All the action as it happened from the Reebok Stadium as the visitors were
frustrated on their travels again
13.04.2008
Barclays Premier League
Reebok Stadium
3pm
Referee: Peter Walton
West Ham United: Green, Spector, Upson, Ferdinand (Pantsil 4), McCartney,
Collison (Cole 50), Mullins, Parker, Boa Morte, Ashton, Zamora (Sears 66)
Subs not used: Walker, Tomkins
Bolton Wanderers: Al Habsi, Samuel, Cahill, A O'Brien, Taylor, Steinsson,
McCann, Campo, Nolan, Diouf, Davies
Subs not used: Walker, Andranik, Cohen, Giannakopoulos, Rasiak
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Curbs reflects on Bolton battle - WHUFC
Alan Curbishley said he expected better from his team at the Reebok Stadium,
particularly in the first half
13.04.2008
Alan Curbishley was understandably disappointed after his team lost out to a
side fighting for their lives and who have enjoyed better fortunes of late
at the Reebok Stadium.
Prior to Saturday's 1-0 loss that saw the hosts move themselves to within
two points of safety, Bolton had earned home draws against Sporting Lisbon
and Manchester City before taking a two-goal lead against Arsenal only to
harshly lose 3-2 after conceding an own goal and penalty. Curbishley said
his team were always aware it would be a difficult contest and so it proved,
not least for every second of the first half. "Bolton put a terrific effort
in the first 46 minutes," he said.
"I have not seen a team work so hard [as they did in the first half]. It is
obviously the situation they are in. They put us under an awful lot of
pressure." Curbishley's best-laid plans to cope with the expected
bombardment, not least with key goalscorer Kevin Davies back after a
two-game ban, were sent awry as early as the second minute. Anton Ferdinand
suffered a hamstring injury in his left leg that has left him "a bit sore".
The manager added: "It was a blow for us so early on in the game. Perhaps it
is synonymous with the season we have had so far.
"We have been patched up most of the season but we have just got to get on
with it. Nothing is going to change. He has been playing quite well. With
Anton going off, we had to reshuffle [by switching Jonathan Spector inside
from full-back] ... You come to Bolton and you know what to expect and
everybody says the same thing. It is to difficult to deal with especially
when they were like they were in the first half. It was vintage Bolton."
The home side's goal summed up Gary Megson's direct style, with Kevin Nolan
and goalscorer Davies doing their best to unsettle Robert Green and Matthew
Upson, back in the side after a month out. "It is all part and parcel of it.
We knew what to expect, the goal was a typical Bolton goal ... What you do
want a little bit of protection, there are lots of bodies when the ball goes
in there and lots of pressure around the keeper ... that is a typical Bolton
goal and we have not dealt with it. It is disappointing."
For all that, Curbishley admitted Bolton "deserved the result" having also
seen two efforts cleared off the line but added his team could have forced a
way back into it after going behind - not least through Dean Ashton and
Scott Parker, who both went close. "They perhaps sat back a little bit ...
we had a couple of little efforts and we started playing a little bit better
but the keeper made some decent saves. They have got their points and they
are still there, still in with a chance of getting out of [relegation
trouble].
Curbishley also had a word for Jack Collison, the 19-year-old Wales Under-21
midfielder who was making his full debut but was replaced by Carlton Cole
soon after the goal. "I do feel sorry for Jack Collison. We came here to be
as strong as we can and and brought Jack in to express himself but we never
got a chance for 45 minutes. As soon as the goal went in, I felt I had to
change it. It was disappointing for him but he will get over it."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
United fall short at Bolton - WHUFC
Despite Dean Ashton's best efforts, West Ham United were beaten 1-0 by
Bolton Wanderers on Saturday
12.04.2008
Bolton Wanderers 1-0 West Ham United
West Ham United were frustrated travellers again on Saturday afternoon as
they lost narrowly at relegation-threatened Bolton Wanderers.
Kevin Davies scored the only goal of the game just after half-time to leave
Alan Curbishley's side, who saw Dean Ashton go the closest to earning a
point, still in tenth place. Not even the second-half introduction of
Carlton Cole and Freddie Sears could turn things in the visitors' favour,
meaning they have now not won in the last six trips to the Reebok Stadium.
Alan Curbishley gave Jack Collison his first start with Ashton operating in
a lone striker's role, supported by Luis Boa Morte and Bobby Zamora on the
flanks. Matthew Upson was also back for the first time since 5 March but his
defensive partner Anton Ferdinand appeared to pull a muscle in his leg after
two minutes. John Pantsil came in at right-back with Jonathan Spector pushed
inside.
