the injured players have recovered and they'll come back into the squad. "The players who are in very good form are key to us. The only disappointment from Saturday was that it was out of our hands and the injury to Gary O'Neil, which was very unfortunate and for him considering how well he's been playing."
West Ham will go into the Play-Offs full on a high, having lost just once since 1 February and with four wins in their last six games. Better still, Carlton Cole's brace against the Tigers demonstrated how Big Sam's strikers have started finding the net again on a regular basis, which is unlikely to have gone unnoticed by Cardiff City's Malky Mackay. "We will all go into the game with a lot of confidence as we're playing well and we've all produced good performances. We've had some disappointing draws but the performances weren't bad but the end result was. "18 games with one defeat is very good. We'll see what happens in the semis and then we'll worry about the final after."
Big Sam admitted that although there was some frustration that West Ham were unable to leapfrog the Saints on the final day, he knows that the togetherness of his squad will ensure only positive emotions will remain going into Thursday. Undoubtedly the support of the Hammers faithful be essential to maintain the good vibes, with the 35,000 packed into the Boleyn Ground on Saturday making West Ham's game the second-highest attended game in the country on the day. "Coming into the ground on a day-to-day basis makes you smile as we've got a fantastic group of players. We're disappointed that we haven't achieved our ultimate goal of automatic promotion. "What I've got to do is show them the way forward and produce that form that will be good enough for the Play-Offs two legs and not concern ourselves with the final or even think about it yet. "Of the 30 teams that have been relegated in the last ten years, only eight have gone straight back up. For four of last five seasons, 86 points were enough and that shows you we are a bit unlucky but we've got to master our own destiny and prove that what we've got is good enough."
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Loanee round-up
WHUFC.com
Freddie Sears scored for Colchester United on a busy weekend of loanee action
30.04.2012
Three of West Ham Uniteds loanees were in action for their respective clubs this weekend as the Football League season nears its end. Cristian Montano, Freddie Sears and George Moncur all featured on Saturday with striker Sears taking the plaudits for scoring Colchester United's fourth goal on Saturday afternoon. The U's beat Tranmere Rovers 4-2 as they look to secure a top-ten finish in League One and Sears got on the scoresheet six minutes after coming on as a substitute. The striker cut in from the left-hand side before unleashing a fine strike that beat Rovers keeper Andy Coughlin at his near post.
Elsewhere Cristian Montano played the final 15 minutes of Oxford United's 2-0 home defeat at the hands of Southend United. The defeat dealt a blow to Oxford's Play Off hopes but they are still in with a chance going in to the final game.
George Moncur played the full 90 minutes for AFC Wimbledon as the Dons went down 4-0 away to struggling Barnet. The result leaves Wimbledon in 17th place in League Two, but safe from relegation.
Frank Nouble (Barnsley), Jordan Spence (Bristol City) and Pablo Barrera (Real Zaragoza) were all not involved, while goalkeeper Peter Kurucz (Rochdale) has returned to West Ham due to injury.
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Cardiff's Don Cowie says play-off pressure is on West Ham
BBC.co.uk
Cardiff City midfielder Don Cowie believes that the greater pressure will be on West Ham United when they clash in the Championship play-offs. The first leg is at Cardiff City Stadium on Thursday, 3 May, with the return at Upton Park the next Monday. "They [West Ham] were very close to going up automatically," said Scotland international Cowie. "They've got a great squad, they've spent a lot of money and I'm sure there'll be a lot of pressure on them."
The Hammers just missed out on an automatic promotion place, having to settle for third as Southampton and Reading booked their Premier League spots for next season. Cardiff also kept their hopes alive after Saturday's 2-1 win at Crystal Palace secured sixth place and the final spot in the play-offs. "There'll be a lot of pressure on us within our dressing-room," added Cowie, who scored the winner at Selhurst Park.
"Now that we're in these play-offs we don't want to let it slip, we've got a great opportunity and we want to make the most of it. "We're 10 games undefeated, first and foremost we've showed that we're hard to beat. "We go into the game on Thursday very confident that we'll definitely give West Ham something to think about."
Cowie's fellow Bluebirds midfielder Peter Whittingham, their other goal-scorer against Palace, says that despite West Ham's pedigree the sides should be evenly matched. "It's going to be a hard game, we know what a great team they are and they've been vying for the top two all season," Whittingham said. "But we're going into it full of confidence, we've not lost in a while so it's one of those games we're really looking forward to. "It's always going to be a lottery in the play-offs, you need that little bit of luck and hopefully this year we'll have some. "Maybe we've sneaked in under the radar a little bit and no one really knew who was getting sixth place. "But we knew that we were confident coming down here and we knew if we played our own game and stuck to the task that we'd get the win." Should Cardiff win through against West Ham, they will face one of two other former Premier League sides Birmingham and Blackpool in the play-off final at Wembley.
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The Academy: a season review
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 30th April 2012
By: Willis Jamieson
Success in youth football can be measured in different ways.
It can be measured in matches won, in players that get promoted to the first team, the progression of the scholars or even just in the way that they play the game. It is fair to say that whichever of those ways you judge the West Ham Academy teams this season, it can be called successful.
Including a pre-season that counted being runners up on goal difference to the Estonia national side in the Tallinn Cup as one of their achievements, The under 18 side won an impressive 23 games and drew five out of a possible 40.
The competitive season began with an eight-game unbeaten run including a 4-1 opening day victory against Sheffield United. Elliot Lee, son of former player Rob Lee carried on from his seven goals in pre-season by scoring an impressive hat-trick. After finishing last season with a final day hat-trick against Chelsea, Lee was continuing his fine form. In the next game he would complete his hat-trick of hat-tricks by scoring all three goals in a five-goal thriller away at Sunderland.
Perhaps the most enjoyable performance from the young Hammers came in their next game, an away trip to London rivals Tottenham. The style of the 4-0 victory was what impressed most with a solid defensive display from Jake Larkins in goal as well as Jake Young, Kenzer Lee, Leo Chambers and the soon to break into the first team Dan Potts all working hard for the clean sheet.
At the other end, late replacement Kieran Sadlier gave the Hammers a half time lead and two goals from Blair Turgott and one more from Jack Powell in the second half provided the travelling fans with a memorable victory.
Other impressive wins included beating the Academy teams of Chelsea and Arsenal as well as an enjoyable cup run that saw a great 3-2 away victory at Wolves and a 4-1 victory against Brighton in front of a 1,500+ crowd at The Boleyn.
The Cup run came to a heart-breaking end at Staines against a strong Chelsea side. A good crowd travelled to support the lads who although struggling in the first half fought back to be leading 3-2 with just seconds to go, sadly deep into injury time Chelsea scrambled an equaliser and went on to win 5-4 on penalties.
With the game being shown live on TV it was a great opportunity for the fans to see the quality that we have coming through, as well as their excellent team spirit.
Another way to measure success is by the progress of the players through the ranks and once again this season can be counted as a positive one. Three Academy players made their first team debuts in Rob Hall, Dan Potts and Callum McNaughton - whilst Olly Lee and George Moncur made the bench on a couple of occasions.
Along with Dan Potts and Rob Hall, others have also enjoyed representing their country at youth level. Blair Turgott, Mathias Fanimo, Leo Chambers and Josh Cullen have all represented England and Kieran Sadlier has been capped by Ireland.
So whether you judge success at Academy level by games won, style of play or if, like Academy director Tony Carr, you judge it by progression and development of players, then the Academy at West Ham continues to move forward with many of the scholars having bright futures ahead of them.
Goalkeepers
Jake Larkins (14 appearances): Started season as first choice and performed really well, suffered a groin strain that kept him out of last part of the season.
Dave Wooton (8 appearances): Took over from Larkins and did very well. Good performance in the Chelsea cup match keeping us in it a number of times.
Sam Baxter (6 appearances): A first year scholar who, at the start of the season was third in line so spent time on loan. His 6'4" frame saw him play a number of times for the Development Squad and six more for the under 18s. Expect to see him a lot more next season.
Defenders
Leo Chambers (24 appearances): An excellent season at centre back for Leo that at just 16, saw him play regularly for the under 18s - but also a number of times for England, including captaining and scoring as the England under 17s won the Algarve Cup.
Kenzer Lee (26 appearances; 1 goal): Formed a good partnership with Chambers and has helped keep the under 18's solid at the back.
Dan Potts (15 appearances; 2 goals): Started off as captain of the under 18s and played well at left back and centre back. His performances earned him a well-deserved call-up to the first team and he has been in and around the match day squad ever since. He impressed on his debut and also enjoyed an international call up.
Dan Potts
Frazer Shaw (26 appearances; 1 goal): A left back who enjoys supporting the attack, he had a good season as part of a strong back four.
Josh Siafa (11 appearances): A centre back and first year scholar, Josh has had limited chances but played a bit more towards the end of the season when more first years were brought into team with a view to next season.
Jake Young (27 appearances; 1 goal): Jake formed a good relationship at right back with the rest of the back four, although he has now left the club and is currently having trials with Colchester United. Tony Carr recently stated that Luke is a credit to himself and his family and along with us, wishes him well in the future.
Midfielders
Dominic Vose (18 appearances; 2 goals): A mixed season for the attacking midfielder who has put problems in his personal life behind him. He has a lot of quality and will hope to play a lot more next season for the Development Squad and push for a first team debut. Vose scored four in 14 appearances for the Development Squad; his most memorable game was coming on as a substitute in the Cup tie with Chelsea where he turned the game in our favour. Sadly it was his poor penalty miss that ultimately lost it.
Blair Turgott (30 appearances; 10 goals): An excellent season for Blair that has seen him progress well. He has enjoyed playing for both the Development Squad and under 18s scoring a total of 13 goals. Blair has captained the under 18s a number of times and having already signed a professional contract, the future looks bright.
Blair Turgott
Kieran Sadlier (25 appearances; 10 goals): A first year scholar with great technical ability and an excellent eye for goal. Kieran has frequently played on the left but looks most dangerous behind the striker.
Pelly Ruddock (11 appearances): A strong holding midfielder who hasn't been able to enjoy a run of games, but has looked good whenever he has appeared.
Jack Powell (26 appearances; 4 goals): Really enjoyable to watch as he is very good on the ball and has great vision and passing ability.
Taylor Miles (27 appearances; 2 goals): A perfect partner for the more technically gifted Powell, Miles always works hard and is excellent in breaking up play and simply distribution. He also has great shooting ability as his wonder goal in the Chelsea Cup tie proved.
Lamar Hurley (21 appearances; 1 goal): A holding midfielder who enjoyed a decent start to the season, although Lamar has since been released by the club.
Mathias Fanimo (26 appearances; 6 goals): A tricky, skillful winger who has been called up to the Development Squad on 12 occasions. With his pace and the way he runs at defenders he has looked good on most occasions he has featured.
Kieran Bywater (7 appearances): Kieran has progressed from the under 16s to play a few times towards the end of the season. Kieran will be looking forward to making the central midfield position his own next season.
Strikers
Elliot Lee (29 appearances; 20 goals): Being the main striker for most of the season it is no surprise that Lee ended the season as top scorer. Seven goals in pre-season was followed by hat-tricks in his first two games of the season. As the season has progressed he has found it harder, but has a great eye for goal and doesn't stop working.
Elliott Lee
Nana Yiadom (6 appearances; 1 goal): Nana only started one game and made five substitute appearances. He often played for the under 16s before joining the under 18s in the second half of the campaign. Nana has enjoyed a good season and has scored a number of times for the under 16 and fully deserves his full time scholarship.
Dylan Tombides: A special mention for Dylan as although he has been unable to play a part this season due to fighting cancer, he has progressed really well - so much so that in the last couple of weeks he has returned to training with the rest of the squad. We wish him well as he continues his recovery and lookforward to seeing him play again soon.
With 11 players from the U16's being given fulltime scholarships to join up with this year's first year scholars, the Academy system continues to move forward. We have a good squad to look forward to further success next year.
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Noble named HotY
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 30th April 2012
By: Staff Writer
Mark Noble has been crowned Hammer of the Year at tonight's swanky awards ceremony at the London Hilton. Tonight's bash, to which most fans were priced out of attending with tickets costing up to £275 saw the 24-year-old named as the latest recipient of the award that has been running since 1958. Noble narrowly beat central defender James Tomkins into second place, with goalkeeper Robert Green coming in third. It was the first time that the Canning Town-born midfielder has won the award, which was first won by Andy Malcolm at the end of the 1957/58 promotion season. Voting for KUMB.com's 15th annual awards will open next week. Stay tuned for more details.
HotY: Previous Winners
1958 Andy Malcolm
1959 Ken Brown
1960 Malcolm Musgrove
1961 Bobby Moore
1962 Lawrie Leslie
1963 Bobby Moore
1964 Johnny Byrne
1965 Martin Peters
1966 Geoff Hurst
1967 Geoff Hurst
1968 Bobby Moore
1969 Geoff Hurst
1970 Bobby Moore
1971 Billy Bonds
1972 Trevor Brooking
1973 Pop Robson
1974 Billy Bonds
1975 Billy Bonds
1976 Trevor Brooking
1977 Trevor Brooking
1978 Trevor Brooking
1979 Alan Devonshire
1980 Alvin Martin
1981 Phil Parkes
1982 Alvin Martin
1983 Alvin Martin
1984 Trevor Brooking
1985 Paul Allen
1986 Tony Cottee
1987 Billy Bonds
1988 Stewart Robson
1989 Paul Ince
1990 Julian Dicks
1991 Luděk Mikloško
1992 Julian Dicks
1993 Steve Potts
1994 Trevor Morley
1995 Steve Potts
1996 Julian Dicks
1997 Julian Dicks
1998 Rio Ferdinand
1999 Shaka Hislop
2000 Paolo Di Canio
2001 Stuart Pearce
2002 Sébastien Schemmel
2003 Joe Cole
2004 Matthew Etherington
2005 Teddy Sheringham
2006 Danny Gabbidon
2007 Carlos Tévez
2008 Robert Green
2009 Scott Parker
2010 Scott Parker
2011 Scott Parker
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Play-off picture
Sky Sports considers the promotion credentials of those clubs entering the Championship play-offs.
Last Updated: April 30, 2012 4:33pm
SSN
Four teams have bought a ticket for the Championship play-off lottery, but only one will see their numbers come up. For the lucky ones, fame and fortune in the Premier League awaits, with the richest game in world football set to take them to the Promised Land. Three of those looking to hit the jackpot have tasted the high life before and are desperate to rub shoulders with English football's elite once more. In fact, they are all looking to bounce back into the big time at the first time of asking, with the relegation pain of last season countered by the joys of a promotion push. Making up the quartet of hopefuls is a club that have endured play-off heartache on an all too regular basis in the recent past and have been forced to watch on as their fiercest rivals have taken the top flight by storm - making history in the process. All four clubs have every reason to believe that 2012 will be their year, but who has what it takes to negotiate three epic encounters and experience the highest of highs at Wembley Stadium on 19th May?
West Ham United
The Hammers were billed as pre-season title favourites, with it widely expected that their flirtation with the second tier would last no longer than 12 months. For much of the season it appeared as though they would live up to the hype and secure a top-two finish, but their inability to turn draws into wins - especially at home - means they will have to take the scenic route back to the Premier League. They will be hoping that the vast top flight experience they boast within their ranks plays into their hands, with the likes of Robert Green, George McCartney, Carlton Cole, Jack Collison and Papa Bouba Diop international stars who are accustomed to gracing grander stages. West Ham will also be looking to manager Sam Allardyce to mastermind their ascent back to the big time, with his past experience of promotion pushes a possible ace in their pack.
Birmingham City
The one concern for Birmingham heading into the end-of-season shake-up will be running out of gas. The Blues have done remarkably well to juggle domestic and European commitments and give themselves a shot at promotion. The Blues have already taken in an energy-sapping 60 games in 2011/12 and there will be a few in the St Andrews camp that are running on fumes. They are, however, only three games away from an immediate return to the top flight and Chris Hughton will demand one last push from his players. They have the quality to pip their rivals to the post, with Marlon King and Nikola Zigic a strike force to be reckoned with and Curtis Davies a consistent performer who would grace many a Premier League back four. The Blues will be in with a shout if they can field their strongest side and steer well clear of extra-time.
Blackpool
Ian Holloway has turned Blackpool from Championship relegation-fodder into a Premier League surprise package and a club that feels they now belong at the top table. Their exploits in 2010/11 proved that they are capable of holding their own among the best in the business and they will feel better prepared for another shot at the big time for having been through that experience. Holloway must have feared the worst when he saw a number of his leading lights head through the exits last summer, but his man management skills and ability to bring the best out of those available to him has seen him carry the Seasiders to within touching distance of a second play-off success in three years. Veteran frontman Kevin Phillips has proved to be an inspired singing, while Matt Phillips has blossomed into a forward of international calibre. The fact that they know what it takes to prevail in the play-offs makes them a considerable threat, and there is every chance that they could line up against Cardiff at Wembley in a repeat of the 2009/10 final.
Cardiff City
The side that finishes sixth has a history of faring well in the play-offs, and Cardiff will be hoping that trend continues. There is, however, little to choose between the four clubs, with there no record which stands out and suggests that one team has the momentum firmly behind them. All of those in the mix ended the campaign with useful unbeaten runs, and the Bluebirds have gone 10 games since they last came unstuck. Cardiff will be hoping to emulate Swansea's success from last season and join their fellow Welshmen in the Premier League, but it could be a mental barrier that holds them back. Cardiff fell at the final hurdle in 2010 and slipped up at the semi-final stage last season. They must not allow previous failures to weigh on their mind this time around and will be looking to the likes of Liam Lawrence, Peter Whittingham and Kenny Miller to see them over the line.
