All the action as it happened as Kevin Keen's table-topping side travelled to west London on Monday
31.03.2008
Barclays Premier Reserve League
Griffin Park
Kick-off: 7pm
Match preview I Table I Fixtures and results
FULL TIME - 3-0
The final whistle goes at Griffin Park. Early goals in each half did the damage from Claudio Pizarro and Fabio Ferreira respectively before substitute Jack Saville wrapped up the home side's win. Kevin Keen's men had won their five previous fixtures but the youngsters on view found it tough going against an experienced team. Despite the scoreline, there was no doubting the effort put in and the likes of Junior Stanislas and Jordan Spence were impressive given they played for the U18s as well just two days ago.
90min - We are playing two minutes of added time. The fourth official had originally put up five minutes on the board much to the crowd's surprise. Cummings has gone down with cramp so there is a break in play.
89min - West Ham United will lose top spot in the southern section of the Barclays Premier Reserve League tonight. Aston Villa have won 1-0 at home against Birmingham City and will go two points clear with two games in hand as well. Keen's men have just two more fixtures to play.
86min - Spence slides in for another tackle. Despite the scoreline, the youngster has worked hard - especially given he was up against Pizarro for much of the contest and also played a full 90 minutes for the U18s on Saturday.
83min - Edgar is fouled by Younghusband in midfield. A chance to get something going but the attack breaks down when Shaun Cummings nips in to deny Collison in an advanced position.
79min - The game is all about long-range shooting now. Stokes has a go from distance but is off target. It was his last contribution as he comes off to be replaced by Oliver Lee.
78min - Di Santo tries his luck from range. Walker parries it to safety.
77min - Sidwell fires wide after Stokes loses possession in the centre circle. Walker was never worried.
75min - GOAL! - Saville scores with his first touch. The replacement meets Younghusband's free-kick with aplomb and gives Walker no chance from close range.
74min - Joe Widdowson is penalised for a foul in a dangerous position. Before the free-kick is taken, Pizarro makes way for Jack Saville.
72min - A chance for Camara to run through but Ivanovic, on his first appearance for Chelsea at any level, is able to get the ball away. The Serbian international is tipped for a bright future having signed in the winter transfer window from Lokomotiv Moscow.
68min - Spence and N'Gala have coped well this half so far with the Chelsea attackers but chances at the other end are still at a premium. Keen's side have been without James Tomkins and Freddie Sears tonight, two players who have done much to help the team to the top of the table before this evening's contest.
65min - Although outnumbered by Chelsea fans, Bubbles rings out around Griffin Park as Stanislas fires in an effort. The No9 followed up after his initial shot was blocked but could only watch as it fizzed wide of the goal.
63min - Daniel Philliskirk, an England youth international signed from Oldham Athletic last summer, is on for Fernandes.
61min - Camara is working hard but has not had much service this evening. The Chelsea midfield have made their superior experience count.
59min - Edgar is on for Kearns.
58min - Pizarro surges forward with Kearns chasing. He feeds Younghusband but his cross goes straight into Walker's grateful grasp.
56min - Kearns wins a corner with more positive play but the set-piece comes to nothing after Stanislas fails to get the ball beyond the man at the near post.
54min - A superb tackle by Collison wins possession in midfield. The captain tracked back well and is working hard against some experienced midfielders. Magnay is off for Chelsea to be replaced by Tom Taiwo.
52min - Fernandes wins a corner after his shot was deflected over by Stokes. Chelsea are piling on the pressure although Walker's comfortable claim brings another attack to an end.
49min - GOAL! - Ferreira makes it two with a low shot that gave Walker no chance. The attacker set himself well to wrongfoot N'Gala before lashing into the corner of the net.
48min - Stanislas wins a corner from Carl Magnay. The West Ham United winger was set away by a good ball from Stokes. Chelsea eventually get the ball away though from the set-piece. A quick Chelsea break is halted by a Kearns foul.
47min - Ryan O'Neill is on for Miller by the way. The half-time change is the only intervention by either manager.
46min - Chelsea get us under way. The home side had the edge in the first half but that was perhaps to be expected by a starting eleven featuring not one youth player as opposed to the visitors, who had the Spence, N'Gala, Miller, Kearns and Stanislas playing for the Under-18s on Saturday.
HALF-TIME: 1-0
45min - Younghusband is fouled on the edge of the area. He takes the free-kick himself and sends it way over Walker's crossbar.
45min - We are playing two minutes of added time.
44min - West Ham United are finishing well, with midfield duo Collison and Hales growing in confidence. Keen will believe his side can come back into it in the second 45 - provided they keep out the Chelsea attackers in the time remaining.