The versatile US international was needed almost immediately, doing superbly
to read a goalbound header by Davies after the Bolton forward had outjumped
Upson at the back post. The home side went into the contest four points
adrift of safety and were buoyed by that early chance. A number of balls
were played into Robert Green's penalty area with the busy goalkeeper
experimenting with a cap to keep out the sunshine on a clear but chilly day
in the north-west.
Ashton had the first real opportunity on ten minutes with a low shot into
Ali Al Habsi's hands but Bolton looked the most likely. With just over
quarter-of-an-hour played, Jloyd Samuel played a neat one-two with Matthew
Taylor and fired in on Green but the goalkeeper was well placed to save.
Spector and Upson were being kept on their toes with Davies seeing much more
of the ball than Ashton at the other end.
The Bolton forward soon thought he had broken the deadlock with another
header only for Scott Parker to be the United hero this time, flicking the
ball up and away to safety from underneath the crossbar. Talking of heroes,
the travelling faithful were in good voice as usual - not least the small
band of supporters among the 23,043 in the crowd dressed up as comic-book
favourites like Superman and Spiderman.
As the half wore on Andy O'Brien tested Green with a decent header, Ashton's
surging run finished with a shot that flashed wide and Pantsil saw his name
taken for a strong challenge on Davies. Within a minute, the impressive home
striker's frustration was compounded when his flicked header looked certain
to have beaten Green only for El Hadj Diouf to inexplicably help the ball
over the line from an offside position.
The second half began with Davies again shaking his head - but not for long.
With just 32 seconds played, he rose to head goalwards but Green was able to
punch spectacularly over the bar. From the corner, though Davies pounced to
finally put the ball in the net after Spector and Green had collided. Bolton
were on a high and Diouf fizzed one in low that the visiting keeper saved.
By now, Davies was off the pitch getting treatment for a dislocated finger.
Carlton Cole's arrival for Collison livened up the visitors, and within a
minute or two Boa Morte found himself unmarked from 12 yards only for Gretar
Steinsson to block his goalbound shot. Then, Cole knocked down for Ashton to
send an overhead kick in on Al Habsi but the keeper did well to push the
acrobatic effort on to his crossbar and behind for a corner. Bolton were
still a threat though, not least when Davies was given a free header as the
hour approached.
United were offering more in attack but Hayden Mullins spurned a good chance
with a wayward shot. Bolton again had the ball in the net on 66 minutes
through Kevin Nolan after Diouf's shot was saved but he was rightly adjudged
to be offside. That led to the introduction of Sears for Zamora. Ashton then
had a low shot saved before Davies was cautioned for a foul on Pantsil -
earning him a two-match ban for ten yellow cards this season.
As the game entered its final stages, neither keeper was really tested
until the 85th minute when Parker's shot was just tipped behind by Al Habsi.
As Bolton sat back, West Ham United pushed for another opening but the
chance never came.
West Ham United: Green, Spector, Upson, Ferdinand (Pantsil 4), McCartney,
Collison (Cole 50), Mullins, Parker, Boa Morte, Ashton, Zamora (Sears 66)
Subs not used: Walker, Tomkins
Bolton Wanderers: Al Habsi, Samuel, Cahill, A O'Brien, Taylor, Steinsson,
McCann, Campo, Nolan, Diouf, Davies
Subs not used: Walker, Andranik, Cohen, Giannakopoulos, Rasiak
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Youths sign off in style - WHUFC
Ashley Miller was among those on target in a fine home victory to conclude
the Under-18s 2007/08 season
12.04.2008
West Ham United Under-18s 5-0 Birmingham City Under-18s
West Ham United signed off in terrific fashion for the season with a 5-0
victory at home against Birmingham City - although it was not enough to
secure the title.
Triallist Ahmed Abdulla scored twice, schoolboy Connor Okus, Ashley Miller
and Tom Harvey were all on target on a day when three players who have
featured for the U18s this season were involved in the matchday 16 for the
first team up at Bolton Wanderers. While James Tomkins, Jack Collison and
Freddie Sears were otherwise engaged, Tony Carr's team ensured a tremendous
campaign finished on a high note at Little Heath.
Abdulla opened the scoring with a low shot before Okus opened his U18
account with an outstanding effort. Despite usually being involved with the
U16s, he showed great power to surge forward past a defender and then smash
in beyond the visiting keeper. Abdulla, who is hoping to impress after
leaving Arsenal, then got his second with his head to make it 3-0 at
half-time. In the second half, Miller sparked enthusiastic celebrations when
he shot in for his first goal of the season before the in-form Harvey,
capped by England at U16 level, rounded out the scoring.