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Hammers duo to make play-offs
Nolan and Tomkins will be ready to face Bluebirds
Last Updated: April 30, 2012 12:28pm
SSN
West Ham manager Sam Allardyce will have Kevin Nolan and James Tomkins available to him in Thursday's play-off clash with Cardiff. The Hammers travel to South Wales in midweek for the first leg of their Championship play-off semi-final. They will make the trip with a strong squad at their disposal, with key men having shaken off knocks to put themselves in contention. Centre-half Tomkins suffered a head injury during Saturday's 2-1 victory over Hull City and club captain Nolan limped off with a dead leg. Both are, however, expected to line up against the Bluebirds.
Schedule
Gary O'Neil may be forced to sit the tie out, though, after taking a blow to his ankle from Hull's Corry Evans. Allardyce told the Hammers' official website: "The main problem is the short time between now and Thursday after 46 long and tough games. "We could have done with a bit longer to overcome the injuries that we might have but the schedules have to be met and that's where it fits in. "I had 21 players available on Saturday and I think the last time I had that was about five games in. The rest of the injured lads have recovered and they'll come back into the squad. "The players who are in very good form are key to us. The only disappointment from Saturday was that it was out of our hands and the injury to Gary O'Neil, which was very unfortunate for him considering how well he's been playing."
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Mark Noble urges West Ham to forget their final-day agony
Ken Dyer
30 April 2012
Evening Standard
Mark Noble today claimed it is vital West Ham do not let the disappointment of failing to secure one of the automatic promotion places affect their preparation for the play-offs. West Ham's 2-1 win over Hull on the final day of the Championship season wasn't enough to overhaul Southampton, who were promoted along with champions Reading following their 4-0 victory over Coventry, and Sam Allardyce's team now travel to Cardiff for Thursday's play-off semi-final first leg. Noble is the only member of West Ham's squad who was involved when they last won promotion to the Premier League via the play-offs, in 2005. "Last time we did it, I was a young kid and I remember Alan Pardew telling me to get ready to go on with about 25 minutes left," said Noble."It was unbelievable to get on and see the final out, I've had that feeling only a couple of times before in my career and hopefully I can experience it again. "We set out for automatic promotion at the start of the season and after the game against Hull I said to the lads that we had better get our heads around the situation quickly. "When you just sneak in finishing sixth, as we did last time, everyone is buzzing but you could tell on Saturday we were disappointed having ended up third and just missing out. "We need to banish that disappointment quickly because Cardiff are a top team with a top manager."
Allardyce has injury concerns over captain Kevin Nolan (dead leg) and Gary O'Neil (ankle injury), following the win over Hull and admitted he would ideally have wanted longer for his players to recover. "One of the problems is the short recovery time between now and Thursday after 46 arduous matches," he said. "We could have done with a week to rest the injuries and bruises but as always tight schedules have to be met." O'Neil, who missed the first half of the season with an ankle injury, is hoping he will be fit in time. "I knew it wasn't too serious," said the midfielder. "But it was a kick on the same ankle and I wasn't too pleased with the tackle, especially as it was late in the final game of the season. It was unnecessary and it's a bit sore at the moment."
Cardiff v West Ham, Thursday, 7.45pm (live on Sky Sports 1/HD)
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Tuesday, May 1
Monday, April 30
Daily WHUFC News - 30th April 2012
Positive Guy
WHUFC.com
Guy Demel is determined to finish his season on a high by winning promotion
via the Play-Offs
29.04.2012
Guy Demel is determined to finish his first season at West Ham United on a
high by winning promotion via the Play-Offs. The right-back is also eager to
make up for the error that saw the Hammers concede a goal in Saturday's 2-1
npower Championship victory over Hull City. West Ham's win at the Boleyn
Ground saw them finish the season on a six-match unbeaten run and third in
the table - just two points behind second-place Southampton and three adrift
of champions Reading. Having lost just once in their previous 18 league
matches, the Ivorian believes West Ham can bounce back immediately from the
disappointment of missing out on automatic promotion by going up at Wembley
on 19 May. "I think the team did well against Hull. We played a good game
and won the game but the fact that Southampton won means we are going to the
Play-Offs," the right-back told West Ham TV. "I think we are going with a
victory to the Play-Offs and that was the most important thing.
"For me, I made a mistake that led to their goal which I'm not really happy
about now, but I am happy with the fact that I played 90 minutes. It was
really important for me and really important for the Play-Offs. I hope I
will get to my best form quickly and this was the next step."
Aside from his wayward header that led to Corry Evans' 81st-minute
consolation goal, Demel looked solid and strong, defending well and getting
forward down the right wing with encouraging regularity. "My form is coming
and my fitness is coming," said the former Hamburger SV man. "That is why
I'm really upset because if I had played the ball better their goal would
not have happened, but that happens sometimes in football. "We work hard all
the week so it was nice to be on the field with the players. It's important
that we keep winning and we're going to the Play-Offs with a good feeling."
An experienced international, Demel believes West Ham go into Thursday's
semi-final first leg at Cardiff City with every chance of recording a second
victory of the season in the Welsh capital. "There is a good mentality in
the dressing room. We tried our best on Saturday and did our job, so that
wasn't too disappointing. We can get promoted by the Play-Offs so now we
just have to give our best in the first two games, starting with the game on
Thursday."
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2011/12 in numbers
KUMB.com
Filed: Sunday, 29th April 2012
By: Staff Writer
West Ham's 13 away wins in the Championship this season was a new club
record. But how did the season compare to the rest in other areas?
Away wins
West Ham's 13 away wins this season is a new club record, beating the
previous record set 55 years previously...
1. 2011/12: 13 wins (Championship, 46 game season)
2. 1957/58: 11 wins (Division Two, 42 game season)
3. 1922/23: 11 wins (Division Two, 42 game season)
4. 1926/27: 10 wins (Division One, 42 game season)
Points
Sam Allardyce's team were just one win shy of achieving the highest points
total in a season by any West Ham side...
1. 1992/93: 88 points (Division One old, 46 game season)
2. 1990/91: 87 points (Division Two, 46 game season)
3. 2011/12: 86 points (Championship, 46 game season)
4. 1985/86: 84 points (Division One, 42 game season)
Away goals scored
Only twice before have West Ham scored more than 40 goals away from home in
a single league season...
1. 1957/58: 45 goals (Division Two, 42 game season)
2. 1922/23: 42 goals (Division Two, 42 game season)
3. 1966/67: 40 goals (Division One, 42 game season)
4. 2011/12: 40 goals (Championship, 46 game season)
Away goals conceded
The 22 goals conceded by West Ham on their travels this season has only been
bettered once previously in a 46 match league campaign...
1. 1990/91: 16 goals (Division Two, 46 game season)
2. 1980/81: 17 goals (Division Two, 42 game season)
3. 1920/21: 19 goals (Division Two, 42 game season)
4. 2011/12: 22 goals (Championship, 46 game season)
Away Defeats
West Ham's four defeats on their travels this season - at Southampton,
Reading, Derby and Ipswich - has only been bettered once previously...
1. 1980/81: 3 defeats (Division Two, 42 game season)
2. 2011/12: 4 defeats (Championship, 46 game season)
3. 1990/91: 5 defeats (Division Two, 46 game season)
4. 2003/04: 6 defeats (Championship, 46 game season)
Total Defeats
Only twice before have West Ham lost less than eight league games in any one
season...
1. 1980/81: 4 defeats (Division Two, 42 game season)
2. 1990/91: 7 defeats (Division Two, 46 game season)
3. 1957/58: 8 defeats (Division Two, 42 game season)
4. 2011/12: 8 defeats (Championship, 46 game season)
Goal Difference
West Ham's final goal difference of +33 was their best in 20 years - and
their fifth highest of all time...
1. 1980/81: +50 (Division Two, 42 game season)
2. 1957/58: +47 (Division Two, 42 game season)
3. 1992/93: +40 (Division One old, 46 game season)
4. 1985/86: +34 (Division One, 42 game season)
5. 2011/12: +33 (Championship, 46 game season)
Finishing third
A West Ham team has only finished third in the league on two previous
occasions. Additionally, West Ham have won a division twice and finished
runners-up on three occasions...
1. 1934/35: Division Two
2. 1985/86: Division One
3. 2011/12: Championship
Championship Points
West Ham's points total for a third place finish in the Championship has
been bettered by just four clubs in the last 20 years...
1. 1997/98: 90 points (Sunderland)
2. 1992/93: 88 points (Portsmouth)
3. 2000/01: 87 points (Bolton Wanderers); 1999/00: 87 points (Ipswich Town)
5. 2011/12: 86 points (West Ham Utd); 2001/02: 86 points (Wolves); 1998/99:
86 points (Ipswich)
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Keep cool
The Sun
By ANDREW DILLON
Last Updated: 30th April 2012
MARK NOBLE has warned his Hammers team-mates to stay cool in the run-up to
the play-offs. SAM ALLARDYCE admits the ball is in the air again as West Ham
enter the play-off The midfielder is the sole survivor of the squad from the
2005 final victory over Preston. And he has since matured to become an Upton
Park icon. West Ham travel to Cardiff on Thursday before next Monday's
second leg in a week which will shape the destiny of the club. Carlton
Cole's two goals were not enough to keep the dream of automatic promotion
alive. Noble, 24, said: "We had ice baths and put that firmly in the back of
our heads and concentrated on Thursday. "I know they say that the playoffs
are massive games but it is the same-sized ball and same colour grass and
same white lines. "We have played Cardiff twice and we know what to expect.
"We were disappointed as we wanted to go up straight away. But we need to
get that disappointment out quickly. "I told the lads after the game we must
get our heads around it, as I have been in the situation of just getting
into the play-offs and everyone is buzzing as you have a chance of getting
to Wembley and the Premier League."
Noble played alongside Cardiff boss Malky Mackay briefly at Upton Park and
reckons he was always destined for management. He added: "Even in training,
Malky was giving me rollickings and stuff so I knew he had it in him."
Striker Cole was on target after 36 and 48 minutes - the first time he has
scored twice in a game all season - before Corry Evans netted a late
consolation for Hull. Hammers boss Sam Allardyce reckons his squad is fitter
now than at the start of the season - despite 46 Championship games and nine
months on the road. Big Sam said: "Our fitness levels are greater now than
they were in the first half of the season. We've grown in our capabilities
in using our physical and technical abilities to beat the opposition. "I
won't enjoy the play-offs. The only thing you enjoy is getting through, then
planning for the final. "The hardest thing and most tense thing for a
manager is to not let the pressure of the play-offs cloud your preparation.
"You're the guy who has to guide the players into that critical situation
and they're the ones who have to go out and enjoy it, not me. "I'm here to
worry about it for them. I won't smile much from now on."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham boss Sam Allardyce tells players to focus on Cardiff City tie
by Terry Phillips, South Wales Echo
Apr 30 2012
SAM Allardyce is adamant his West Ham team will ease past Cardiff City and
earn promotion at Wembley Stadium. But he has also warned his players:
"Don't you dare think about the final - we have to focus on beating Cardiff
City and nothing else." Allardyce, who took over from Avram Grant at West
Ham, said: "I stuck my neck out and we wanted promotion in my first season
here. "I have a two-year contract, but getting up in the first season is
important. We still have three games to win and we will do it. "Our ultimate
goal of automatic promotion was not achieved, we left ourselves too much to
do, but we have to lick our wounds, get over our disappointment and get
ready for the vital games ahead of us. The hardest thing, and believe me I
speak from experience, is to banish thoughts of the final at Wembley. If you
start thinking about that game before the semi-finals, you won't get there.
"The most difficult challenge is to come out on top after the two games
coming up against Cardiff. The pressure a two-leg tie brings to players who
have never experienced it should not be minimised in any way. "Fortunately,
some of our players have sampled that since they've played in Europe, but
for others it will be a new challenge. "The play-offs are a one-off event,
unique in atmosphere, tension and pressure. You have got to deal with it
properly. "There's no margin for error. You have to do it right on the day
and then hope the other forces you can't control don't go against you. "We
lost in the last minute against Cardiff in our first game of the season and
beat them at their ground in March. "One win each and we go into the game on
Thursday making sure that when we come back to the Boleyn Ground we are
still in the tie, hopefully with a lead which we can build on and progress
to Wembley."
West Ham's home form has proved costly this season, starting with a 1-0
defeat against City on the opening day of this season when Kenny Miller
struck a winner.
The Hammers won a club record 13 away games, but let 28 points slip away at
Upton Park. Carlton Cole scored West Ham's goals in their 2-1 win against
Hull City in their final game of the season, a result which means they have
won back-to-back home matches. They have not lost in their last eight away
matches and Allardyce says: "We finished the season on a high. "We have
earned outstanding away results this season and have done well at home, too,
apart from the string of four draws. "That was the only difference between
automatic promotion and the play-offs. That run of four home draws has
ultimately cost us."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Peter Whittingham-inspired Cardiff City can upset the bookies against West
Ham
By Steve Tucker
Apr 30 2012
CARDIFF CITY ace Peter Whittingham tweeted yesterday that he was staying in
bed all day and you could hardly blame him. The weather was bad enough, but
the 27-year-old midfielder had certainly earned a lie-in after one moment of
magic at Selhurst Park brought the heart-rates of Bluebirds' supporters down
to almost tolerable levels. It was on 53 minutes when the maestro teed up a
free-kick just yards in from the by-line and then curled it sublimely into
the net past Palace goalkeeper Lewis Price. The Wales international
shot-stopper was doing Cardiff no favours up until then with a series of
saves to frustrate the Bluebirds. In typical fashion Cardiff had determined
to make things as nerve-wracking as possible for their 2,500 travelling
supporters by going behind after a dominant start. The excellent Wilfried
Zaha latched onto a Darren Ambrose pass that spilt the seemingly reliable
Cardiff back-line and stroked home with David Marshall exposed on 13
minutes.
Cue all attention shifting to Vicarage Road where a goal for Middlesbrough
against Watford would have made things paranoiac for the Bluebirds with
reports suggesting only Hornets 'keeper Scott Loach was standing in the way
of disaster happening. But the Bluebirds, while never thrilling here, are
made of sterner stuff it seems, than teams who have indulged in previous
capitulations and they came out in the second-half and got the job done.
Whittingham calmed the nerves before a superb right-foot volley from Don
Cowie convinced even the most pessimistic Bluebirds' watcher that for once,
Cardiff were not going to 'do a Cardiff'. The securing of a play-off place
crowns in many ways what has been a fantastic first season in charge for
manager Malky Mackay, who again looked the coolest man in the ground here.
The massive rebuilding job he was forced into upon his arrival had suggested
to many that his first term in charge would be one of consolidation, of
planning for the future, but the no-nonsense Scot has surpassed all that.
A penalty kick away from lifting the Carling Cup and now a top six finish
suggests the Cardiff board got things spot on when they brought in Mackay
last summer.
To be honest it has not been a pretty ride for long periods, the Bluebirds
determinedly having to hold on in there as their form suffered in the
second-half of the campaign, but the achievement is great none the less. It
surpasses totally that of former boss Dave Jones whose star-studded squad
last season should really have gone up automatically, but instead stumbled
at the semi-final stage.
For the Bluebirds last year read West Ham this time around, who the
Bluebirds now face over two-legs. Sam Allardyce has come out fighting,
insisting his side will see off the Bluebirds and then dispatch either
Birmingham or Blackpool at Wembley. But Allardyce's bravado right now sounds
false, the braggadocio of a man under extreme pressure half hoping to
convince himself that his side's return to the top flight is inevitable.
The Hammers have blown it in many ways, secure in the automatic places for
so long. The idea they are content with a play-off place is absurd
especially when you consider the money thrown about and expectation levels
in the East End. Allardyce knows right now, even if he is three games from
the Premier League, he is also two matches away from getting the sack.
The pressure is immense on the Londoners and Cardiff, well, according to
your Anglo-centric pundits they are there now simply to make up the numbers,
to provide a mere inconvenience as the Hammers return to where they rightly
belong. That could well not be the case though. Mackay and his men are the
outsiders and that will suit them just fine. When we look back at last
season they were expected to finally achieve promotion and they blew it, but
one does get the nagging suspicion things could be different this time
around. Sure plenty of the current Cardiff side have been through the
heartbreak of the previous two campaigns, but this time they have Mackay
guiding them and that could make all the difference.
His side have already proven this season in their Carling Cup semi-final
over Palace that they are quite happy in a two-legged war of attrition and
ready to fight to their very last breath. And, whatever else which could be
said about them this season, they remain incredibly hard to beat. Cardiff
have lost just once in their last 13 games, a reverse at home to Hull way
back on March 13. And, to use one of Mackay's favourite words, they really
do have 'momentum' as they go into the extended season.
Of their last six games they have won four and drawn two and, with the
first-leg against West Ham at home, followed by the second clash at Upton
Park next Monday, Mackay's men also seem to like things on the road, with
three of those wins coming away from the Welsh capital. The Bluebirds will
have nothing to fear travelling up to the East End as long as they have kept
things tight at home, which they are more than capable of doing. Of course
the Hammers will be favourites with the likes of Kevin Nolan, Carlton Cole
and Ricardo Vaz Te at Allardyce's disposal, but anyone writing off Cardiff
at this point is being very foolish indeed.
They are going to need to call upon the services of their own big name
players once more. Even more magic from Whittingham required and Joe Mason
needing once more to prove he is the young man for the big occasion. In
particular Kenny Miller desperately needs to find his goal-scoring touch,
with only one goal in 21 games he again endured a frustrating afternoon at
Selhurst Park. It is going to take something special for Cardiff to see off
West Ham and make it to Wembley, but under Mackay you feel they are always
capable of upsetting the odds. Just by reaching the play-offs Mackay has
excelled already this campaign, but now he, his players and the club's often
let down supporters will be wanting more. So much more.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Mark Noble: 'West Ham must get over disappointment and focus on Cardiff'
'We wanted to go up straight away,' says Noble
Squad have spirit and experience to get to Wembley
Jonny Weeks at Upton Park
guardian.co.uk, Sunday 29 April 2012 23.01 BST
His 18th birthday was barely behind him when Mark Noble, still in his first
season as a professional footballer, savoured one of his finest moments in
the game. As a late substitute for Shaun Newton, Noble entered the
Millennium Stadium pitch and helped West Ham United to secure promotion to
the Premier League via the play-off final. It was, he says, "an unbelievable
occasion for a young kid".
Seven years on, West Ham will return to south Wales in pursuit of similar
exaltation, this time for a semi-final first leg against the city's resident
club. Noble's memories could fuel their efforts.
"I remember sitting on the bench and Pards [Alan Pardew] said: 'Get ready
you are going to come on.' It was unbelievable to get out there, especially
to see the game out and the feeling afterwards. I've only ever had that
feeling a couple of times in my career but hopefully I'll get it again."
West Ham had finished sixth that season after a late run of form, they then
swatted the third-placed Ipswich Town in the semi-finals before edging past
Preston North End. Such fortunes made Noble acutely conscious of the
momentum and confidence engendered by clasping a play-off spot on the final
day of the season, as Cardiff City have done this term.
"I've been in the situation of just getting into the play-offs and everyone
is buzzing as you have a chance of getting to the Premier League. Obviously
we were disappointed this year because we wanted to go up straight away. But
we need to get that disappointment out quickly and concentrate on Cardiff as
they are a top team. I told the lads after the game against Hull: 'We'd
better get our heads around it quick.'"
Sam Allardyce has overseen resurgence in recent weeks - the perfunctory 2-1
win over Hull City on Saturday was achieved through a brace from the often
wayward striker Carlton Cole. His headed goal in the first half was sound,
but technically eclipsed after the interval by a marvellous second goal when
he cushioned a drifting pass and arced the ball away from Vito Mannone with
the outside of his right boot. Hull scored when a calamitous clearing header
from Guy Demel dropped to Corry Evans and the visitors even thought they had
equalised until Richard Garcia's late diving header was ruled marginally
offside.
West Ham's season has been blighted by matches drawn, especially eight at
Upton Park; had two of them been victories the Hammers would have won the
league. Since Christmas, Southampton, Crystal Palace, Watford, Doncaster,
Middlesbrough and Birmingham City have all left East London with a point.
More pertinently, the Bluebirds departed with three points courtesy of a 1-0
victory on the opening day of the season, though West Ham responded by
winning 2-0 at Cardiff City Stadium in March.
"The play-offs are massive games but it is the same sized ball and the same
colour grass and the same white lines," said Noble. "With the spirit and
experience that we've got in our squad we have enough to go to Wembley. We
need to take our away form into the game and hopefully come back from
Cardiff with a lead. It will probably start off as a bit of a chess match
and then hopefully it will open up."
Cardiff ended the season with four wins from six matches after a similarly
fruitless spell to United's through early spring. Following successive
play-off failures they will hunger for victory this year. Last year Cardiff
endured a 3-0 aggregate defeat in the semi-final against Reading and 2010
ended in demise at the final versus Blackpool.
The Carling Cup final defeat to Liverpool on penalties this year was a
further cuff to a team of undisputed promise. Allardyce must now exploit
Cardiff's perceived psychological insecurity.
"I'll tell my players to relax and enjoy the couple of days that we have
between now and Thursday with our families. They need to get rid of as much
fatigue physically and mentally as they can," the West Ham manager said.
"I'll do the worrying."
Man of the match Carlton Cole (West Ham United)
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Worrying times ahead for Big Sam as West Ham prepare for play-offs
By PHIL GRADWELL
PUBLISHED: 22:30, 29 April 2012 | UPDATED: 22:30, 29 April 2012
Daily Mail
West Ham manager Sam Allardyce has told his players to go out and enjoy the
play-offs - he will do all their worrying for them. The Hammers were the
pre-season favourites to go up but missed out on second place despite
beating Hull 2-1 on Saturday. They will be under increased pressure now to
beat Cardiff in the play-off semi-finals, with the first leg in South Wales
on Thursday. Allardyce knows all about play-off emotion, having been
knocked out in the semi-finals twice but also having taken Bolton up to the
Premier League in 2001.
So, when asked whether he would enjoy the next fortnight Allardyce said:
'No, no, no. 'The only thing you enjoy is getting through first, then
planning for the final. The hardest thing for a manager is not to let the
pressure of the play-offs cloud your preparation or judgment. You're the guy
who has to guide the players into that critical situation and they're the
ones who have to go out and enjoy it. I'm here to worry for them.'
The West Ham manager says he has failed by not taking the club up
automatically but added his players are ready for the play-offs. He said:
'Our physical stats have been magnificent. In fact, our fitness levels are
greater now than in the first half of the season.' Mark Noble came on in
the final the last time West Ham went up via the play-offs, against Preston
in 2005. The midfielder admits he would love to experience that again at
Wembley on May 19. He said: 'It was unbelievable for me as I was still
young. It was an unbelievable occasion to get out there and especially to
see a game out and win it and the feeling afterwards. 'I have only ever had
that feeling a couple of times. Hopefully I will get it again.'
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham United manager Sam Allardyce hits out at timing of play-offs
following defeat of Hull City
Telegraph.co.uk
Sam Allardyce has questioned the Football League's scheduling of the
Championship play-offs after West Ham and Cardiff were given just four clear
days to prepare for Thursday's semi-final first-leg in south Wales.
By Declan Taylor, Upton Park10:00PM BST 29 Apr 2012
Carlton Cole struck twice to earn a 2-1 victory over Hull City on Saturday
but West Ham still missed out on the second automatic promotion spot when
Southampton put Coventry to the sword on the season's final day. And
Allardyce is unhappy at the time he has been given to prepare for their
second shot at promotion, via the play-offs. After Thursday's first leg, the
two sides meet at Upton Park in the second on Bank Holiday Monday, 12 days
before the final at Wembley. Allardyce said: "After 46 arduous, long,
enduring games we could have perhaps done with longer, perhaps a full week,
to overcome the knocks, bruises and injuries. But other schedules overrule
and tight schedules have to be met." But Allardyce warned Cardiff that his
players are fitter now than they were in August, when the West Ham manager
outlined automatic promotion as their target. "Our fitness levels are far
greater now than they were in the first part of the season," he said. "Our
physical stats have been magnificent, they've been increasing since we came
back from Dubai [in March]. "They're stronger and fitter than they were at
the start of the season. It's an important thing at this stage to increase
the fitness levels of the players by preparing, recovering and using them in
the right way." Captain Kevin Nolan is likely to recover from the dead leg
he sustained against Hull in time for Thursday's first leg. Gary O'Neill,
however, is a major doubt after injuring the same ankle that required
surgery last April. "The injury to Gary O'Neil was very unfortunate for us
and particularly for Gary, considering how well he's played," Allardyce
said.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
Guy Demel is determined to finish his season on a high by winning promotion
via the Play-Offs
29.04.2012
Guy Demel is determined to finish his first season at West Ham United on a
high by winning promotion via the Play-Offs. The right-back is also eager to
make up for the error that saw the Hammers concede a goal in Saturday's 2-1
npower Championship victory over Hull City. West Ham's win at the Boleyn
Ground saw them finish the season on a six-match unbeaten run and third in
the table - just two points behind second-place Southampton and three adrift
of champions Reading. Having lost just once in their previous 18 league
matches, the Ivorian believes West Ham can bounce back immediately from the
disappointment of missing out on automatic promotion by going up at Wembley
on 19 May. "I think the team did well against Hull. We played a good game
and won the game but the fact that Southampton won means we are going to the
Play-Offs," the right-back told West Ham TV. "I think we are going with a
victory to the Play-Offs and that was the most important thing.
"For me, I made a mistake that led to their goal which I'm not really happy
about now, but I am happy with the fact that I played 90 minutes. It was
really important for me and really important for the Play-Offs. I hope I
will get to my best form quickly and this was the next step."
Aside from his wayward header that led to Corry Evans' 81st-minute
consolation goal, Demel looked solid and strong, defending well and getting
forward down the right wing with encouraging regularity. "My form is coming
and my fitness is coming," said the former Hamburger SV man. "That is why
I'm really upset because if I had played the ball better their goal would
not have happened, but that happens sometimes in football. "We work hard all
the week so it was nice to be on the field with the players. It's important
that we keep winning and we're going to the Play-Offs with a good feeling."
An experienced international, Demel believes West Ham go into Thursday's
semi-final first leg at Cardiff City with every chance of recording a second
victory of the season in the Welsh capital. "There is a good mentality in
the dressing room. We tried our best on Saturday and did our job, so that
wasn't too disappointing. We can get promoted by the Play-Offs so now we
just have to give our best in the first two games, starting with the game on
Thursday."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
2011/12 in numbers
KUMB.com
Filed: Sunday, 29th April 2012
By: Staff Writer
West Ham's 13 away wins in the Championship this season was a new club
record. But how did the season compare to the rest in other areas?
Away wins
West Ham's 13 away wins this season is a new club record, beating the
previous record set 55 years previously...
1. 2011/12: 13 wins (Championship, 46 game season)
2. 1957/58: 11 wins (Division Two, 42 game season)
3. 1922/23: 11 wins (Division Two, 42 game season)
4. 1926/27: 10 wins (Division One, 42 game season)
Points
Sam Allardyce's team were just one win shy of achieving the highest points
total in a season by any West Ham side...
1. 1992/93: 88 points (Division One old, 46 game season)
2. 1990/91: 87 points (Division Two, 46 game season)
3. 2011/12: 86 points (Championship, 46 game season)
4. 1985/86: 84 points (Division One, 42 game season)
Away goals scored
Only twice before have West Ham scored more than 40 goals away from home in
a single league season...
1. 1957/58: 45 goals (Division Two, 42 game season)
2. 1922/23: 42 goals (Division Two, 42 game season)
3. 1966/67: 40 goals (Division One, 42 game season)
4. 2011/12: 40 goals (Championship, 46 game season)
Away goals conceded
The 22 goals conceded by West Ham on their travels this season has only been
bettered once previously in a 46 match league campaign...
1. 1990/91: 16 goals (Division Two, 46 game season)
2. 1980/81: 17 goals (Division Two, 42 game season)
3. 1920/21: 19 goals (Division Two, 42 game season)
4. 2011/12: 22 goals (Championship, 46 game season)
Away Defeats
West Ham's four defeats on their travels this season - at Southampton,
Reading, Derby and Ipswich - has only been bettered once previously...
1. 1980/81: 3 defeats (Division Two, 42 game season)
2. 2011/12: 4 defeats (Championship, 46 game season)
3. 1990/91: 5 defeats (Division Two, 46 game season)
4. 2003/04: 6 defeats (Championship, 46 game season)
Total Defeats
Only twice before have West Ham lost less than eight league games in any one
season...
1. 1980/81: 4 defeats (Division Two, 42 game season)
2. 1990/91: 7 defeats (Division Two, 46 game season)
3. 1957/58: 8 defeats (Division Two, 42 game season)
4. 2011/12: 8 defeats (Championship, 46 game season)
Goal Difference
West Ham's final goal difference of +33 was their best in 20 years - and
their fifth highest of all time...
1. 1980/81: +50 (Division Two, 42 game season)
2. 1957/58: +47 (Division Two, 42 game season)
3. 1992/93: +40 (Division One old, 46 game season)
4. 1985/86: +34 (Division One, 42 game season)
5. 2011/12: +33 (Championship, 46 game season)
Finishing third
A West Ham team has only finished third in the league on two previous
occasions. Additionally, West Ham have won a division twice and finished
runners-up on three occasions...
1. 1934/35: Division Two
2. 1985/86: Division One
3. 2011/12: Championship
Championship Points
West Ham's points total for a third place finish in the Championship has
been bettered by just four clubs in the last 20 years...
1. 1997/98: 90 points (Sunderland)
2. 1992/93: 88 points (Portsmouth)
3. 2000/01: 87 points (Bolton Wanderers); 1999/00: 87 points (Ipswich Town)
5. 2011/12: 86 points (West Ham Utd); 2001/02: 86 points (Wolves); 1998/99:
86 points (Ipswich)
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Keep cool
The Sun
By ANDREW DILLON
Last Updated: 30th April 2012
MARK NOBLE has warned his Hammers team-mates to stay cool in the run-up to
the play-offs. SAM ALLARDYCE admits the ball is in the air again as West Ham
enter the play-off The midfielder is the sole survivor of the squad from the
2005 final victory over Preston. And he has since matured to become an Upton
Park icon. West Ham travel to Cardiff on Thursday before next Monday's
second leg in a week which will shape the destiny of the club. Carlton
Cole's two goals were not enough to keep the dream of automatic promotion
alive. Noble, 24, said: "We had ice baths and put that firmly in the back of
our heads and concentrated on Thursday. "I know they say that the playoffs
are massive games but it is the same-sized ball and same colour grass and
same white lines. "We have played Cardiff twice and we know what to expect.
"We were disappointed as we wanted to go up straight away. But we need to
get that disappointment out quickly. "I told the lads after the game we must
get our heads around it, as I have been in the situation of just getting
into the play-offs and everyone is buzzing as you have a chance of getting
to Wembley and the Premier League."
Noble played alongside Cardiff boss Malky Mackay briefly at Upton Park and
reckons he was always destined for management. He added: "Even in training,
Malky was giving me rollickings and stuff so I knew he had it in him."
Striker Cole was on target after 36 and 48 minutes - the first time he has
scored twice in a game all season - before Corry Evans netted a late
consolation for Hull. Hammers boss Sam Allardyce reckons his squad is fitter
now than at the start of the season - despite 46 Championship games and nine
months on the road. Big Sam said: "Our fitness levels are greater now than
they were in the first half of the season. We've grown in our capabilities
in using our physical and technical abilities to beat the opposition. "I
won't enjoy the play-offs. The only thing you enjoy is getting through, then
planning for the final. "The hardest thing and most tense thing for a
manager is to not let the pressure of the play-offs cloud your preparation.
"You're the guy who has to guide the players into that critical situation
and they're the ones who have to go out and enjoy it, not me. "I'm here to
worry about it for them. I won't smile much from now on."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham boss Sam Allardyce tells players to focus on Cardiff City tie
by Terry Phillips, South Wales Echo
Apr 30 2012
SAM Allardyce is adamant his West Ham team will ease past Cardiff City and
earn promotion at Wembley Stadium. But he has also warned his players:
"Don't you dare think about the final - we have to focus on beating Cardiff
City and nothing else." Allardyce, who took over from Avram Grant at West
Ham, said: "I stuck my neck out and we wanted promotion in my first season
here. "I have a two-year contract, but getting up in the first season is
important. We still have three games to win and we will do it. "Our ultimate
goal of automatic promotion was not achieved, we left ourselves too much to
do, but we have to lick our wounds, get over our disappointment and get
ready for the vital games ahead of us. The hardest thing, and believe me I
speak from experience, is to banish thoughts of the final at Wembley. If you
start thinking about that game before the semi-finals, you won't get there.
"The most difficult challenge is to come out on top after the two games
coming up against Cardiff. The pressure a two-leg tie brings to players who
have never experienced it should not be minimised in any way. "Fortunately,
some of our players have sampled that since they've played in Europe, but
for others it will be a new challenge. "The play-offs are a one-off event,
unique in atmosphere, tension and pressure. You have got to deal with it
properly. "There's no margin for error. You have to do it right on the day
and then hope the other forces you can't control don't go against you. "We
lost in the last minute against Cardiff in our first game of the season and
beat them at their ground in March. "One win each and we go into the game on
Thursday making sure that when we come back to the Boleyn Ground we are
still in the tie, hopefully with a lead which we can build on and progress
to Wembley."
West Ham's home form has proved costly this season, starting with a 1-0
defeat against City on the opening day of this season when Kenny Miller
struck a winner.
The Hammers won a club record 13 away games, but let 28 points slip away at
Upton Park. Carlton Cole scored West Ham's goals in their 2-1 win against
Hull City in their final game of the season, a result which means they have
won back-to-back home matches. They have not lost in their last eight away
matches and Allardyce says: "We finished the season on a high. "We have
earned outstanding away results this season and have done well at home, too,
apart from the string of four draws. "That was the only difference between
automatic promotion and the play-offs. That run of four home draws has
ultimately cost us."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Peter Whittingham-inspired Cardiff City can upset the bookies against West
Ham
By Steve Tucker
Apr 30 2012
CARDIFF CITY ace Peter Whittingham tweeted yesterday that he was staying in
bed all day and you could hardly blame him. The weather was bad enough, but
the 27-year-old midfielder had certainly earned a lie-in after one moment of
magic at Selhurst Park brought the heart-rates of Bluebirds' supporters down
to almost tolerable levels. It was on 53 minutes when the maestro teed up a
free-kick just yards in from the by-line and then curled it sublimely into
the net past Palace goalkeeper Lewis Price. The Wales international
shot-stopper was doing Cardiff no favours up until then with a series of
saves to frustrate the Bluebirds. In typical fashion Cardiff had determined
to make things as nerve-wracking as possible for their 2,500 travelling
supporters by going behind after a dominant start. The excellent Wilfried
Zaha latched onto a Darren Ambrose pass that spilt the seemingly reliable
Cardiff back-line and stroked home with David Marshall exposed on 13
minutes.
Cue all attention shifting to Vicarage Road where a goal for Middlesbrough
against Watford would have made things paranoiac for the Bluebirds with
reports suggesting only Hornets 'keeper Scott Loach was standing in the way
of disaster happening. But the Bluebirds, while never thrilling here, are
made of sterner stuff it seems, than teams who have indulged in previous
capitulations and they came out in the second-half and got the job done.
Whittingham calmed the nerves before a superb right-foot volley from Don
Cowie convinced even the most pessimistic Bluebirds' watcher that for once,
Cardiff were not going to 'do a Cardiff'. The securing of a play-off place
crowns in many ways what has been a fantastic first season in charge for
manager Malky Mackay, who again looked the coolest man in the ground here.
The massive rebuilding job he was forced into upon his arrival had suggested
to many that his first term in charge would be one of consolidation, of
planning for the future, but the no-nonsense Scot has surpassed all that.
A penalty kick away from lifting the Carling Cup and now a top six finish
suggests the Cardiff board got things spot on when they brought in Mackay
last summer.