Arsenal's 1-0 win at home against Bristol City means they have been crowned
champions of Group A of the Premier Academy Reserve League - and they will
now go forward to play Group B winners Aston Villa in the play-offs. The
Gunners, with one game left, are on 55 points while United, without that key
trio for the run-in, have finished on a very creditable 51 points from their
28 games.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Ashton earns fan recognition - WHUFC
Dean Ashton has caught the eye of late with some tireless and effective
performances for the team
12.04.2008
Dean Ashton has spoken of his satisfaction at being voted player of the
month for March in a poll of whufc.com readers.
The West Ham United No9 just edged out Freddie Sears to take the plaudits in
what proved a difficult month for the team but saw him make good personal
progress. Since the turn of the year, Mark Noble was singled out for his
displays in January before Freddie Ljungberg took the honour in February.
Ashton was an obvious choice for many this time around as he has made the
most of a regular run and also added a couple of crucial goals.
He returned to the starting lineup at Tottenham Hotspur and turned in a
hard-working display that saw him spend the second half as a lone striker
with the side down to ten men. He followed that up with a sublime opening
goal in the 2-1 win against Blackburn Rovers before a bullet header earned a
1-1 draw away to Everton. He also nearly produced a fantastic third in a row
in the 2-1 defeat at Sunderland only to hit the post when the game was
goalless.
Thanking supporters for recognising his efforts, Ashton said: "It is great
that they think I am doing well again because I know I haven't perhaps
played up to the standards I set myself before my injury - so it is nice to
hear they feel I am getting back to my best. It coincides with me playing
regularly. Being on the bench is hard because it is a bit stop-start but the
fact I have started the last few games has really helped my football to
flow."
Along with his team-mates, Ashton has particularly enjoyed the extra
enthusiasm provided by Academy graduates like 18-year-old fellow forward
Freddie Sears. "It is enjoyable to play with him. He is a breath of fresh
air which is what this team needs at the moment," Ashton added. "The likes
of him and James Tomkins just want to go out there and play and show what
they can do with no fear or pressure. It shows with how well they are taking
to it all."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Bolton 1-0 West Ham - BBC
By Julian Shea
Kevin Davies earned Bolton three priceless points against West Ham in a
lively encounter at the Reebok Stadium. They should have led by half-time as
Davies saw two headers cleared off the line and El-Hadji Diouf had a goal
ruled out for offside. Davies finally found the net after the break, poking
home after Jonathan Spector had impeded his own goalkeeper. Dean Ashton's
overhead shot tipped onto the bar was West Ham's best chance in a frantic
second half as Bolton held on. The win leaves Wanderers two points behind
Birmingham, who drew at home to Everton, and two points ahead of Fulham who
remain second bottom despite beating Reading. Fulham's victory drags the
Royals to within three points of Bolton who themselves still sit among the
relegation places. Any plans West Ham may have had for the afternoon were
thrown into disarray as early as the first minute, when Anton Ferdinand
limped off with a hamstring injury. This may explain why they seemed so out
of sorts for most of the first half, as the home side dominated without
managing to get on the scoreboard. Davies came close to his 100th career
goal when he got on the end of Jlloyd Samuel's cross from the left, only to
see his goal-bound header cleared from under the bar by Spector. Samuel was
a constant threat on the left, weaving his way through the defence only to
fire straight at Robert Green, before Davies saw another goal-bound header
cleared off the line, this time by Scott Parker. West Ham did not produce a
shot worthy of note in the half, and the first meaningful statistic they
contributed was when John Pantsil earned the first booking of the match for
a clumsy challenge on Davies. From the resulting free-kick by Ivan Campo,
Gavin McCann flicked on to Diouf, who poked in from close range, only to be
denied by the offside flag.
Davies finally racked up his century of goals just after half-time, bundling
home from close range after Green was obstructed by Spector, and this lit
the fuse for a much more exciting second half. Ashton came within inches of
levelling when his stunning overhead shot was superbly tipped onto the bar
Ali Al Hamsi, but the home side hit back when Kevin Nolan pounced on a
dreadful defensive mix-up to put the ball in the net, only to be denied by
an offside flag.