To be honest it has not been a pretty ride for long periods, the Bluebirds
determinedly having to hold on in there as their form suffered in the
second-half of the campaign, but the achievement is great none the less. It
surpasses totally that of former boss Dave Jones whose star-studded squad
last season should really have gone up automatically, but instead stumbled
at the semi-final stage.
For the Bluebirds last year read West Ham this time around, who the
Bluebirds now face over two-legs. Sam Allardyce has come out fighting,
insisting his side will see off the Bluebirds and then dispatch either
Birmingham or Blackpool at Wembley. But Allardyce's bravado right now sounds
false, the braggadocio of a man under extreme pressure half hoping to
convince himself that his side's return to the top flight is inevitable.
The Hammers have blown it in many ways, secure in the automatic places for
so long. The idea they are content with a play-off place is absurd
especially when you consider the money thrown about and expectation levels
in the East End. Allardyce knows right now, even if he is three games from
the Premier League, he is also two matches away from getting the sack.
The pressure is immense on the Londoners and Cardiff, well, according to
your Anglo-centric pundits they are there now simply to make up the numbers,
to provide a mere inconvenience as the Hammers return to where they rightly
belong. That could well not be the case though. Mackay and his men are the
outsiders and that will suit them just fine. When we look back at last
season they were expected to finally achieve promotion and they blew it, but
one does get the nagging suspicion things could be different this time
around. Sure plenty of the current Cardiff side have been through the
heartbreak of the previous two campaigns, but this time they have Mackay
guiding them and that could make all the difference.
His side have already proven this season in their Carling Cup semi-final
over Palace that they are quite happy in a two-legged war of attrition and
ready to fight to their very last breath. And, whatever else which could be
said about them this season, they remain incredibly hard to beat. Cardiff
have lost just once in their last 13 games, a reverse at home to Hull way
back on March 13. And, to use one of Mackay's favourite words, they really
do have 'momentum' as they go into the extended season.
Of their last six games they have won four and drawn two and, with the
first-leg against West Ham at home, followed by the second clash at Upton
Park next Monday, Mackay's men also seem to like things on the road, with
three of those wins coming away from the Welsh capital. The Bluebirds will
have nothing to fear travelling up to the East End as long as they have kept
things tight at home, which they are more than capable of doing. Of course
the Hammers will be favourites with the likes of Kevin Nolan, Carlton Cole
and Ricardo Vaz Te at Allardyce's disposal, but anyone writing off Cardiff
at this point is being very foolish indeed.
They are going to need to call upon the services of their own big name
players once more. Even more magic from Whittingham required and Joe Mason
needing once more to prove he is the young man for the big occasion. In
particular Kenny Miller desperately needs to find his goal-scoring touch,
with only one goal in 21 games he again endured a frustrating afternoon at
Selhurst Park. It is going to take something special for Cardiff to see off
West Ham and make it to Wembley, but under Mackay you feel they are always
capable of upsetting the odds. Just by reaching the play-offs Mackay has
excelled already this campaign, but now he, his players and the club's often
let down supporters will be wanting more. So much more.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Mark Noble: 'West Ham must get over disappointment and focus on Cardiff'
'We wanted to go up straight away,' says Noble
Squad have spirit and experience to get to Wembley
Jonny Weeks at Upton Park
guardian.co.uk, Sunday 29 April 2012 23.01 BST
His 18th birthday was barely behind him when Mark Noble, still in his first
season as a professional footballer, savoured one of his finest moments in
the game. As a late substitute for Shaun Newton, Noble entered the
Millennium Stadium pitch and helped West Ham United to secure promotion to
the Premier League via the play-off final. It was, he says, "an unbelievable
occasion for a young kid".
Seven years on, West Ham will return to south Wales in pursuit of similar
exaltation, this time for a semi-final first leg against the city's resident
club. Noble's memories could fuel their efforts.
"I remember sitting on the bench and Pards [Alan Pardew] said: 'Get ready
you are going to come on.' It was unbelievable to get out there, especially
to see the game out and the feeling afterwards. I've only ever had that
feeling a couple of times in my career but hopefully I'll get it again."
West Ham had finished sixth that season after a late run of form, they then
swatted the third-placed Ipswich Town in the semi-finals before edging past
Preston North End. Such fortunes made Noble acutely conscious of the
momentum and confidence engendered by clasping a play-off spot on the final
day of the season, as Cardiff City have done this term.
"I've been in the situation of just getting into the play-offs and everyone
is buzzing as you have a chance of getting to the Premier League. Obviously
we were disappointed this year because we wanted to go up straight away. But
we need to get that disappointment out quickly and concentrate on Cardiff as
they are a top team. I told the lads after the game against Hull: 'We'd
better get our heads around it quick.'"
Sam Allardyce has overseen resurgence in recent weeks - the perfunctory 2-1
win over Hull City on Saturday was achieved through a brace from the often
wayward striker Carlton Cole. His headed goal in the first half was sound,
but technically eclipsed after the interval by a marvellous second goal when
he cushioned a drifting pass and arced the ball away from Vito Mannone with
the outside of his right boot. Hull scored when a calamitous clearing header
from Guy Demel dropped to Corry Evans and the visitors even thought they had
equalised until Richard Garcia's late diving header was ruled marginally
offside.
West Ham's season has been blighted by matches drawn, especially eight at
Upton Park; had two of them been victories the Hammers would have won the
league. Since Christmas, Southampton, Crystal Palace, Watford, Doncaster,
Middlesbrough and Birmingham City have all left East London with a point.
More pertinently, the Bluebirds departed with three points courtesy of a 1-0
victory on the opening day of the season, though West Ham responded by
winning 2-0 at Cardiff City Stadium in March.
"The play-offs are massive games but it is the same sized ball and the same
colour grass and the same white lines," said Noble. "With the spirit and
experience that we've got in our squad we have enough to go to Wembley. We
need to take our away form into the game and hopefully come back from
Cardiff with a lead. It will probably start off as a bit of a chess match
and then hopefully it will open up."
Cardiff ended the season with four wins from six matches after a similarly
fruitless spell to United's through early spring. Following successive
play-off failures they will hunger for victory this year. Last year Cardiff
endured a 3-0 aggregate defeat in the semi-final against Reading and 2010
ended in demise at the final versus Blackpool.
The Carling Cup final defeat to Liverpool on penalties this year was a
further cuff to a team of undisputed promise. Allardyce must now exploit
Cardiff's perceived psychological insecurity.
"I'll tell my players to relax and enjoy the couple of days that we have
between now and Thursday with our families. They need to get rid of as much
fatigue physically and mentally as they can," the West Ham manager said.
"I'll do the worrying."
Man of the match Carlton Cole (West Ham United)
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Worrying times ahead for Big Sam as West Ham prepare for play-offs
By PHIL GRADWELL
PUBLISHED: 22:30, 29 April 2012 | UPDATED: 22:30, 29 April 2012
Daily Mail
West Ham manager Sam Allardyce has told his players to go out and enjoy the
play-offs - he will do all their worrying for them. The Hammers were the
pre-season favourites to go up but missed out on second place despite
beating Hull 2-1 on Saturday. They will be under increased pressure now to
beat Cardiff in the play-off semi-finals, with the first leg in South Wales
on Thursday. Allardyce knows all about play-off emotion, having been
knocked out in the semi-finals twice but also having taken Bolton up to the
Premier League in 2001.
So, when asked whether he would enjoy the next fortnight Allardyce said:
'No, no, no. 'The only thing you enjoy is getting through first, then
planning for the final. The hardest thing for a manager is not to let the
pressure of the play-offs cloud your preparation or judgment. You're the guy
who has to guide the players into that critical situation and they're the
ones who have to go out and enjoy it. I'm here to worry for them.'
The West Ham manager says he has failed by not taking the club up
automatically but added his players are ready for the play-offs. He said:
'Our physical stats have been magnificent. In fact, our fitness levels are
greater now than in the first half of the season.' Mark Noble came on in
the final the last time West Ham went up via the play-offs, against Preston
in 2005. The midfielder admits he would love to experience that again at
Wembley on May 19. He said: 'It was unbelievable for me as I was still
young. It was an unbelievable occasion to get out there and especially to
see a game out and win it and the feeling afterwards. 'I have only ever had
that feeling a couple of times. Hopefully I will get it again.'
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham United manager Sam Allardyce hits out at timing of play-offs
following defeat of Hull City
Telegraph.co.uk
Sam Allardyce has questioned the Football League's scheduling of the
Championship play-offs after West Ham and Cardiff were given just four clear
days to prepare for Thursday's semi-final first-leg in south Wales.
By Declan Taylor, Upton Park10:00PM BST 29 Apr 2012
Carlton Cole struck twice to earn a 2-1 victory over Hull City on Saturday
but West Ham still missed out on the second automatic promotion spot when
Southampton put Coventry to the sword on the season's final day. And
Allardyce is unhappy at the time he has been given to prepare for their
second shot at promotion, via the play-offs. After Thursday's first leg, the
two sides meet at Upton Park in the second on Bank Holiday Monday, 12 days
before the final at Wembley. Allardyce said: "After 46 arduous, long,
enduring games we could have perhaps done with longer, perhaps a full week,
to overcome the knocks, bruises and injuries. But other schedules overrule
and tight schedules have to be met." But Allardyce warned Cardiff that his
players are fitter now than they were in August, when the West Ham manager
outlined automatic promotion as their target. "Our fitness levels are far
greater now than they were in the first part of the season," he said. "Our
physical stats have been magnificent, they've been increasing since we came
back from Dubai [in March]. "They're stronger and fitter than they were at
the start of the season. It's an important thing at this stage to increase
the fitness levels of the players by preparing, recovering and using them in
the right way." Captain Kevin Nolan is likely to recover from the dead leg
he sustained against Hull in time for Thursday's first leg. Gary O'Neill,
however, is a major doubt after injuring the same ankle that required
surgery last April. "The injury to Gary O'Neil was very unfortunate for us
and particularly for Gary, considering how well he's played," Allardyce
said.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Sunday, April 29
Daily WHUFC News - 29th April 2012
Hammers sign off on a high
WHUFC.com
Sam Allardyce was pleased with the win against Hull City as attention turns
to Play-offs
28.04.2012
Carlton Cole scored twice as West Ham United beat Hull City 2-1 in their
final game of the season but the Hammers will have to settle for a play-off
spot after results elsewhere did not go their way. Sam Allardyce's side have
now won their last two home games and have not lost in their last eight away
matches, meaning they will go into Thursday's Play-Off semi-final first leg
with Cardiff on a high. Big Sam was happy with the way his side went about
their business against Hull City on Saturday lunchtime. "We finish the
season on a high; we won our last two home games playing very well indeed,"
Allardyce said. "We have had outstanding away results all season and at home
too apart from the string of four draws. That was the only difference
between automatic promotion and the Play-Offs - our run of four home draws
has ultimately cost us."
West Ham started the game brightly with Ricardo Vaz Te placing a header
inches wide after just four minutes. Henri Lansbury's cross from the left-
hand side was met by Vaz Te who rose unmarked at the far post but the ball
slipped off his forehead and drifted past the post. The first 15 minutes
were a tight affair with the Tigers trying to contain West Ham with ten men
behind the ball. However, the Hammers continued to create opportunities.
Just before the half-hour mark skipper Kevin Nolan looped the ball on to
Lansbury but the on-loan midfielder couldn't get his foot over the ball and
he blasted his shot high over the goal. West Ham got the goal their
attacking play deserved ten minutes before halftime when Matthew Taylor's
corner was met by Carlton Cole six yards out. The striker powered his header
towards the bottom corner and Hull City defender Paul McKenna was unable to
prevent it from crossing the line. Three minutes later West Ham had a chance
to further their lead when Vaz Te found himself free on the left-hand side
but he flashed his shot just past the far post. Manager Allardyce was
stunned it was only 1-0 at the break. "We completely annihilated Hull City
in the first half. I was amazed at half time it was only 1-0 to us it should
have been like the Brighton score. But we didn't convert our chances even
though we had the opportunity to do so."
The Hammers doubled their lead immediately after the restart, though, with
Lansbury's excellent cross-field pass finding Cole who expertly chested the
ball down before poking it with the outside of his boot past Vito Mannone.
Cole, who is now West Ham's top scorer with 14, clearly impressed Big Sam.
"We deservedly doubled our lead just after half time with an outstanding
goal from Carlton Cole. He got two goals, which is very important going into
the Play-Offs as our front men will need to contribute in a very big way
during the Play-Offs. "Nicky Maynard and Sam Baldock came off the bench and
played very well too. These are the players we need to be on form for the
Play-Offs."
Hull City got a goal back ten minutes from time when confusion in the West
Ham defence between Guy Demel and goalkeeper Robert Green allowed Corry
Evans to outjump Green and head into the net. The Hammers had a late scare
five minutes from time when Richard Garcia headed in Liam Rosenior's cross
only to see his effort chalked off by an offside flag. But they held on to
what was a well-deserved win. After the full-time whistle the West Ham squad
went on a lap of the pitch to thank the fans for their fantastic support
this season. Now attention will turn to the Play-Offs and the two games
against Cardiff City. "The Play-Offs are a one-off event. It's completely
unique in its atmosphere, its tension and the pressure you are under. You
have got to deal with it properly and good form or bad form it counts for
nothing. You have got no margin for error; you have to do it right on the
day and then hope the other forces you can't control don't go against you.
"We lost in the last minute against them in the first game of the season and
then we beat them at their ground in March. So it's one win each and we go
into the game on Thursday making sure that when we come back to the Boleyn
we are still in the tie hopefully with a lead which we can build on and
progress to Wembley."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham 2 Hull 1
HT 1-0
BBC.co.uk
28 April 2012
Last updated at 15:00
By Marc Higginson
BBC Sport
Carlton Cole's brace helped West Ham defeat Hull City at Upton Park, but it
was not enough for the Hammers to secure automatic promotion. Sam
Allardyce's side were beaten to second spot by Southampton, who hammered
Coventry 4-0, and will now face Cardiff City in the play-offs. The first leg
will be played in Wales on Thursday, with the second leg at Upton Park on
Monday, 7 May.
Play-off dates
Semi-finals first leg
3 May: Cardiff v West Ham (1945 BST)
4 May: Blackpool v Birmingham (1945)
Semi-finals second leg
7 May: West Ham v Cardiff (1630)
9 May: Birmingham v Blackpool (1945)
Corry Evans scored a late consolation for Hull after a defensive mix-up.
Southampton's victory meant the match turned into an anti-climax, with the
only positive for the Hammers being the momentum they will take into the
play-offs from their display against the Tigers. There was only ever going
to be one winner once Cole headed home a corner in the 36th minute, and Hull
only came back into the game once the Hammers started to conserve energy.
Cole doubled the lead when he peeled away from his marker and fired home
from Henri Lansbury's pass four minutes after half-time - and the England
striker was substituted moments later as Allardyce began to prepare for
Thursday's semi-final first leg. The Hammers dominated possession, looking
to have banished memories of their seven-game winless stretch at home, but a
mistake at the back allowed Hull back into the game. A poor header from
defender Guy Demel let in midfielder Evans, who nodded the ball home for his
third goal of the season. Richard Garcia thought he had won a point for Nick
Barmby's men, but his late diving header was disallowed for offside.
However, anything but three points would have been harsh on the Hammers, who
could have won by a greater margin if Lansbury and Kevin Nolan had showed
better finishing earlier in the game when their shots failed to trouble Hull
goalkeeper Vito Mannone.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sam Allardyce says West Ham will win promotion in the play-offs
BBC.co.uk
Sam Allardyce is confident West Ham can seal their return to the Premier
League via the play-offs. The Hammers were pipped to automatic promotion by
Southampton, despite beating Hull City 2-1 on the final day of the season.
"We have to lick our wounds and get ready for the vital games ahead of us,"
said Allardyce, whose side face Cardiff City in the play-off semi-final. "We
still have three games to win, and we will do it."
Carlton Cole scored twice to set up victory over the Tigers, but it mattered
little as Southampton eased to a 4-0 win against already-relegated Coventry.
Just two points separated the Saints and West Ham, and the Londoners will
regret a number of dropped points at Upton Park during the course of the
season. They won a club record 13 games on the road, but dropped 28 points
on their own turf to slip out of the top two. "We've had a very good season
considering where we've come from," Allardyce said. "In the last few years
86 points has been enough. "Our ultimate goal was not achieved, we left
ourselves too much to do, but we'll wake up on Sunday morning and look
forward to preparing for the play-offs. "I stuck my neck out when I arrived
and said we wanted promotion in the first season. "I've got a two-year
contract but doing it in the first season is important."
Allardyce's opposite number on Saturday, Nick Barmby, was disappointed to be
beaten but admitted the Hammers face a tough task in the play-offs. "Will
West Ham go up? It's hard to say, there are some good teams in the play-offs
so it will be interesting," he said.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Tough for Blackpool, Birmingham, West Ham & Cardiff - Ian Holloway
BBC.co.uk
Blackpool manager Ian Holloway believes the Championship play-offs are too
close to call. The Seasiders face Birmingham in the semi-finals, while West
Ham will take on Cardiff. "It's a fantastic achievement to get in the
play-offs, but it's going to be tough," Holloway said. "To have Birmingham
and West Ham in there, and Cardiff who certainly consider themselves a big
club, who's going to win? I don't know."
Blackpool earned promotion to the Premier League via the play-offs two
seasons ago and Holloway, who saw his side end their regular season with a
2-2 draw at Millwall, is hoping for a similar end result this time around.
"There are a lot of big teams who aren't in the play-offs but we will give
it our best shot, we will try to win every single half of football we can,"
he said. "Now let's go and take on a really good side in Birmingham. It will
be interesting to see which way it goes."