Davies's booking for a foul on Pantsil could prove costly as it earned him a
suspension, and after that he put his efforts into defending Bolton's lead
in the face of a fierce West Ham attack. Bobby Zamora was replaced by
Freddie Sears as the visitors threw everything into attack, but for all
their industry, Parker's shot fumbled behind for a corner was a rare serious
threat to the Bolton goal. The home side dug in to defend in depth and
although they remain in the bottom three and have lost Davies to suspension,
the win will be a massive lift to their self-belief.
. Bolton boss Gary Megson: "The players deserve great credit not just for
the way they played but in the circumstances in which they played because we
didn't just battle, scrap and run and fight we actually played it on quite a
few occasions. "We had maybe three kicked off the line, a couple have gone
down Robert Green's throat which could have gone either side and we've had a
couple of goals disallowed which were touch and go and not a massive amount
came from West Ham."
. West Ham boss Alan Curbishley: "We came here with a patched up side and
then lost Anton Ferdinand through injury in the first five minutes. "Bolton
have played to their strengths and we found that difficult especially in the
first 45 minutes. "The Reebok Stadium is a very difficult place to come to.
"I do not think we got a lot of protection from the referee and I am
disappointed with a few things that went on."
Bolton: Al Habsi, Steinsson, Andrew O'Brien, Cahill, Samuel, Campo, Nolan,
McCann, Taylor, Davies, Diouf. Subs Not Used: Walker, Giannakopoulos,
Teymourian, Cohen, Rasiak.
Booked: Davies.
Goals: Davies 47.
West Ham: Green, Spector, Upson, Ferdinand (Pantsil 4), McCartney, Parker,
Collison (Cole 50), Mullins, Ashton, Zamora (Sears 66), Boa Morte. Subs Not
Used: Walker, Tomkins.
Booked: Pantsil.
Att: 23,043
Ref: Peter Walton (Northamptonshire).
BBC Sport Player Rater man of the match: Robert Green 7.50 (on 90 minutes).
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Curbs curses rough justice - SSN
West Ham boss demands more support from officials
By Chris Harvey Last updated: 12th April 2008
West Ham manager Alan Curbishley felt his side received very little help
from the referee during the 1-0 defeat at Bolton. In spite of Bolton having
two goals disallowed, the Hammers' boss felt official Peter Walton let
Wanderers impose their physical style on the contest. The visitors endured a
torrid afternoon against Kevin Davies as they went down to another away
defeat. "It's a difficult game when you come here (to the Reebok). All you
ask for is a bit of protection but we didn't get a lot," said Curbishley.
"Whenever you play Bolton it's difficult; you complain to officials but it
falls on deaf ears. I'm disappointed with a few things. "You know what to
expect when you come. They work hard here but they get away with
professional things that we all see but referees don't. "Referees have it
difficult when you play Bolton; there's lots of physical contact. Referees,
when they do their homework, need to have a look at one or two things.
"That said you've got to play against it and it is Bolton that have got the
three points. I've no complaints about their effort but the referees don't
give us enough protection. "We were second best in the first half and Bolton
played to their strengths and we struggled to compete with it." The
visitors' cause was not helped by the second-minute loss of centre-back
Anton Ferdinand with a hamstring injury. "Anton's a bit sore at the moment.
Obviously it was a bit of a blow for us so early on in the game," Curbishley
said. "We have been a bit patched up for most of the season and we've come
here a bit patched up again and we have just got to get on with it. "You
come here, you know what to expect and with him going off we had to
reshuffle and Bolton put in a terrific effort in the first 46 minutes. "I
have not seen a team work so hard. They put us under an awful lot of
pressure."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
King Kevin clinches vital win - SSN
Davies goal enough for crucial three points for Wanderers
By Chris Harvey Last updated: 12th April 2008
Kevin Davies inspired Bolton to a precious 1-0 win against West Ham United
which gives Gary Megson's men renewed hope of avoiding relegation.
The imposing frontman tapped home from close range after Kevin Nolan's
corner caused mayhem in the Hammers' box. The home side, who had two goals
disallowed, were good value for their victory although they has to endure
some nervous moments in the second half as Alan Curbishley threw caution to
the wind. Goalkeeper Ali Al-Habsi had to be at his best to deny Scott Parker
and Dean Ashton as Wanderers closed the gap between themselves and safety to
just two points. Prior to the match, a small but vocal group of fans outside
the ground expressed their dissatisfaction with Megson and chairman Phil
Gartside and chanted the name of former boss Sam Allardyce - the man who
brought success to the Reebok Stadium. But they were left to eat their words
after a battling Bolton display. They were in the Hammers' faces from as
early as the second minute. Diouf won a corner off Anton Ferdinand but the
centre-back immediately went down holding his left hamstring. He was unable
to continue and was replaced by John Pantsil, who went to right-back, as
West Ham successfully defended the corner. Bolton almost took the lead in
the sixth minute when a hanging cross from the left was nodded back towards
goal by Davies at the far post and Jonathan Spector, now in the centre of
defence, headed out from under the crossbar.
Collison's first action was to foul Diouf wide on the left but Robert Green
punched Matthew Taylor's inswinging free-kick clear. A well-worked move
between JLloyd Samuel and Matthew Taylor down the left saw the former given
a sight of goal but his shot lacked power and was straight at Green.
Davies' deflected 25-yard shot earned Bolton a 30th-minute left-wing corner
and from Diouf's delivery, the striker nodded powerfully down to the far
post where George McCartney headed over. West Ham's first effort at goal
came in the 38th minute when Ashton broke from midfield only to clip a
left-footed shot straight into the arms of Ali Al Habsi. Pantsil was booked
for a foul on Davies and Campo's free-kick was flicked on to the far post by
Davies where Diouf side-footed home only to be flagged offside. In the first
minute after the interval, another Davies header forced Green to turn the
ball for a corner from which Wanderers took the lead. Spector failed to deal
with Taylor's inswinging delivery inside the six-yard area and Davies
pounced to fire home only his fourth goal of the season and the 100th of his
career.
West Ham's best chance came in the 55th minute when Al Habsi flapped at
Zamora's cross and Luis Boa Morte shot at goal only for Gary Cahill to clear
off the line. Al Habsi then atoned for his error by superbly tipping over
Ashton's overhead kick from the follow-up. Nolan thought he had made it 2-0
in the 65th minute when he scored from close range after Green could only
parry Diouf's shot, but he was offside. Nolan was booked for a foul on
Pantsil late on as Bolton scrapped to hang on to their lead and Al Habsi
made a good low save from Scott Parker to secure victory.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Davies shows a ton of class as Bolton cling on - Daily Mail
Bolton 1 West Ham 0
By JOE BERNSTEIN - More by this author >
Last updated at 22:27pm on 12th April 2008
Match-winner Kevin Davies will have a vital role to play in the next stage
of Bolton's relegation battle even though he is suspended. Manager Gary
Megson is keen to have his popular striker in the dressing room for the
games at Middlesbrough and Tottenham just so his presence can rub off on his
team-mates.
Davo will travel with us. He is one of those characters who is so
influential," said Megson. "There's no doubt he has a huge role to play even
if he can't come out on the pitch." Davies single-handedly dragged Bolton to
their first win in 11 games yesterday to give their chances of Premier
League survival a massive boost. He had two headers cleared off the line and
then scrambled home the 100th goal of his career from close range early in
the second half.
Unfortunately, the downside came 20 minutes from the end when he collected
the 10th league booking of the season for a foul on John Pantsil, earning
him a suspension for Wanderers' next two games. "Every now and again he puts
in a performance like that," said Megson. "He worked his socks off, as he
always does, but led the line with real quality and gave the rest of the
team time to join him. I am really pleased for him that he got the goal. "He
dislocated his finger at one stage, but he's from Sheffield, so it was just
pulled back into place. But his booking was harsh - it wasn't a foul."
This was a Bolton performance that harked back to the days of Sam Allardyce.
"It was vintage Bolton," said beaten manager Alan Curbishley with a grimace.
"We've not had a team work that hard against us all season. "It was a
typical Bolton goal, Kevin Nolan was all over our goalkeeper and we didn't
deal with it."
There were demonstrations against chairman Phil Gartside and Megson before
the game and defeat would have virtually sealed the team's fate. Instead,
they are now only two points behind Birmingham City and the safety of 17th
place after their best display since beating Manchester United at the start
of Megson's reign.
West Ham lost Anton Ferdinand after a few minutes with a hamstring pull and
the visitors never got to grips with Bolton's tenacity. Jonathan Spector and
Scott Parker both cleared off the line from Davies' headers, while El Hadji
Diouf was wrongly adjudged offside when he converted Gavin McCann's flick.
Even so, sympathy for the Senegal forward was neutralised by an outrageous
dive later on when he tangled with Spector. Bolton have struggled to score
since selling Nicolas Anelka in January and must have feared the worst when
West Ham reached the interval level. But the Reebok erupted two minutes
after the restart when Matt Taylor's corner caused mayhem in the West Ham
defence. Robert Green seemed distracted by the presence of Nolan and his own
defender Spector, and the ball fell kindly to Davies, who tucked home only
his fourth goal in 39 games this season. Bolton could not have wished for
more passive opponents that West Ham. As Charlton fans will testify, there
is something about Curbishley's teams that seem to make them think the
season ends in March. It was only after the arrival off the bench of
exciting teenage prospect Freddie Sears that West Ham showed any attacking
teeth.