Birmingham's victory over champions Reading saw them leapfrog Blackpool in
the final Championship table, and manager Chris Hughton insists his focus
remains on the Blackpool matches despite some off-field problems. The
manager faces the prospect of being unable to strengthen his squad until the
end of July because of Birmingham's inability to publish their 2010-11
accounts on time. "At the moment the thought of playing in the two play-offs
is taking up 100% of my thoughts," he said. "We know there is an issue but
it is not on my mind at the moment. "There is an emphasis from everyone at
the club to try to get through to the final and get back into the Premier
League. That will take up all of our efforts."
Cardiff City left it until the final day to seal their play-off spot, for a
third season in a row, and Bluebirds manager Malky Mackay hopes the club's
Carling Cup exploits, when they reached the final, will stand them in good
stead. "We are 10 games unbeaten going into the play-offs so there is real
momentum there," he said. "I have been in the semi-final situation as a
player with West Ham, Norwich and Watford. It is about staying calm and
having a game plan. "This group of players have already been through this
sort of thing this season, with the Carling Cup semi-final and final, where
there was preparation and planning needed. That will benefit us."
West Ham, who finished third, are favourites to win promotion from the
play-offs, and manager Sam Allardyce is confident they can live up to their
billing despite being pipped to automatic promotion by Southampton on the
final day. "We have to lick our wounds and get ready for the vital games
ahead of us," Allardyce said.
"We still have three games to win, and we will do it."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Allardyce on... Hull City
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 28th April 2012
By: Staff Writer
A slightly despondent Sam Allardyce bemoans the fact that 86 points wasn't
quite enough to secure automatic promotion in his post-match press
conference...
Sam: when you came in last summer you suggested at the time that nothing but
quick promotion would suffice. Is that still the case?
Yes, I've stuck my head on the line and said that's what we want to do, get
automatic promotion in the first season of asking even though I've got a
two-year contract to do it. But doing it in the first year would be very
important, we've still got three games to win - and we'll do it.
The first two are the most difficult, not the third one in my experience.
The two-legged affair is the hardest thing to get through in play-off terms.
Four years out of [the last] five 86 points has been good enough and it's
not this time, so we're a little unlucky there. But we've had a very, very
good season indeed considering where we came from and how many changes we
made from day one.
So our ultimate goal wasn't achieved. We took it into the last game of the
season to try and achieve it but we didn't manage it because we just left
ourselves too much to do by having to rely on Coventry to get a result. We
wake up tomorrow and look forward to preparing for the play-offs.
Sir Alex [Ferguson] would say that it's squeaky bum time?
Well it's been that for a while, I think. We've been so close and been there
in the top two so long and it's only an outstanding, miraculous run of
results from Reading that's taken it away from us.
As I said, four years out of five 86 points has been enough but because what
Reading have done in the last 25, 26 games has been outstanding its
congratulations to them and Nigel [Adkins]. But now we've got to lick our
wounds, overcome our disappointment and get ready for the vital games ahead
of us.
You were saying on the telly that whatever's gone on before...
...Doesn't matter, nothing at all. Not in my experience. You go into the
play-offs as equals, everybody goes in there as equals. Everybody says
there's more disappointment for the team that finishes third and sometimes
that may well have been the case, but there are times where the third team
have gone through and achieved it. I did it at Bolton when I was there.
One season we finished with 87 points, never mind 86 and didn't go up. But
we managed to get through the two legs. Why I'm saying the most difficult
thing is the two legs and to not think about the Final whatsoever is that
after 35 minutes of the first leg I was 2-0 down at West Brom and staring
into the abyss. We had to find a real fighting spirit and a change of attack
to get back to 2-2.
That was a critical 30 minutes - then we won the second leg quite
comfortably in the end and went on to win the Final. So the Final means
nothing to us now at the moment, it's about the two legs - and only the two
legs.
Do you think the way this season's been you'd prefer the away leg second?
Not the way we're playing now because we've just battered [Hull]. We've
battered a lot of teams here; Brighton in the first half, let's face it. We
did what we had to do in terms of battering Hull City but what was
disappointing was our lack of conversation for chances created, because it
should have been two or three by half time like Brighton was.
But Coley did the business in the second half and then we took everybody off
that we felt we needed to take off. The game obviously drifted away because
there was nothing in it for either team in the end. The win was very good
for us because it's two very good performances [in succession] and a
terrific comeback against Birmingham in the second half here, so our form is
as good here as it is away.
How are you going to lift spirits over the next few days - and how difficult
do you think the challenge is going to Cardiff, which is quite a hostile
place?
Well we go with the confidence that we beat Cardiff 2-0 at their place
already and we go with the confidence that we're the third best team in the
league. So if we hit our form and we hit the level of performance that we
know we can do, that confidence should spill over into that game.
But like I said, the pressure of the play-offs is unique in itself - as is
being able to handle the experience because there's no other experience like
it. There's no Cup game or league game that has the same atmosphere as the
play-offs have. So we've got to handle the atmosphere and deliver on the
day.
Given your away record this season is it important you approach Cardiff away
on Thursday in the same way you'd have done a normal league game? Or is
there a tendency to change strategy?
No; I think that our performances and our strategy away from home has been
the backbone to a really, really good season for us. The only thing that we
slipped up on was drawing matches, not losing them. So there's a fine line,
that's very small indeed in terms of draws to wins. I think that our
performances away from home - and our results away from home - have been
outstanding.
So we'll approach it in the same manner. But what we have to do is handle
the pressure that the play-offs bring, to deliver a certain type of
performance. That's what we've got to do.
Irrespective of what happens in Cardiff, there's the next 90 minutes. I won
2-0 at Bradford away when I was at Blackpool and lost 3-0 at home in the
second leg, so anything can happen. Any twist or any turn at any given time;
that's why they're unique in terms of pressure and atmosphere. We've got to
be able to handle it.
Today's substitutions; there's no injuries or anything like that?
Yes, there's a bad injury to Gary O'Neil resulting from a very, very poor
tackle on him that the referee chose to ignore - which was very
disappointing from my point of view. One, the referee never took the
decision to punish the player - and two, more importantly, Gary was left
hobbling badly and looks a big, big doubt for Thursday.
Over the last ten games or so he's been one of our most consistent and
outstanding players following his long term injury. Unfortunately for us it
is on the injured ankle that he's got the bad tackle.
Who's the player who caught him?
I can't remember. I'm not bothered about the player who caught him but the
referee doing his job.
Kevin Nolan's alright?
Kevin's is a dead leg which is generally not going to cause him any
problems, but he was restricted in his movement on the field so we took him
off. Carlton had scored two and done his job, Vaz Te as well so we rested
them as quickly as we could. We rest our leading goalscorers to get them
ready for the big two.
Okay? Thanks lads.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Cardiff here we come!
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 28th April 2012
By: Staff Writer
West Ham are on their way to Cardiff in the play-offs once again after
Southampton beat Coventry to seal second place in the Championship. The
Saints' 4-0 victory over Coventry City was enough to secure the runners-up
spot behind Champions Reading - leaving West Ham, who beat Hull 2-1 at the
Boleyn Ground this afternoon in third place with 86 points. All fo which
means that Sam Allardyce's side face a trip to Wales where Cardiff - who
came from behind to win 2-1 at Crystal Palace today - await in the play-off
semi finals. With Wembley temporarily out of action, both of West Ham's
previous appearances in play-off Finals - in 2004 against Crystal Palace and
versus Preston North End 2005 - came in Cardiff. And it is to South Wales
where United will return again for the semi-final first leg after the
Bluebirds secured sixth spot in the Championship. Cardiff, who have lost
just one of their 13 games since being beaten 2-0 at home by West Ham at the
beginning of March have already tasted success in east London already this
season, having won 1-0 at the Boleyn Ground on the opening day of the
season. Meeting either West Ham or Cardiff in the play-off final at Wembley
on 19 May will be the winners of the second semi-final. Blackpool, who
finished in fifth place host fourth-placed Birmingham in the first leg.
Full details of all dates and times as follows:
Play off semi final, first leg
Thursday, 3rd May 2012: Cardiff v West Ham Utd (7.45pm)
Friday, 4th May 2012: Blackpool v Birmingham City (7.45pm)
Play off semi final, second leg
Monday, 7th May 20122: West Ham Utd v Cardiff (4.30pm)
Wednesday, 9th May 20122: Birmingham City v Blackpool (7.45pm)
Play off Final
Saturday, 19th May 2012 (3:00pm)
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham Utd 2 Hull City 1
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 28th April 2012
By: Staff Writer
West Ham signed off their 2011/12 league campaign with a win against Hull
City at the Boleyn - but it wasn't quite enough to secure automatic
promotion. Despite accruing 86 points over the course of the season - a
figure that would have seen the Irons finish in the top two in four of the
last five seasons - Southampton's 4-0 win over Coventry ensured it was they
who would join Reading in the Premier League next season.
Always up against it, West Ham had to rely on relegated Coventry doing them
a favour at St Mary's and sadly, that required upset never threatened to
materialise.
To their credit, Sam Allardyce's side threw the kitchen sink at Hull in
order to score the goals that could have seen them overtake the Saints in
the event of a shock result on the South Coast.
Despite only leading 1-0 at half time - Carton Cole's 36th minute header
being the difference between the teams - West Ham quite easily have been
five or six ahead, such was their dominance against a team with one eye
already on their summer holidays.
And had Ricardo Vaz Te not spurned a golden opportunity to put United ahead
after just three minutes when he headed wide with the goal gaping at his
mercy, one wonders if things may have turned out differently down in
Southampton.
Coventry, already relegated from the Championship had a nervous Southampton
on the rack during the opening stages of their game but crucially, failed to
make the breakthrough.
And once Billy Sharp (whose play-acting at the Boleyn Ground in the 1-1 draw
on Valentine's Day led to the dismissal of Matt Taylor) opened the scoring
on the quarter-hour mark, West Ham's slim chances of usurping the Saints all
but disappeared.
By the time Cole put West Ham ahead at the BG nine minutes ahead of half
time - nodding home a Matt Taylor corner that arose from the latter's cross
that dipped wickedly before cannoning off the crossbar - Southampton had
doubled their lead through Jose Fonte.
Chants of "whatever will be will be, we're going to Wembley" had already
rang out around Upton Park leaving the players no doubt as to what was
happening at Southampton.
As a result the second half saw a much less determined performance from Sam
Allardyce's side - understandably in the circumstances - even though Cole
doubled West Ham's lead with a superbly taken effort just four minutes after
the restart.
With Southampton adding further goals through Hooiveld and Lallana (59 and
63 minutes respectively) Sam Allardyce, knowing the game was up decided to
rest the likes of Cole, Vaz Te and captain Nolan, who took a nasty knock
after colliding with Rob Green, ahead of the ensuing play-offs.
Sam Baldock and Nicky Maynard, both of whom were given the opportunity to
stake their claims for a place in the play-offs flattered to deceive and it
was no surprise when the visitors grabbed a consolation goal with nine
minutes of normal time remaining.
Guy Demel made an absolute hash of a headed clearance, sending the ball
looping up in the air on the edge of the six yard box and Rob Green was
clearly prevented from jumping to grab the loose ball, which was headed into
an empty net by Corry Evans.
However the fact that the foul was missed by referee Nigel Miller was of
little surprise to Hammers fans who had seen the official miss a number of
quite blatant infringements by Hull players during the game.
None of which were more obviously - nor nasty - than the elbow James Tomkins
received from former Hammer Richard Garcia that left him writhing in agony
and smashing the turf with his fist in fury after the challenge was deemed
to be a legal one.
Another nasty tackle on Gary O'Neil after the ball had been played was
similarly missed and could cost the former 'Boro player a place in the
play-off semi finals, where Cardiff City - who secured sixth place in the
Championship with a win at Crystal Palace - now await.
The two-legged affair promises to be something of a classic with both teams
in rude heath having lost just one game between them since West Ham won 2-0
at the Stadiwm Dinas Caerdydd back on March 4th.
And it also throws up the very real prospect of West Ham making their first
appearance at Wembley since 1981, when John Lyall's side drew 1-1 in the
League Cup Final with Liverpool - who just happened to be the team who beat
Cardiff in this season's League Cup Final.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Allardyce eyes play-off success
Big Sam says Hammers must be ready; Barmby frustrated
Last Updated: April 28, 2012 4:42pm
SSN
West Ham boss Sam Allardyce has vowed to take the club up to the Premier
League after missing out on automatic promotion. Two goals from Carlton Cole
at home to Hull City in a 2-1 win were not enough to overhaul Southampton,
whose thumping victory against Coventry ensured they held onto second spot
in the Championship. Instead, the play-offs beckon for Allardyce and his
side, who will face Cardiff in the first leg on Thursday before being back
at home for the second leg a week on Monday. And it is their home form which
has proved costly - West Ham have won a club record 13 games on the road but
dropped 28 points on their own turf to slip out of the top two. Allardyce
said: "I stuck my neck out when I arrived and said we wanted promotion in
the first season. "I've got a two-year contract but doing it in the first
season is important. We still have three games to win, and we will do it.
"We've had a very good season considering where we've come from. In the last
few years 86 points has been enough. "Our ultimate goal was not achieved, we
left ourselves too much to do, but we'll wake up tomorrow morning and look
forward to preparing for the play-offs. We have to lick our wounds, get over
our disappointment and get ready for the vital games ahead of us."
Short
Hull pulled one back through Corry Evans, who took advantage of Guy Demel's
poor header to nod the ball past Rob Green. And the visitors thought they
had equalised when Richard Garcia powered in a late header only to be
flagged offside. The Tigers' own play-off hopes ended a few weeks ago but
manager Nicky Barmby feels they can go one better next season. "There's a
bit of frustration," he admitted. "I genuinely believed we could make the
play-offs but we fell short.
"But the players are growing and getting better. I'm pleased with the lads
overall and we'll be better for it next season. "Will West Ham go up? It's
hard to say, there are some good teams in the play-offs so it will be
interesting."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Vinny's Hull Report
Vinny 2:44 Sun Apr 29
West Ham Online
West Ham United 2 Hull City 1
West Ham's participation in this year's Play Offs were confirmed despite a
2-1 victory over Hull City with Carlton Cole scoring two goals.
Because of Southampton's thumping 4-0 victory over Coventry City at St
Mary's this meant no matter what result we could achieve it would not be
enough to get above the Saints who are promoted automatically to the
Premiership.
Whilst many of us knew this was the likely outcome of the day's proceedings
we still had that faint hope that Coventry could pull something out of the
bag despite their already confirmed relegation.
But it was not to be and we now look to the Play Offs as our way back to the
top division and it will be Cardiff City over two legs who stand in our way
for our first trip to Wembley since 1981.
There was a little deflation leaving the ground although we were expecting
this scenario but any disappointment needs to be put on the back burner as
we look to our most important games of the season and we cannot choke as we
have done in other big games this season.
I'm confident and I don't see why I shouldn't be. None of the teams in the
Play Off positions I fear although I am concerned about our recent dismal
record against Birmingham City who if we are successful in the Semi Final we
may well be playing in the Final.
You can drive yourself mad thinking about the points we have lost these
season in seemingly easy game. We can harp back to tactics from Allardyce,
player's being sent off and our horrible run of home draws but that now
doesn't matter as it is all done with and we move on to some enormous games
and we are three games away from meeting the goal set out by manager Sam
Allardyce, the club owner and the supporters.
If we do fail in this aim then this season would have been a failure. The
reason for this is that the club were very vocal about an instant return and
I don't think they were wrong to expect this.
Allardyce can point out that we had a lot of players leaving the club but
many of those we were happy to be rid of anyhow. Can you honestly say that
we miss Jonathan Spector, Lars Jacobsen, Matthew Upson, Manuel Da Costa, or
Zavon Hines.
Sure we lost Scott Parker and Demba Ba but Allardyce was backed financially
by the club and we managed to bring in many players who I suspect would be
able to walk into a number of Premiership sides such as Kevin Nolan, Matthew
Taylor, and George McCartney and solid Premiership experienced players like
Abdoulaye Faye and Papa Bouba Diop.
In this game we started well, tailed off a little and found it hard to break
Hull down but we kept working and scored the first goal which was fully
deserved. With the Southampton result filtering through and the players
obviously aware of the score in the second half the game died out and it was
a bit of a non-event.
We have now won our last two home games which is very positive and hopefully
this home hoodoo we have faced is now over and we can look at the home tie
against Cardiff as a game we all believe we can win.
The Team
Allardyce made one change to the side that defeated Leicester City last
Monday. The change came in midfield with Jack Collison dropped to the bench
and Henri Lansbury replacing him.
George McCartney was back from injury and included among the substitutes.
Starting for Hull City was former Hammer and Youth team product Richard
Garcia.
First Half
With the rain spilling down 'Bubbles' rang out as the players kicked off in
what the fans hoped would be our last game of the season.
We started well and look to get Hull on the back foot early. The visitors
had clearly done their homework after our 6-0 thumping of Brighton in the
last game at the Boleyn and looked to get tight to us early and break up our
passing game.
Ricardo Vaz Te started up front alongside Carlton Cole and not on the wing
as he has done in previous games.
With four minutes on the clock we should have taken the lead with a glorious
chance when Henri Lansbury crossed for Vaz Te who was totally unmarked but
he planted his header wide of the post. I haven't seen the chance again but
at the time I thought it was a sitter.
Cole was beginning to get the better of the Hull defenders and was winning
the majority of headers although most of the flicks were easily mopped up by
the Hull defenders.
With a quarter of the game gone it was filtering around that Southampton had
taken the lead at home to Coventry. This needn't effect our performance as
our aim was to simply win by as many goals as possible and if Coventry did
get something then we would be ready.
We were starting to rack up the corners and overall in this game we won an
astonishing 14 corner kicks with Hull winning 3.
Two minutes after scoring their first it became known that Southampton had
gone 2-0 up.
A long punt forward saw Cole challenge the defender, out muscle him and get
into the area but his cross was not accurate and missed Vaz Te.
The early atmosphere had become a little muted with the news of Southampton
leading and on the pitch we had dropped off a little although still the only
side looking as if they would score.
On 27 minutes we created another good chance as the ball was put through to
Lansbury who fired his shot over the bar despite only being around 12 yards
out.
Hull should have done a lot better on the half hour mark when Cole lost the
ball in his own half (much like against Birmingham) and like against
Birmingham it was a player with the surname of King, this time Joshua who
raced forward and he should have taken a shot himself but tried to knock the
ball square for a team mate but Reid got back to clear.
We hit the cross bar soon after as Matthew Taylor put a dipping cross into
the area which alluded the keeper and smacked off the woodwork. The ball hit
the Hull defender Dawson and went out for a corner.
Taylor took the corner which was excellent and it was met by Carlton Cole
who planted his header inside the far post with the defender on the line
unable to stop it and it was 1-0.
Hull were on the back foot soon after the goal with Vaz Te screwing his
cross across goal with no one on hand to apply the finish.
Half time came and although automatic promotion was looking unlikely we were
keeping up with our end of the bargain.
Second Half
We again started the half well with Noble seeing his shot from quite far out
go well wide but we would only have to wait four minutes for our lead to be
doubled.
It was a very well worked and well taken goal as Lansbury broke forward and
crossed for Carlton Cole who controlled well and volleyed past the Hull
keeper Mannone to make it 2-0.
As Cole has been given the goal against Brighton and not Henri Lansbury this
was Cole's 14th goal of the season.
Kevin Nolan found himself booked for a challenge on Liam Rosenior on 51
minutes and at the same time Sam Allardyce made his first change of the day
with Carlton Cole being replaced by Sam Baldock clearly with an eye on the
Thursday night game.
I thought we should have had a clear penalty a minute later when Vaz Te
latched onto a ball in the area and went down under a challenge from Dawson.
Without a benefit of a replay I can't be sure but it looked a good shout.
Southampton went 3-0 up with us still having to play an hour. Allardyce
responded to this by making his second change with Vaz Te coming off and
Nicky Maynard coming on to replace him.
With Southampton soon scoring a fourth the chants of 'We're going to
Wembley' were being sung by sections of the West Ham support.
The game really died at this point and it was Hull who saw more of the ball
and were the ones doing the attacking. We still continued to play long high
balls forward to Baldock and Maynard as if we thought Cole was still on the
pitch.
Hull's Corry Evans had a superb chance as he was put through but Robert
Green made a superb stop to deny him.
With around a quarter of the game to play Kevin Nolan came off and was
replaced by George McCartney with Taylor pushing up into midfield.
Out of nothing Hull pulled a goal back on 81 minutes in a real horror show
from Guy Demel.
The cross was put into the area deep and Demel although unchallenged decided
to loop his header into the area and as Green came out and went for it they
got in each other's way with Corry Evans getting up to head into the goal
and make it 2-1.
Hull were now looking stronger and thought they had equalised when a deep
cross found Garcia who superbly met the ball with a diving header which flew
past Green but the Australian was flagged offside.
With a few minutes remaining Gary O'Neil got a shot off and on target but in
doing so was caught by a late and horrible tackle from Evans which saw
O'Neil stay down. The referee didn't want to know despite it being right in
front of him and the ball was eventually kicked out. It was a horrible
challenge which should have brought a free kick and a booking.
There was to be no late drama and the final whistle went with the players
coming out to do a 'lap of honour?' after the game. I didn't stay for this,
instead I went out with my priority point form thinking I would simply hand
it in to the ticket office but this became a bit of an ordeal.
The normal queue was quite large and went around the corner. I thought 'fair
enough' but then it started going quite quickly and when we got to the front
it became apparent that another queue had formed along the wall where the
ticket office and club shop is. It was total chaos and a quite shocking
piece of crown management from the club.
The form was eventually put in and hopefully I will be travelling to Cardiff
on Thursday night with the rest of our support. It is just a shame we
couldn't have had a few more thousand.
Player Ratings
Robert Green
Made a superb stop from Evans in the second half although could have perhaps
commanded the situation better from Demel's mistake but perhaps that is
being harsh. We need him on form for the play offs. Just think, it could be
penalties!
Guy Demel
Has been in decent form recently and has looked quite solid but his mistake
that led to the goal was pretty awful and hopefully we will see no more of
that sort of thing.
Winston Reid
Another solid display from Reid who has on the whole been in excellent form
this season. This weak young footballer we saw last season has gone and if
anyone has benefitted from Championship football it is him.
James Tomkins
Good display from James Tomkins who may well be crowned the official Hammer
of the Year this week. Won most things in the air and is our main threat
from set pieces.
Matthew Taylor
Poor at times defensively and makes some odd choice of passes but then he
brings out his crossing ability which at times is really top quality and he
continues to make chances. Do we want him out of the team with that ability?
Henri Lansbury
Energetic and certainly covers a lot of ground. Will have an assist for the
cross for Cole and he should have scored himself in the first half. Involved
throughout and a decent display.
Mark Noble
Sat deep and played the game at his own pace. Made space for himself and
looked to try and spread the ball wide whenever possible.
Kevin Nolan
Got stuck in and made a few good challenges with some being wrongly given as
free kicks. Took a bit of a knock in the second half and was taken off as a
precaution.
Gary O'Neil
In the first half he gave the ball away a lot and drifted in and out of the
game. Was tidy in flashes but looked a bit knackered in the second half.
Ricardo Vaz Te
Not really at the races throughout the game and found it very difficult to
actually go past a player.
Carlton Cole
Two goals, and a good display from a man who is likely to finish our top
scorer again.
Subs Used
Sam Baldock (on for Cole 52 mins)
Had quite a lengthy period on the pitch but he couldn't get the ball at his
feet enough which was not all his fault and he didn't really get involved
enough.
Nicky Maynard (on for Vaz Te 60 mins)
Much like Baldock he found it very difficult to actually get into the game
and offered very little.
George McCartney (on for Nolan 74 mins)
Not much to say about his display as I didn't really notice him.
Subs Not Used: Collison, Faubert
Bookings: Nolan
Man Of The Match: Carlton Cole
Hull City: Mannone, Rosenior, Cooper, Dawson, McKenna, Chester, Evans,
Cairney, King, Garcia, Fryatt
Subs: Oxley, Stewart, Brady, Bradley, Cullen
Attendance: 35,000
Overall
The last game of the normal league season ended in victory and we can now
take that confidence from another positive result into the Play Offs where
our destiny lies.
This was a difficult performance to judge given the other issues surrounding
it although I do believe we were worth our win despite the lethargic second
half.
The season is far from over and there are a few more hurdles to jump yet.
Next Game - Cardiff City (a) Thursday 3rd May, 7.45pm Kick Off
It doesn't seem that long ago since we were beating Cardiff 2-0 on their own
patch with Kevin Nolan and George McCartney getting the goals.
Any sort of victory would be a superb result and give us a fantastic chance
of securing our place in the final. But this won't be easy and Cardiff know
that they too are only a few games away from making it to the Premiership -
a place where they probably should have achieved over the last few season.
This match means no less to them than it does to us.
We can certainly do this and we have the players to win all three games. I'm
not concerned by any of the teams in the Play Offs - I'm concerned about us
choking in the big games again.
Fortunes Always Hiding - we need to find them now.
Sam's View
We finish the season on a high; we won our last two home games playing very
well indeed, We have had outstanding away results all season and at home too
apart from the string of four draws. That was the only difference between
automatic promotion and the Play-Offs - our run of four home draws has
ultimately cost us."
"We completely annihilated Hull City in the first half. I was amazed at half
time it was only 1-0 to us it should have been like the Brighton score. But
we didn't convert our chances even though we had the opportunity to do so."
"We deservedly doubled our lead just after half time with an outstanding
goal from Carlton Cole. He got two goals, which is very important going into
the Play-Offs as our front men will need to contribute in a very big way
during the Play-Offs.
"Nicky Maynard and Sam Baldock came off the bench and played very well too.
These are the players we need to be on form for the Play-Offs."
"The Play-Offs are a one-off event. It's completely unique in its
atmosphere, its tension and the pressure you are under. You have got to deal
with it properly and good form or bad form it counts for nothing. You have
got no margin for error; you have to do it right on the day and then hope
the other forces you can't control don't go against you.
"We lost in the last minute against them in the first game of the season and
then we beat them at their ground in March. So it's one win each and we go
into the game on Thursday making sure that when we come back to the Boleyn
we are still in the tie hopefully with a lead which we can build on and
progress to Wembley."
Season 2011/12 Scorers and Red Cards
Carlton Cole - 14 (14 League)
Kevin Nolan - 12 (12 League)
Ricardo Vaz Te - 10(10 League)
Mark Noble - 8 (8 League)
Sam Baldock - 5 (5 League)
Jack Collison - 4 (4 League)
Own Goal - 4 (4 League)
Winston Reid - 3 (3 League)
James Tomkins - 3 (3 League)
Gary O'Neil - 2 (2 League)
Nicky Maynard - 2 (2 League)
John Carew - 2 (2 League)
Frederique Piquionne - 2 (2 League)
Henri Lansbury - 1 (1 League)
Papa Bouba Diop - 1 (1 League)
Joey O'Brien - 1 (1 League)
Matthew Taylor - 1 (1 League)
Julien Faubert - 1 (1 League)
Frank Nouble - 1 (1 League)
George McCartney - 1 (1 League)
Danny Collins - 1 (1 League)
Scott Parker - 1 (1 League)
Junior Stanislas - 1 (1 Cup)
Red Cards
Callum McNaughton - 1 (vs Aldershot home)
Frederique Piquionne - 1 (vs Portsmouth home)
Joey O'Brien - 1 (vs Reading away)
Jack Collison - 1 (vs Reading away)
Kevin Nolan - 1 (vs Millwall home)
Matthew Taylor - 1 (vs Southampton home)
Robert Green - 1 (vs Blackpool away)*
*rescinded by FA on appeal
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Match Report: West Ham 2 Hull City 1
By Iain Dale About 11 hours ago
West Ham Till I Die
What a peculiar day. That smidgeon of hope at the beginning of day was soon
extinguished with the news that Southampton were two up at St Mary's. And
from then on, frankly nothing seemed to matter very much. All thoughts were
directed towards Cardiff. But let's not take away from the performance
today. Apart from the last twenty minutes, this was one of the better
displays of the season. But as soon as the front two were taken off, and
Nolan had to be replaced by McCartney, everything seemed to crumble. Cole
and Vaz Te and done very well, with Carlton sniffing his first hattrick, but
Allardyce was having none of it, and took him off after he had scored his
terrific second goal. He was right to do so, and save him for Thursday. I
was looking forward to seeing Maynard combine with Baldock, but it was
difficult to notice that either of them were on the pitch to be honest. Both
looked extremely poor and totally out of nick.
Let me also heap some praise on Winston Reid. When he joined at the
beginning of last season he certainly didn't live up to his reputation as a
New Zealand international. In fact he was dreadful. But over time, he has
developed into an assured, fine player, who also knows where the goal is.
Today, he put in another great performance, and had Carlton Cole not scored
a brace, would have undoubtedly been my man of the match.
I'll also say a kind word for Gary O'Neil, who, it has to be said, I have
been very critical of. Today he had a good game. There. I've said it. He
tackled well, nearly scored a screamer and played some killer passes through
to Cole and Vaz Te. I still don't think he is consistent enough to perform
well at this level, but I think I am on a losing wicket on that one.
It was a shame we didn't keep up the momentum at the end. Demel and Green
committed a joint howler to let Hull score, and to be honest they always
looked like getting a second. We were lucky it didn't matter if had done.
Demel has actually developed quite well in the few games he has played and I
think if we are to remain in this league he could be a good player for us
next season,
So to the scores - Green 6, Demel 6, Tomkins 7, Reid 8, Nolan, 6, Noble 7,
Lansbury 5, Taylor 5, O'Neil 7, Cole 8, Vaz Te 7, Maynard 4, Baldock 4,
McCartney 4
And so we look forward to Thursday when we play Cardiff away. I'd love to
travel to Wales for that one but work prevents me. Cardiff are a good side,
and I'd rather have played Blackpool to be honest. But beggars can't be
choosers. We should be optimistic, though. We all know that we have the
players to beat any team at this level on their day.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Allardyce talks up Hammers' chances
West Ham United 2 Hull City 1
PATRICK BARCLAY UPTON PARK SUNDAY 29 APRIL 2012
Independent.co.uk
It has been more of a maze thana road, but Sam Allardyce still believes it
will end in the Premier League. "We have three more games to win," the West
Ham manager said after confirmation that his team would contest the
play-offs, initially at Cardiff on Thursday, "and we'll do it".
Victory over Hull, though narrow, can have done his confidence no harm.
Since trailing Birmingham 3-1 three weeks ago, they have scored 10 goals in
two-and-a-bit home matches, conceding just one, which suggests that a
tendency to be held at Upton Park may have been overcome in time to salvage
the promotion campaign. Away performances, as Allardyce stressed, have been
"the backbone of a very good season" so far. But Hull, whose manager, Nicky
Barmby, was disappointed not to be in the play-offs, were forced back for
the best part of an hour, sorely tested by the power of Carlton Cole, guile
of Kevin Nolan and touches of Henri Lansbury.
West Ham had hoped for anearly goal to pressure Southampton and should have
had one when Lansbury crossed only for Ricardo Vaz Te, his view obscured by
Cole, to head wide from three yards. Lansbury was off target before Cole put
West Ham ahead with a header from Matt Taylor's corner.
A slanting cross from Lansbury that bisected the visiting central defenders
let Cole chest and volley his second before being taken off to rest, along
with Vaz Te, for the City of Cardiff Stadium. Corry Evans put the result
briefly in doubt, but Allardyce's men survived.
West Ham (4-3-1-2): Green; Demel, Tomkins, Reid, Taylor; Lansbury, Noble,
O'Neil; Nolan (McCartney, 73); Cole (Baldock, 51), Vaz Te (Maynard, 60).
Hull (4-5-1): Mannone; Rosenior, Chester, Cooper, Dawson; King (Stewart,
h-t), McKenna, Cairney (Brady, 73), Evans, Garcia; Fryatt.
Referee Nigel Miller.
Man of the match Lansbury (West Ham).
Match rating 5/10.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
Sam Allardyce was pleased with the win against Hull City as attention turns
to Play-offs
28.04.2012
Carlton Cole scored twice as West Ham United beat Hull City 2-1 in their
final game of the season but the Hammers will have to settle for a play-off
spot after results elsewhere did not go their way. Sam Allardyce's side have
now won their last two home games and have not lost in their last eight away
matches, meaning they will go into Thursday's Play-Off semi-final first leg
with Cardiff on a high. Big Sam was happy with the way his side went about
their business against Hull City on Saturday lunchtime. "We finish the
season on a high; we won our last two home games playing very well indeed,"
Allardyce said. "We have had outstanding away results all season and at home
too apart from the string of four draws. That was the only difference
between automatic promotion and the Play-Offs - our run of four home draws
has ultimately cost us."
West Ham started the game brightly with Ricardo Vaz Te placing a header
inches wide after just four minutes. Henri Lansbury's cross from the left-
hand side was met by Vaz Te who rose unmarked at the far post but the ball
slipped off his forehead and drifted past the post. The first 15 minutes
were a tight affair with the Tigers trying to contain West Ham with ten men
behind the ball. However, the Hammers continued to create opportunities.
Just before the half-hour mark skipper Kevin Nolan looped the ball on to
Lansbury but the on-loan midfielder couldn't get his foot over the ball and
he blasted his shot high over the goal. West Ham got the goal their
attacking play deserved ten minutes before halftime when Matthew Taylor's
corner was met by Carlton Cole six yards out. The striker powered his header
towards the bottom corner and Hull City defender Paul McKenna was unable to
prevent it from crossing the line. Three minutes later West Ham had a chance
to further their lead when Vaz Te found himself free on the left-hand side
but he flashed his shot just past the far post. Manager Allardyce was
stunned it was only 1-0 at the break. "We completely annihilated Hull City
in the first half. I was amazed at half time it was only 1-0 to us it should
have been like the Brighton score. But we didn't convert our chances even
though we had the opportunity to do so."
The Hammers doubled their lead immediately after the restart, though, with
Lansbury's excellent cross-field pass finding Cole who expertly chested the
ball down before poking it with the outside of his boot past Vito Mannone.
Cole, who is now West Ham's top scorer with 14, clearly impressed Big Sam.
"We deservedly doubled our lead just after half time with an outstanding
goal from Carlton Cole. He got two goals, which is very important going into
the Play-Offs as our front men will need to contribute in a very big way
during the Play-Offs. "Nicky Maynard and Sam Baldock came off the bench and
played very well too. These are the players we need to be on form for the
Play-Offs."
Hull City got a goal back ten minutes from time when confusion in the West
Ham defence between Guy Demel and goalkeeper Robert Green allowed Corry
Evans to outjump Green and head into the net. The Hammers had a late scare
five minutes from time when Richard Garcia headed in Liam Rosenior's cross
only to see his effort chalked off by an offside flag. But they held on to
what was a well-deserved win. After the full-time whistle the West Ham squad
went on a lap of the pitch to thank the fans for their fantastic support
this season. Now attention will turn to the Play-Offs and the two games
against Cardiff City. "The Play-Offs are a one-off event. It's completely
unique in its atmosphere, its tension and the pressure you are under. You
have got to deal with it properly and good form or bad form it counts for
nothing. You have got no margin for error; you have to do it right on the
day and then hope the other forces you can't control don't go against you.
"We lost in the last minute against them in the first game of the season and
then we beat them at their ground in March. So it's one win each and we go
into the game on Thursday making sure that when we come back to the Boleyn
we are still in the tie hopefully with a lead which we can build on and
progress to Wembley."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham 2 Hull 1
HT 1-0
BBC.co.uk
28 April 2012
Last updated at 15:00
By Marc Higginson
BBC Sport
Carlton Cole's brace helped West Ham defeat Hull City at Upton Park, but it
was not enough for the Hammers to secure automatic promotion. Sam
Allardyce's side were beaten to second spot by Southampton, who hammered
Coventry 4-0, and will now face Cardiff City in the play-offs. The first leg
will be played in Wales on Thursday, with the second leg at Upton Park on
Monday, 7 May.