Dean Ashton had a shot on the turn pushed onto the bar by Ali Al Habsi and
the Bolton keeper then got down low to save from Parker. "It's a massive win
for us and there are a lot of positives," said Megson. With the importance
of Premier League survival paramount, there were signs yesterday of everyone
finally rallying round together. And it is in that spirit that Davies will
travel to support his team-mates at Middlesbrough next Saturday, even though
he cannot play.
BOLTON (4-1-4-1): Al Habsi; Steinsson, O'Brien, Cahill, Samuel; Campo;
Diouf, Nolan, McCann, Taylor; Davies. Subs (not used): Walker, Stelios,
Teymourian, Cohen, Rasiak. Booked: Davies.
WEST HAM(4-5-1): Green; Spector, Upson, Ferdinand (Pantsil 4min), McCartney;
Zamora (Sears 66), Parker, Collison (Cole 50), Mullins, Boa Morte; Ashton.
Subs (not used): Walker, Tomkins. Booked: Pantsil.
Referee: P Walton (Northamptonshire).
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Delight for Davies as Bolton earn vital win
Paul Wilson at the Reebok Stadium
Sunday April 13, 2008
The Observer
'Walking back to Happiness' seemed an odd selection as a warm-up tune for a
team that seemed to be dropping into the Championship, though with three
much needed points - for the first time in 11 games - Bolton are at least
walking towards something.
It could be safety, it could still be relegation, because Bolton won't get
to play teams as accommodating as West Ham every week. But whatever happens,
with supporters mounting a protest against the chairman before kick-off and
three of their remaining four games away from home, happiness at the Reebok
seems a distant memory.
'We're not happy, they're not happy, nobody's happy,' Gary Megson said in
the programme, apparently attempting to get supporters behind the team.
Kevin Davies's winning goal was more effective in that regard, though this
was another terrible game in a Bolton season that has been full of them. The
empty seats around the ground told their own story. Even Bolton fans are
beginning to question the entertainment value.
West Ham fans have been doing that for a while, and Alan Curbishley was not
widely believed when claiming his side had been unable to play because of
the pressure Bolton put them under. Megson was closer to the mark. 'Not a
massive amount came from West Ham,' he said. 'We fully deserved the result,
though. We had two disallowed and two kicked off the line as well as the
goal.'
Megson's main worry now is that his scorer and line leader is suspended for
two matches after picking up a 10th booking. Davies went into this game on
just three goals for the season, which says much about Bolton's optimism -
desperation if you like - in playing him as the main prong of their attack.
West Ham were forced into a defensive reorganisation when Anton Ferdinand
pulled a hamstring after only four minutes, Jonathan Spector moving across
to join Matthew Upson at centre- half. The former Manchester United defender
was in action within seconds, clearing off his own line from a Davies header
after Jlloyd Samuel had crossed. Samuel and Andy O'Brien then had tame
efforts saved by Robert Green.
If this was Bolton fighting for their lives then they needed to fight a
little bit harder. From a corner, Davies came close when his header beat
Green, but Scott Parker was able to head out from under his own crossbar.
Bolton thought they had cracked it five minutes before the interval from
another set piece, Davies meeting Ivan Campo's free-kick and El-Hadji Diouf
steering the ball over the line, but the linesman insisted he had applied
his final touch from an offside position. There was room for doubt on the
matter. Diouf had been offside when the free-kick was played but not when
the final ball was played.
Sad to say, those were the only highlights of a threadbare first half. West
Ham were only sporadically interested, with Dean Ashton playing on his own
up front and looking even less likely than Davies to get among the goals.
Bobby Zamora was initially lively on the right but Parker came closest to
scoring with a shot that rolled a foot wide five minutes before the
interval.
The second half needed to get better, and, from Bolton's point of view, it
did almost immediately. A set piece came to their rescue, enabling Davies to
take his goal tally for the season to four, yet this was not a cunning
wheeze dreamed up by Sam Allardyce and practised for hour after hour on the
training pitch. This was simply a corner whacked over from the right that
Spector kept away from Kevin Nolan but only at the expense of diverting
straight to Davies, who gratefully accepted an easy opportunity to poke the
ball high into the net.