Play-off dates
Semi-finals first leg
3 May: Cardiff v West Ham (1945 BST)
4 May: Blackpool v Birmingham (1945)
Semi-finals second leg
7 May: West Ham v Cardiff (1630)
9 May: Birmingham v Blackpool (1945)
Corry Evans scored a late consolation for Hull after a defensive mix-up.
Southampton's victory meant the match turned into an anti-climax, with the
only positive for the Hammers being the momentum they will take into the
play-offs from their display against the Tigers. There was only ever going
to be one winner once Cole headed home a corner in the 36th minute, and Hull
only came back into the game once the Hammers started to conserve energy.
Cole doubled the lead when he peeled away from his marker and fired home
from Henri Lansbury's pass four minutes after half-time - and the England
striker was substituted moments later as Allardyce began to prepare for
Thursday's semi-final first leg. The Hammers dominated possession, looking
to have banished memories of their seven-game winless stretch at home, but a
mistake at the back allowed Hull back into the game. A poor header from
defender Guy Demel let in midfielder Evans, who nodded the ball home for his
third goal of the season. Richard Garcia thought he had won a point for Nick
Barmby's men, but his late diving header was disallowed for offside.
However, anything but three points would have been harsh on the Hammers, who
could have won by a greater margin if Lansbury and Kevin Nolan had showed
better finishing earlier in the game when their shots failed to trouble Hull
goalkeeper Vito Mannone.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sam Allardyce says West Ham will win promotion in the play-offs
BBC.co.uk
Sam Allardyce is confident West Ham can seal their return to the Premier
League via the play-offs. The Hammers were pipped to automatic promotion by
Southampton, despite beating Hull City 2-1 on the final day of the season.
"We have to lick our wounds and get ready for the vital games ahead of us,"
said Allardyce, whose side face Cardiff City in the play-off semi-final. "We
still have three games to win, and we will do it."
Carlton Cole scored twice to set up victory over the Tigers, but it mattered
little as Southampton eased to a 4-0 win against already-relegated Coventry.
Just two points separated the Saints and West Ham, and the Londoners will
regret a number of dropped points at Upton Park during the course of the
season. They won a club record 13 games on the road, but dropped 28 points
on their own turf to slip out of the top two. "We've had a very good season
considering where we've come from," Allardyce said. "In the last few years
86 points has been enough. "Our ultimate goal was not achieved, we left
ourselves too much to do, but we'll wake up on Sunday morning and look
forward to preparing for the play-offs. "I stuck my neck out when I arrived
and said we wanted promotion in the first season. "I've got a two-year
contract but doing it in the first season is important."
Allardyce's opposite number on Saturday, Nick Barmby, was disappointed to be
beaten but admitted the Hammers face a tough task in the play-offs. "Will
West Ham go up? It's hard to say, there are some good teams in the play-offs
so it will be interesting," he said.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Tough for Blackpool, Birmingham, West Ham & Cardiff - Ian Holloway
BBC.co.uk
Blackpool manager Ian Holloway believes the Championship play-offs are too
close to call. The Seasiders face Birmingham in the semi-finals, while West
Ham will take on Cardiff. "It's a fantastic achievement to get in the
play-offs, but it's going to be tough," Holloway said. "To have Birmingham
and West Ham in there, and Cardiff who certainly consider themselves a big
club, who's going to win? I don't know."
Blackpool earned promotion to the Premier League via the play-offs two
seasons ago and Holloway, who saw his side end their regular season with a
2-2 draw at Millwall, is hoping for a similar end result this time around.
"There are a lot of big teams who aren't in the play-offs but we will give
it our best shot, we will try to win every single half of football we can,"
he said. "Now let's go and take on a really good side in Birmingham. It will
be interesting to see which way it goes."
Birmingham's victory over champions Reading saw them leapfrog Blackpool in
the final Championship table, and manager Chris Hughton insists his focus
remains on the Blackpool matches despite some off-field problems. The
manager faces the prospect of being unable to strengthen his squad until the
end of July because of Birmingham's inability to publish their 2010-11
accounts on time. "At the moment the thought of playing in the two play-offs
is taking up 100% of my thoughts," he said. "We know there is an issue but
it is not on my mind at the moment. "There is an emphasis from everyone at
the club to try to get through to the final and get back into the Premier
League. That will take up all of our efforts."
Cardiff City left it until the final day to seal their play-off spot, for a
third season in a row, and Bluebirds manager Malky Mackay hopes the club's
Carling Cup exploits, when they reached the final, will stand them in good
stead. "We are 10 games unbeaten going into the play-offs so there is real
momentum there," he said. "I have been in the semi-final situation as a
player with West Ham, Norwich and Watford. It is about staying calm and
having a game plan. "This group of players have already been through this
sort of thing this season, with the Carling Cup semi-final and final, where
there was preparation and planning needed. That will benefit us."
West Ham, who finished third, are favourites to win promotion from the
play-offs, and manager Sam Allardyce is confident they can live up to their
billing despite being pipped to automatic promotion by Southampton on the
final day. "We have to lick our wounds and get ready for the vital games
ahead of us," Allardyce said.
"We still have three games to win, and we will do it."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Allardyce on... Hull City
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 28th April 2012
By: Staff Writer
A slightly despondent Sam Allardyce bemoans the fact that 86 points wasn't
quite enough to secure automatic promotion in his post-match press
conference...
Sam: when you came in last summer you suggested at the time that nothing but
quick promotion would suffice. Is that still the case?
Yes, I've stuck my head on the line and said that's what we want to do, get
automatic promotion in the first season of asking even though I've got a
two-year contract to do it. But doing it in the first year would be very
important, we've still got three games to win - and we'll do it.
The first two are the most difficult, not the third one in my experience.
The two-legged affair is the hardest thing to get through in play-off terms.
Four years out of [the last] five 86 points has been good enough and it's
not this time, so we're a little unlucky there. But we've had a very, very
good season indeed considering where we came from and how many changes we
made from day one.
So our ultimate goal wasn't achieved. We took it into the last game of the
season to try and achieve it but we didn't manage it because we just left
ourselves too much to do by having to rely on Coventry to get a result. We
wake up tomorrow and look forward to preparing for the play-offs.
Sir Alex [Ferguson] would say that it's squeaky bum time?
Well it's been that for a while, I think. We've been so close and been there
in the top two so long and it's only an outstanding, miraculous run of
results from Reading that's taken it away from us.
As I said, four years out of five 86 points has been enough but because what
Reading have done in the last 25, 26 games has been outstanding its
congratulations to them and Nigel [Adkins]. But now we've got to lick our
wounds, overcome our disappointment and get ready for the vital games ahead
of us.
You were saying on the telly that whatever's gone on before...
...Doesn't matter, nothing at all. Not in my experience. You go into the
play-offs as equals, everybody goes in there as equals. Everybody says
there's more disappointment for the team that finishes third and sometimes
that may well have been the case, but there are times where the third team
have gone through and achieved it. I did it at Bolton when I was there.
One season we finished with 87 points, never mind 86 and didn't go up. But
we managed to get through the two legs. Why I'm saying the most difficult
thing is the two legs and to not think about the Final whatsoever is that
after 35 minutes of the first leg I was 2-0 down at West Brom and staring
into the abyss. We had to find a real fighting spirit and a change of attack
to get back to 2-2.
That was a critical 30 minutes - then we won the second leg quite
comfortably in the end and went on to win the Final. So the Final means
nothing to us now at the moment, it's about the two legs - and only the two
legs.
Do you think the way this season's been you'd prefer the away leg second?
Not the way we're playing now because we've just battered [Hull]. We've
battered a lot of teams here; Brighton in the first half, let's face it. We
did what we had to do in terms of battering Hull City but what was
disappointing was our lack of conversation for chances created, because it
should have been two or three by half time like Brighton was.
But Coley did the business in the second half and then we took everybody off
that we felt we needed to take off. The game obviously drifted away because
there was nothing in it for either team in the end. The win was very good
for us because it's two very good performances [in succession] and a
terrific comeback against Birmingham in the second half here, so our form is
as good here as it is away.
How are you going to lift spirits over the next few days - and how difficult
do you think the challenge is going to Cardiff, which is quite a hostile
place?
Well we go with the confidence that we beat Cardiff 2-0 at their place
already and we go with the confidence that we're the third best team in the
league. So if we hit our form and we hit the level of performance that we
know we can do, that confidence should spill over into that game.
But like I said, the pressure of the play-offs is unique in itself - as is
being able to handle the experience because there's no other experience like
it. There's no Cup game or league game that has the same atmosphere as the
play-offs have. So we've got to handle the atmosphere and deliver on the
day.
Given your away record this season is it important you approach Cardiff away
on Thursday in the same way you'd have done a normal league game? Or is
there a tendency to change strategy?
No; I think that our performances and our strategy away from home has been
the backbone to a really, really good season for us. The only thing that we
slipped up on was drawing matches, not losing them. So there's a fine line,
that's very small indeed in terms of draws to wins. I think that our
performances away from home - and our results away from home - have been
outstanding.
So we'll approach it in the same manner. But what we have to do is handle
the pressure that the play-offs bring, to deliver a certain type of
performance. That's what we've got to do.
Irrespective of what happens in Cardiff, there's the next 90 minutes. I won
2-0 at Bradford away when I was at Blackpool and lost 3-0 at home in the
second leg, so anything can happen. Any twist or any turn at any given time;
that's why they're unique in terms of pressure and atmosphere. We've got to
be able to handle it.
Today's substitutions; there's no injuries or anything like that?
Yes, there's a bad injury to Gary O'Neil resulting from a very, very poor
tackle on him that the referee chose to ignore - which was very
disappointing from my point of view. One, the referee never took the
decision to punish the player - and two, more importantly, Gary was left
hobbling badly and looks a big, big doubt for Thursday.
Over the last ten games or so he's been one of our most consistent and
outstanding players following his long term injury. Unfortunately for us it
is on the injured ankle that he's got the bad tackle.
Who's the player who caught him?
I can't remember. I'm not bothered about the player who caught him but the
referee doing his job.
Kevin Nolan's alright?
Kevin's is a dead leg which is generally not going to cause him any
problems, but he was restricted in his movement on the field so we took him
off. Carlton had scored two and done his job, Vaz Te as well so we rested
them as quickly as we could. We rest our leading goalscorers to get them
ready for the big two.
Okay? Thanks lads.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Cardiff here we come!
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 28th April 2012
By: Staff Writer
West Ham are on their way to Cardiff in the play-offs once again after
Southampton beat Coventry to seal second place in the Championship. The
Saints' 4-0 victory over Coventry City was enough to secure the runners-up
spot behind Champions Reading - leaving West Ham, who beat Hull 2-1 at the
Boleyn Ground this afternoon in third place with 86 points. All fo which
means that Sam Allardyce's side face a trip to Wales where Cardiff - who
came from behind to win 2-1 at Crystal Palace today - await in the play-off
semi finals. With Wembley temporarily out of action, both of West Ham's
previous appearances in play-off Finals - in 2004 against Crystal Palace and
versus Preston North End 2005 - came in Cardiff. And it is to South Wales
where United will return again for the semi-final first leg after the
Bluebirds secured sixth spot in the Championship. Cardiff, who have lost
just one of their 13 games since being beaten 2-0 at home by West Ham at the
beginning of March have already tasted success in east London already this
season, having won 1-0 at the Boleyn Ground on the opening day of the
season. Meeting either West Ham or Cardiff in the play-off final at Wembley
on 19 May will be the winners of the second semi-final. Blackpool, who
finished in fifth place host fourth-placed Birmingham in the first leg.
Full details of all dates and times as follows:
Play off semi final, first leg
Thursday, 3rd May 2012: Cardiff v West Ham Utd (7.45pm)
Friday, 4th May 2012: Blackpool v Birmingham City (7.45pm)
Play off semi final, second leg
Monday, 7th May 20122: West Ham Utd v Cardiff (4.30pm)
Wednesday, 9th May 20122: Birmingham City v Blackpool (7.45pm)
Play off Final
Saturday, 19th May 2012 (3:00pm)
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham Utd 2 Hull City 1
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 28th April 2012
By: Staff Writer
West Ham signed off their 2011/12 league campaign with a win against Hull
City at the Boleyn - but it wasn't quite enough to secure automatic
promotion. Despite accruing 86 points over the course of the season - a
figure that would have seen the Irons finish in the top two in four of the
last five seasons - Southampton's 4-0 win over Coventry ensured it was they
who would join Reading in the Premier League next season.
Always up against it, West Ham had to rely on relegated Coventry doing them
a favour at St Mary's and sadly, that required upset never threatened to
materialise.
To their credit, Sam Allardyce's side threw the kitchen sink at Hull in
order to score the goals that could have seen them overtake the Saints in
the event of a shock result on the South Coast.
Despite only leading 1-0 at half time - Carton Cole's 36th minute header
being the difference between the teams - West Ham quite easily have been
five or six ahead, such was their dominance against a team with one eye
already on their summer holidays.
And had Ricardo Vaz Te not spurned a golden opportunity to put United ahead
after just three minutes when he headed wide with the goal gaping at his
mercy, one wonders if things may have turned out differently down in
Southampton.
Coventry, already relegated from the Championship had a nervous Southampton
on the rack during the opening stages of their game but crucially, failed to
make the breakthrough.
And once Billy Sharp (whose play-acting at the Boleyn Ground in the 1-1 draw
on Valentine's Day led to the dismissal of Matt Taylor) opened the scoring
on the quarter-hour mark, West Ham's slim chances of usurping the Saints all
but disappeared.
By the time Cole put West Ham ahead at the BG nine minutes ahead of half
time - nodding home a Matt Taylor corner that arose from the latter's cross
that dipped wickedly before cannoning off the crossbar - Southampton had
doubled their lead through Jose Fonte.
Chants of "whatever will be will be, we're going to Wembley" had already
rang out around Upton Park leaving the players no doubt as to what was
happening at Southampton.
As a result the second half saw a much less determined performance from Sam
Allardyce's side - understandably in the circumstances - even though Cole
doubled West Ham's lead with a superbly taken effort just four minutes after
the restart.
With Southampton adding further goals through Hooiveld and Lallana (59 and
63 minutes respectively) Sam Allardyce, knowing the game was up decided to
rest the likes of Cole, Vaz Te and captain Nolan, who took a nasty knock
after colliding with Rob Green, ahead of the ensuing play-offs.
Sam Baldock and Nicky Maynard, both of whom were given the opportunity to
stake their claims for a place in the play-offs flattered to deceive and it
was no surprise when the visitors grabbed a consolation goal with nine
minutes of normal time remaining.
Guy Demel made an absolute hash of a headed clearance, sending the ball
looping up in the air on the edge of the six yard box and Rob Green was
clearly prevented from jumping to grab the loose ball, which was headed into
an empty net by Corry Evans.
However the fact that the foul was missed by referee Nigel Miller was of
little surprise to Hammers fans who had seen the official miss a number of
quite blatant infringements by Hull players during the game.
None of which were more obviously - nor nasty - than the elbow James Tomkins
received from former Hammer Richard Garcia that left him writhing in agony
and smashing the turf with his fist in fury after the challenge was deemed
to be a legal one.
Another nasty tackle on Gary O'Neil after the ball had been played was
similarly missed and could cost the former 'Boro player a place in the
play-off semi finals, where Cardiff City - who secured sixth place in the
Championship with a win at Crystal Palace - now await.
The two-legged affair promises to be something of a classic with both teams
in rude heath having lost just one game between them since West Ham won 2-0
at the Stadiwm Dinas Caerdydd back on March 4th.
And it also throws up the very real prospect of West Ham making their first
appearance at Wembley since 1981, when John Lyall's side drew 1-1 in the
League Cup Final with Liverpool - who just happened to be the team who beat
Cardiff in this season's League Cup Final.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Allardyce eyes play-off success
Big Sam says Hammers must be ready; Barmby frustrated
Last Updated: April 28, 2012 4:42pm
SSN
West Ham boss Sam Allardyce has vowed to take the club up to the Premier
League after missing out on automatic promotion. Two goals from Carlton Cole
at home to Hull City in a 2-1 win were not enough to overhaul Southampton,
whose thumping victory against Coventry ensured they held onto second spot
in the Championship. Instead, the play-offs beckon for Allardyce and his
side, who will face Cardiff in the first leg on Thursday before being back
at home for the second leg a week on Monday. And it is their home form which
has proved costly - West Ham have won a club record 13 games on the road but
dropped 28 points on their own turf to slip out of the top two. Allardyce
said: "I stuck my neck out when I arrived and said we wanted promotion in
the first season. "I've got a two-year contract but doing it in the first
season is important. We still have three games to win, and we will do it.
"We've had a very good season considering where we've come from. In the last
few years 86 points has been enough. "Our ultimate goal was not achieved, we
left ourselves too much to do, but we'll wake up tomorrow morning and look
forward to preparing for the play-offs. We have to lick our wounds, get over
our disappointment and get ready for the vital games ahead of us."
Short
Hull pulled one back through Corry Evans, who took advantage of Guy Demel's
poor header to nod the ball past Rob Green. And the visitors thought they
had equalised when Richard Garcia powered in a late header only to be
flagged offside. The Tigers' own play-off hopes ended a few weeks ago but
manager Nicky Barmby feels they can go one better next season. "There's a
bit of frustration," he admitted. "I genuinely believed we could make the
play-offs but we fell short.
"But the players are growing and getting better. I'm pleased with the lads
overall and we'll be better for it next season. "Will West Ham go up? It's
hard to say, there are some good teams in the play-offs so it will be
interesting."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Vinny's Hull Report
Vinny 2:44 Sun Apr 29
West Ham Online
West Ham United 2 Hull City 1
West Ham's participation in this year's Play Offs were confirmed despite a
2-1 victory over Hull City with Carlton Cole scoring two goals.
Because of Southampton's thumping 4-0 victory over Coventry City at St
Mary's this meant no matter what result we could achieve it would not be
enough to get above the Saints who are promoted automatically to the
Premiership.
Whilst many of us knew this was the likely outcome of the day's proceedings
we still had that faint hope that Coventry could pull something out of the
bag despite their already confirmed relegation.
But it was not to be and we now look to the Play Offs as our way back to the
top division and it will be Cardiff City over two legs who stand in our way
for our first trip to Wembley since 1981.
There was a little deflation leaving the ground although we were expecting
this scenario but any disappointment needs to be put on the back burner as
we look to our most important games of the season and we cannot choke as we
have done in other big games this season.
I'm confident and I don't see why I shouldn't be. None of the teams in the
Play Off positions I fear although I am concerned about our recent dismal
record against Birmingham City who if we are successful in the Semi Final we
may well be playing in the Final.
You can drive yourself mad thinking about the points we have lost these
season in seemingly easy game. We can harp back to tactics from Allardyce,
player's being sent off and our horrible run of home draws but that now
doesn't matter as it is all done with and we move on to some enormous games
and we are three games away from meeting the goal set out by manager Sam
Allardyce, the club owner and the supporters.
If we do fail in this aim then this season would have been a failure. The
reason for this is that the club were very vocal about an instant return and
I don't think they were wrong to expect this.
Allardyce can point out that we had a lot of players leaving the club but
many of those we were happy to be rid of anyhow. Can you honestly say that
we miss Jonathan Spector, Lars Jacobsen, Matthew Upson, Manuel Da Costa, or
Zavon Hines.
Sure we lost Scott Parker and Demba Ba but Allardyce was backed financially
by the club and we managed to bring in many players who I suspect would be
able to walk into a number of Premiership sides such as Kevin Nolan, Matthew
Taylor, and George McCartney and solid Premiership experienced players like
Abdoulaye Faye and Papa Bouba Diop.
In this game we started well, tailed off a little and found it hard to break
Hull down but we kept working and scored the first goal which was fully
deserved. With the Southampton result filtering through and the players
obviously aware of the score in the second half the game died out and it was
a bit of a non-event.
We have now won our last two home games which is very positive and hopefully
this home hoodoo we have faced is now over and we can look at the home tie
against Cardiff as a game we all believe we can win.
The Team
Allardyce made one change to the side that defeated Leicester City last
Monday. The change came in midfield with Jack Collison dropped to the bench
and Henri Lansbury replacing him.
George McCartney was back from injury and included among the substitutes.
Starting for Hull City was former Hammer and Youth team product Richard
Garcia.
First Half
With the rain spilling down 'Bubbles' rang out as the players kicked off in
what the fans hoped would be our last game of the season.
We started well and look to get Hull on the back foot early. The visitors
had clearly done their homework after our 6-0 thumping of Brighton in the
last game at the Boleyn and looked to get tight to us early and break up our
passing game.
Ricardo Vaz Te started up front alongside Carlton Cole and not on the wing
as he has done in previous games.
With four minutes on the clock we should have taken the lead with a glorious
chance when Henri Lansbury crossed for Vaz Te who was totally unmarked but
he planted his header wide of the post. I haven't seen the chance again but
at the time I thought it was a sitter.
Cole was beginning to get the better of the Hull defenders and was winning
the majority of headers although most of the flicks were easily mopped up by
the Hull defenders.
With a quarter of the game gone it was filtering around that Southampton had
taken the lead at home to Coventry. This needn't effect our performance as
our aim was to simply win by as many goals as possible and if Coventry did
get something then we would be ready.
We were starting to rack up the corners and overall in this game we won an
astonishing 14 corner kicks with Hull winning 3.
Two minutes after scoring their first it became known that Southampton had
gone 2-0 up.
A long punt forward saw Cole challenge the defender, out muscle him and get
into the area but his cross was not accurate and missed Vaz Te.
The early atmosphere had become a little muted with the news of Southampton
leading and on the pitch we had dropped off a little although still the only
side looking as if they would score.
On 27 minutes we created another good chance as the ball was put through to
Lansbury who fired his shot over the bar despite only being around 12 yards
out.
Hull should have done a lot better on the half hour mark when Cole lost the
ball in his own half (much like against Birmingham) and like against
Birmingham it was a player with the surname of King, this time Joshua who
raced forward and he should have taken a shot himself but tried to knock the
ball square for a team mate but Reid got back to clear.
We hit the cross bar soon after as Matthew Taylor put a dipping cross into
the area which alluded the keeper and smacked off the woodwork. The ball hit
the Hull defender Dawson and went out for a corner.
Taylor took the corner which was excellent and it was met by Carlton Cole
who planted his header inside the far post with the defender on the line
unable to stop it and it was 1-0.
Hull were on the back foot soon after the goal with Vaz Te screwing his
cross across goal with no one on hand to apply the finish.
Half time came and although automatic promotion was looking unlikely we were
keeping up with our end of the bargain.
Second Half
We again started the half well with Noble seeing his shot from quite far out
go well wide but we would only have to wait four minutes for our lead to be
doubled.
It was a very well worked and well taken goal as Lansbury broke forward and
crossed for Carlton Cole who controlled well and volleyed past the Hull
keeper Mannone to make it 2-0.
As Cole has been given the goal against Brighton and not Henri Lansbury this
was Cole's 14th goal of the season.
Kevin Nolan found himself booked for a challenge on Liam Rosenior on 51
minutes and at the same time Sam Allardyce made his first change of the day
with Carlton Cole being replaced by Sam Baldock clearly with an eye on the
Thursday night game.
I thought we should have had a clear penalty a minute later when Vaz Te
latched onto a ball in the area and went down under a challenge from Dawson.
Without a benefit of a replay I can't be sure but it looked a good shout.
Southampton went 3-0 up with us still having to play an hour. Allardyce
responded to this by making his second change with Vaz Te coming off and
Nicky Maynard coming on to replace him.
With Southampton soon scoring a fourth the chants of 'We're going to
Wembley' were being sung by sections of the West Ham support.
The game really died at this point and it was Hull who saw more of the ball
and were the ones doing the attacking. We still continued to play long high
balls forward to Baldock and Maynard as if we thought Cole was still on the
pitch.
Hull's Corry Evans had a superb chance as he was put through but Robert
Green made a superb stop to deny him.
With around a quarter of the game to play Kevin Nolan came off and was
replaced by George McCartney with Taylor pushing up into midfield.
Out of nothing Hull pulled a goal back on 81 minutes in a real horror show
from Guy Demel.
The cross was put into the area deep and Demel although unchallenged decided
to loop his header into the area and as Green came out and went for it they
got in each other's way with Corry Evans getting up to head into the goal
and make it 2-1.
Hull were now looking stronger and thought they had equalised when a deep
cross found Garcia who superbly met the ball with a diving header which flew
past Green but the Australian was flagged offside.
With a few minutes remaining Gary O'Neil got a shot off and on target but in
doing so was caught by a late and horrible tackle from Evans which saw
O'Neil stay down. The referee didn't want to know despite it being right in
front of him and the ball was eventually kicked out. It was a horrible
challenge which should have brought a free kick and a booking.
There was to be no late drama and the final whistle went with the players
coming out to do a 'lap of honour?' after the game. I didn't stay for this,
instead I went out with my priority point form thinking I would simply hand
it in to the ticket office but this became a bit of an ordeal.
The normal queue was quite large and went around the corner. I thought 'fair
enough' but then it started going quite quickly and when we got to the front
it became apparent that another queue had formed along the wall where the
ticket office and club shop is. It was total chaos and a quite shocking
piece of crown management from the club.
The form was eventually put in and hopefully I will be travelling to Cardiff
on Thursday night with the rest of our support. It is just a shame we
couldn't have had a few more thousand.
Player Ratings
Robert Green
Made a superb stop from Evans in the second half although could have perhaps
commanded the situation better from Demel's mistake but perhaps that is
being harsh. We need him on form for the play offs. Just think, it could be
penalties!
Guy Demel
Has been in decent form recently and has looked quite solid but his mistake
that led to the goal was pretty awful and hopefully we will see no more of
that sort of thing.
Winston Reid
Another solid display from Reid who has on the whole been in excellent form
this season. This weak young footballer we saw last season has gone and if
anyone has benefitted from Championship football it is him.
James Tomkins
Good display from James Tomkins who may well be crowned the official Hammer
of the Year this week. Won most things in the air and is our main threat
from set pieces.
Matthew Taylor
Poor at times defensively and makes some odd choice of passes but then he
brings out his crossing ability which at times is really top quality and he
continues to make chances. Do we want him out of the team with that ability?
Henri Lansbury
Energetic and certainly covers a lot of ground. Will have an assist for the
cross for Cole and he should have scored himself in the first half. Involved
throughout and a decent display.
Mark Noble
Sat deep and played the game at his own pace. Made space for himself and
looked to try and spread the ball wide whenever possible.
Kevin Nolan
Got stuck in and made a few good challenges with some being wrongly given as
free kicks. Took a bit of a knock in the second half and was taken off as a
precaution.
Gary O'Neil
In the first half he gave the ball away a lot and drifted in and out of the
game. Was tidy in flashes but looked a bit knackered in the second half.
Ricardo Vaz Te
Not really at the races throughout the game and found it very difficult to
actually go past a player.
Carlton Cole
Two goals, and a good display from a man who is likely to finish our top
scorer again.
Subs Used
Sam Baldock (on for Cole 52 mins)
Had quite a lengthy period on the pitch but he couldn't get the ball at his
feet enough which was not all his fault and he didn't really get involved
enough.
Nicky Maynard (on for Vaz Te 60 mins)
Much like Baldock he found it very difficult to actually get into the game
and offered very little.
George McCartney (on for Nolan 74 mins)
Not much to say about his display as I didn't really notice him.
Subs Not Used: Collison, Faubert
Bookings: Nolan
Man Of The Match: Carlton Cole
Hull City: Mannone, Rosenior, Cooper, Dawson, McKenna, Chester, Evans,
Cairney, King, Garcia, Fryatt
Subs: Oxley, Stewart, Brady, Bradley, Cullen
Attendance: 35,000
Overall
The last game of the normal league season ended in victory and we can now
take that confidence from another positive result into the Play Offs where
our destiny lies.
This was a difficult performance to judge given the other issues surrounding
it although I do believe we were worth our win despite the lethargic second
half.
The season is far from over and there are a few more hurdles to jump yet.
Next Game - Cardiff City (a) Thursday 3rd May, 7.45pm Kick Off
It doesn't seem that long ago since we were beating Cardiff 2-0 on their own
patch with Kevin Nolan and George McCartney getting the goals.
Any sort of victory would be a superb result and give us a fantastic chance
of securing our place in the final. But this won't be easy and Cardiff know
that they too are only a few games away from making it to the Premiership -
a place where they probably should have achieved over the last few season.
This match means no less to them than it does to us.
We can certainly do this and we have the players to win all three games. I'm
not concerned by any of the teams in the Play Offs - I'm concerned about us
choking in the big games again.
Fortunes Always Hiding - we need to find them now.
Sam's View
We finish the season on a high; we won our last two home games playing very
well indeed, We have had outstanding away results all season and at home too
apart from the string of four draws. That was the only difference between
automatic promotion and the Play-Offs - our run of four home draws has
ultimately cost us."
"We completely annihilated Hull City in the first half. I was amazed at half
time it was only 1-0 to us it should have been like the Brighton score. But
we didn't convert our chances even though we had the opportunity to do so."
"We deservedly doubled our lead just after half time with an outstanding
goal from Carlton Cole. He got two goals, which is very important going into
the Play-Offs as our front men will need to contribute in a very big way
during the Play-Offs.
"Nicky Maynard and Sam Baldock came off the bench and played very well too.
These are the players we need to be on form for the Play-Offs."
"The Play-Offs are a one-off event. It's completely unique in its
atmosphere, its tension and the pressure you are under. You have got to deal
with it properly and good form or bad form it counts for nothing. You have
got no margin for error; you have to do it right on the day and then hope
the other forces you can't control don't go against you.
"We lost in the last minute against them in the first game of the season and
then we beat them at their ground in March. So it's one win each and we go
into the game on Thursday making sure that when we come back to the Boleyn
we are still in the tie hopefully with a lead which we can build on and
progress to Wembley."
Season 2011/12 Scorers and Red Cards
Carlton Cole - 14 (14 League)
Kevin Nolan - 12 (12 League)
Ricardo Vaz Te - 10(10 League)
Mark Noble - 8 (8 League)
Sam Baldock - 5 (5 League)
Jack Collison - 4 (4 League)
Own Goal - 4 (4 League)
Winston Reid - 3 (3 League)
James Tomkins - 3 (3 League)
Gary O'Neil - 2 (2 League)
Nicky Maynard - 2 (2 League)
John Carew - 2 (2 League)
Frederique Piquionne - 2 (2 League)
Henri Lansbury - 1 (1 League)
Papa Bouba Diop - 1 (1 League)
Joey O'Brien - 1 (1 League)
Matthew Taylor - 1 (1 League)
Julien Faubert - 1 (1 League)
Frank Nouble - 1 (1 League)
George McCartney - 1 (1 League)
Danny Collins - 1 (1 League)
Scott Parker - 1 (1 League)
Junior Stanislas - 1 (1 Cup)
Red Cards
Callum McNaughton - 1 (vs Aldershot home)
Frederique Piquionne - 1 (vs Portsmouth home)
Joey O'Brien - 1 (vs Reading away)
Jack Collison - 1 (vs Reading away)
Kevin Nolan - 1 (vs Millwall home)
Matthew Taylor - 1 (vs Southampton home)
Robert Green - 1 (vs Blackpool away)*
*rescinded by FA on appeal
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Match Report: West Ham 2 Hull City 1
By Iain Dale About 11 hours ago
West Ham Till I Die
What a peculiar day. That smidgeon of hope at the beginning of day was soon
extinguished with the news that Southampton were two up at St Mary's. And
from then on, frankly nothing seemed to matter very much. All thoughts were
directed towards Cardiff. But let's not take away from the performance
today. Apart from the last twenty minutes, this was one of the better
displays of the season. But as soon as the front two were taken off, and
Nolan had to be replaced by McCartney, everything seemed to crumble. Cole
and Vaz Te and done very well, with Carlton sniffing his first hattrick, but
Allardyce was having none of it, and took him off after he had scored his
terrific second goal. He was right to do so, and save him for Thursday. I
was looking forward to seeing Maynard combine with Baldock, but it was
difficult to notice that either of them were on the pitch to be honest. Both
looked extremely poor and totally out of nick.
Let me also heap some praise on Winston Reid. When he joined at the
beginning of last season he certainly didn't live up to his reputation as a
New Zealand international. In fact he was dreadful. But over time, he has
developed into an assured, fine player, who also knows where the goal is.
Today, he put in another great performance, and had Carlton Cole not scored
a brace, would have undoubtedly been my man of the match.
I'll also say a kind word for Gary O'Neil, who, it has to be said, I have
been very critical of. Today he had a good game. There. I've said it. He
tackled well, nearly scored a screamer and played some killer passes through
to Cole and Vaz Te. I still don't think he is consistent enough to perform
well at this level, but I think I am on a losing wicket on that one.
It was a shame we didn't keep up the momentum at the end. Demel and Green
committed a joint howler to let Hull score, and to be honest they always
looked like getting a second. We were lucky it didn't matter if had done.
Demel has actually developed quite well in the few games he has played and I
think if we are to remain in this league he could be a good player for us
next season,
So to the scores - Green 6, Demel 6, Tomkins 7, Reid 8, Nolan, 6, Noble 7,
Lansbury 5, Taylor 5, O'Neil 7, Cole 8, Vaz Te 7, Maynard 4, Baldock 4,
McCartney 4
And so we look forward to Thursday when we play Cardiff away. I'd love to
travel to Wales for that one but work prevents me. Cardiff are a good side,
and I'd rather have played Blackpool to be honest. But beggars can't be
choosers. We should be optimistic, though. We all know that we have the
players to beat any team at this level on their day.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Allardyce talks up Hammers' chances
West Ham United 2 Hull City 1
PATRICK BARCLAY UPTON PARK SUNDAY 29 APRIL 2012
Independent.co.uk
It has been more of a maze thana road, but Sam Allardyce still believes it
will end in the Premier League. "We have three more games to win," the West
Ham manager said after confirmation that his team would contest the
play-offs, initially at Cardiff on Thursday, "and we'll do it".
Victory over Hull, though narrow, can have done his confidence no harm.
Since trailing Birmingham 3-1 three weeks ago, they have scored 10 goals in
two-and-a-bit home matches, conceding just one, which suggests that a
tendency to be held at Upton Park may have been overcome in time to salvage
the promotion campaign. Away performances, as Allardyce stressed, have been
"the backbone of a very good season" so far. But Hull, whose manager, Nicky
Barmby, was disappointed not to be in the play-offs, were forced back for
the best part of an hour, sorely tested by the power of Carlton Cole, guile
of Kevin Nolan and touches of Henri Lansbury.
West Ham had hoped for anearly goal to pressure Southampton and should have
had one when Lansbury crossed only for Ricardo Vaz Te, his view obscured by
Cole, to head wide from three yards. Lansbury was off target before Cole put
West Ham ahead with a header from Matt Taylor's corner.
A slanting cross from Lansbury that bisected the visiting central defenders
let Cole chest and volley his second before being taken off to rest, along
with Vaz Te, for the City of Cardiff Stadium. Corry Evans put the result
briefly in doubt, but Allardyce's men survived.
West Ham (4-3-1-2): Green; Demel, Tomkins, Reid, Taylor; Lansbury, Noble,
O'Neil; Nolan (McCartney, 73); Cole (Baldock, 51), Vaz Te (Maynard, 60).
Hull (4-5-1): Mannone; Rosenior, Chester, Cooper, Dawson; King (Stewart,
h-t), McKenna, Cairney (Brady, 73), Evans, Garcia; Fryatt.
Referee Nigel Miller.
Man of the match Lansbury (West Ham).
Match rating 5/10.
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