It looked like the Hammers had downed tools again, something Curbishley has
been strenuously denying his teams tend to do once safety is reached. The
manager responded by sending on Carlton Cole. His players responded by
putting together their first two half-decent attacks of the game. Gary
Cahill cleared off the line from Luis Boa Morte, then Ashton saw an overhead
kick tipped over the bar by Ali Al Habsi.
West Ham briefly looked more threatening when Freddie Sears came on. The
youngster set off on a direct run to set up a chance Boa Morte was not quick
enough to accept. Parker was denied just before the end by a fingertip save,
though by that stage a point would have flattered the half-hearted visitors.
In reply, Bolton offered a couple of typical Diouf moments. One was a
shameless attempt to con a penalty out of Spector that the referee correctly
saw through. The other was a tricky run in the penalty area and a cute
backheel that should have left a second goal a formality for someone.
Unfortunately, Diouf turned to find none of his team-mates had bothered to
follow him. It seemed to sum up the situation. Bolton are just not as clever
as they used to be.
Man of the match: Kevin Davies
Hardly head and shoulders above the rest in a match of poor quality, but
Davies scored a goal - the 100th of his career - saw two further efforts
cleared off the line, picked up a booking that will earn him a suspension
and painfully dislocated a finger. No one else on the pitch was that busy.
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Bolton Wanderers 1 West Ham Utd 0: Davies takes command of the air as Bolton
enjoy timely lift - The Independent
Relegation battle takes a twist after Megson's men give themselves hope
By Guy Hodgson at the Reebok Stadium
Sunday, 13 April 2008
Bolton Wanderers, who have seemed destined for the Championship almost since
the season started, gave themselves hope yesterday when they won at home in
the Premier League for the first time since 1 January. Glory be, they even
scored.
The victory puts them to within two points of Birmingham City, who were held
at home by Everton, but, more importantly, it ended a desperate run of one
win in 12 League matches in which they accrued only seven goals. With just
one of their four remaining games at home they are still favourites to get
relegated from the Premier League, but after this there is a chance.
It was a tense afternoon for Bolton, whose nerve seemed destined to shatter
when West Ham United applied belated pressure for the final 15 minutes, but
if any player personified their inclination to fight for their place with
the elite it was Kevin Davies. The striker commanded the air in a manner Nat
Lofthouse would have recognised and had two headers cleared off the line
before he got the winner at the start of the second half.
Davies even had to leave the pitch shortly after he scored to have a
dislocated finger pulled into place, but he came back and was still slogging
through the Reebok going as the lone striker at the end. He left the pitch
to huge applause, looking as weary as a London Marathon runner.
"Kevin battles in every game and works his socks off," his manager Gary
Megson said, "but every now and again he produces a performance like that.
He led the line well on his own, and brought the midfieldplayers into it by
giving us time. I was delighted with Kevin and for Kevin that he got the
goal."
The whole game seemed to revolve around Davies, whose booking for a
dubious-looking foul on John Pantsil means he will miss Bolton's next two
games. He will, as Megson, conceded, be sorely missed.
As early as the sixth minute, with West Ham coming to terms with the loss of
Anton Ferdinand to a hamstring injury , he won a header from Jlloyd Samuel's
cross and was denied a goal only by Jonathan Spector's clearance off his
line as Kevin Nolan charged in.
Davies had another effort headed away from under the bar by Scott Parker in
the 31st minute and he was probably coming round to thinking it was not
going to be his day when his flick-on of Ivan Campo's free-kick nine minutes
later appeared to be heading for the bottom corner when El Hadji Diouf
tapped in from a range of a foot. Whether the "goal" would have stood is
open to debate but Diouf, who was in an offside position, put the matter
beyond doubt.
Davies began the second half as he had finished the first by having a header
tipped on to the bar by West Ham's goalkeeper Robert Green but from the
resultant corner he got the goal his outstanding performance deserved. Matt
Taylor's corner went over his head, but the Hammers provided him with his
first luck of the afternoon when Spector and Green, with Nolan providing
physical encouragement, got in each other's way. The ball rebounded to the
near post and Davies pounced from a range of two feet.
Hitherto, West Ham had been pretty hopeless, but with their supporters
singing "you don't know what you're doing" they roused themselves and almost
got an equaliser after 54 minutes. First Gary Cahill cleared off the line
from Luis Boa Morte then Dean Ashton executed an outstanding overhead kick
and was denied only by an excellent save from Ali Al Habsi, whose touch
diverted the ball on to the bar. Bolton had the ball in the net again after
64 minutes - this time Nolan had strayed offside - but the closing minutes
were wracked with home tension as West Ham pressed for an equaliser.
Fortunately for Bolton, the closest the Hammers came was a low shot from
Parker saved by Al Habsi.
"I've never seen a team work so hard as they did for the first 46 minutes,"
Alan Curbishley, the West Ham manager said. "The first half was vintage
Bolton. They set about us and we couldn't cope with it. They got their
points and they are still there with a chance."
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Kevin Davies gives Bolton new hope - Telegraph
By Duncan White
Last Updated: 1:56am BST 13/04/2008
Bolton Wanderers (0) 1 West Ham United (0) 0
There can hardly have been a performance of greater individual determination
than that by an heroic Kevin Davies. The burly Bolton striker gave a
nostalgic display of traditional centre-forward play that hauled Bolton back
from the lip of the cliff. He scored the winner, had two efforts cleared off
the line, another disallowed by the linesman and watched as an offside El
Hadji Diouf poked his goal-bound effort into the net. It was typical that
when one of his fingers was dislocated he jogged off to have it popped back
in before returning to battle.
"Every now and again he puts in a performance like that," said Bolton
manager Gary Megson. "He puts in a hard-working performance every time, but
today he added a great deal of quality. He led the line well on his own,
brought our midfield players into it and I'm really pleased with, and for,
Kevin that he got the goal."
The only black mark was the harsh -yellow card incurred by Davies for
persistent fouling,- which triggers a suspension as his 10th booking of the
season.
This was the only thinkable result for Bolton, who had gone eight games
without a win. Defeat would have left them adrift but now they sit on
Birmingham's shoulder, just two points behind. They have away games against
Middlesbrough and Tottenham coming up, both sides, like West Ham, with
little left to compete for. Sunderland, poor travellers, are to visit the
Reebok before a last-day trip to Stamford Bridge. Megson must hope they have
done enough by then.
Failure to defeat a demotivated and injury-ravaged West Ham would have been
disastrous. Alan Curbishley's side were profoundly poor, the tone of the
afternoon set when Anton Ferdinand limped off with a hamstring injury after
just four minutes. He was replaced by John Pantsil.
Bolton should have taken the lead in a drab and nervy first half. With the
game in its infancy Jlloyd Samuel hit a deep cross towards the far post,
where Davies met the ball with a precise lobbed header. Jonathan Spector,
who had shifted to centre-back after Ferdinand's withdrawal, headed clear on
the goal-line.
advertisementDavies was also denied on the half-hour, when he leapt to meet
Diouf's in-swinging corner, only for Scott Parker, on the line, to scramble
the ball away. Eight minutes later an angled Ivan Campo free-kick from the
left was flicked towards the far bottom corner by Davies. Diouf made sure it
crossed the line but seemed just offside. It was hugely frustrating for
Bolton.
Catharsis was at hand, though, two minutes into the second half. Matthew
Taylor slung in a corner from the Bolton right and Spector seemed to impede
his own goalkeeper in trying to clear. The ball fell to Davies for a simple
finish.
Curbishley responded by throwing Carlton Cole on for Jack Collison, the
youngster making his full debut, and Fred Sears for Bobby Zamora shortly
after.
West Ham were certainly more lively as a result. Luis Boa Morte had a
goal-bound effort blocked by Gary Cahill and Dean Ashton sent a scissor-kick
crashing against the bar.
Davies was furious with himself for failing to convert a free header from
another Diouf corner and when he finally did find the net, tapping in after
Robert Green had saved from Diouf's swivel shot, he wheeled away to find the
linesman's flag raised.
Football fans' forum
"They deserved their result," Curbishley said. "It was vintage Bolton if you
like and we just couldn't cope with it."
Best moment: Kevin Davies was the best striker on the field but West Ham
forward Dean Ashton showed why he may have an England future when he hit an
acrobatic scissor-kick against the bar, leaving Bolton goalkeeper Ali Al
Habsi rooted to the spot.
Worst moment: When Kevin Davies slid in to tackle West Ham defender John
Pantsil, he seemed to have hooked the ball cleanly. The referee, Peter
Walton, disagreed and produced a yellow card that means the Bolton striker
will miss the next two games.
Man of the match
Kevin Davies (Bolton) 9
Scored one goal from four shots
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Ex-Arsenal prospect Abdulla impressing at West Ham
tribalfootball.com - April 12, 2008
Ahmed Abdulla continues to impress during trials at West Ham United. The
schoolboy struck twice for West Ham U18s in their 5-0 victory over
Birmingham City last week. Abdulla is chasing a Hammers deal after being
released by Arsenal.
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