42min - Free-kick won well by Kearns on the left wing. The 16-year-old Northern Irish youth international is growing into the game. Stanislas takes it and yet again he finds his man. This time he picks out N'Gala but the ball drops to a Chelsea defender.
40min - Well played by Stokes in a defensive position. He has dropped back into his more familiar midfield role as the game has worn on, leaving Camara as a lone striker.
38min - Miller is given a talking to by the referee for another foul. The United full-back is certainly up for the challenge. The resulting free-kick is allowed to go all the way through to Walker but the danger is eventually cleared.
36min - Daniel Kearns, a late change in the starting eleven for Anthony Edgar, tracks back well to help clear the danger. Chelsea are soon on the attack again though and a quick break ends with Di Santo just heading over from five yards out.
34min - MIller is adjudged to have fouled Phil Younghusband. The referee tried to play the advantage but brought the play back.
32min - Stanislas is clearly the outstanding performer for the visitors so far and his willingness to take the ball under pressure and beat his man is helping Keen's men work their way back into the contest.
30min - So close from Lee Hales. The midfielder was picked out superbly by Stanislas after he deceived Ivanovic on the right wing. Searle only just managed to tip the ball behind for a corner. From the resulting flag-kick, Stanislas finds Stokes but his header is straight at the grateful goalkeeper.
29min - Delightful play by Stanislas leaves Sidwell in his wake. However, the ball runs to Camara and he is unable to beat Ivanovic.
27min - A brave block by N'Gala stops Di Santo's shot from making it through to Walker. It was a fierce effort and could have troubled the keeper had it gone past.
26min - Pizarro curls one just over the bar after a driving run forward by Sidwell.
24min - Aston Villa, a point behind leaders United with two games in hand, have gone 1-0 up in their match against Birmingham City.
23min - N'Gala tricks his way out of defence with good close skill - he leaves Pizarro and Sidwell in his wake before being fouled.
21min - Collison is up against Steve Sidwell tonight. It will be a good test of the youngster's progress although the Chelsea man perhaps has the upper hand at the moment.
20min - Fabio Ferreira wins a corner on the right wing. From it, Jimmy Walker makes two outstanding saves from close range - the first from Jimmy Smith, the second from the experienced Branislav Ivanovic. The goalkeeper is keeping Kevin Keen's men in it at the moment.
19min - Great save by Walker from Di Santo after a surging break. The goalkeeper did not know that the Chelsea attacker had strayed offside and got a good palm on to the ball from close range.
17min - Di Santo lashes one high and wide after a quick Chelsea counterattack.
16min - Stokes curls one just wide of Searle's goal. In truth, the keeper was never troubled.
15min - Ashley Miller is also shaking his head after a collision of his own with Di Santo. The home side are proving physical.
14min - Chelsea are getting lots of the ball in midfield. A dangerous attack ends with the referee blowing up for a clash of heads involving Spence. The 17-year-old England Under-19 defender is a bit dazed at the moment after the clash with Franco Di Santo.
12min - Good save by Walker to keep out a long-ranger from Pizarro. The international striker is proving a handful.
10min - The corner is taken short but eventually Stanislas crosses for Stokes to head at goal. However, he cannot get any pace on the ball and Searle claims with ease.
9min - Stanislas wins a corner on the left after another driving run up the flank.
7min - GOAL! - Pizarro has time to shoot beyond Walker from the left of goal. The move began with a long ball forward by goalkeeper Stuart Searle and Ricardo Fernandes flicked the ball on just in front of N'Gala into the Peruvian striker's path.
6min - Camara fires over with a half-chance from the edge of the area. It came after good work on the left wing by Junior Stanislas who found Stokes and he in turn laid it off for his strike-partner.
3min - Chelsea hit the ball long looking for Claudio Pizarro but it runs through to Jimmy Walker. The 29-year-old Pizarro will provide a stern test for Jordan Spence and Bondz N'Gala having made his name with Bayern Munich and been capped more than 50 times by Peru.
1min - Captain Jack Collison fires just over the bar with just 34 seconds gone. It came after good play from Camara before the Senegal forward touched the ball back to the on-rushing midfielder.
1min - Tony Stokes and Henri Camara get us under way on a clear evening in west London.
Kick-off
Chelsea: Stuart Searle, Carl Magnay (Tom Taiwo 54), Branislav Ivanovic, Jimmy Smith, Shaun Cummings, Steve Sidwell, Fabio Ferreira, Phil Younghusband, Franco Di Santo, Claudio Pizarro (Jack Saville 74), Ricardo Fernandes (Daniel Philliskirk 63)
Subs: Niclas Heimann
West Ham United: Jimmy Walker, Ashley Miller (Ryan O'Neill 46), Jordan Spence, Bondz N'Gala, Joe Widdowson, Junior Stanislas, Lee Hales, Jack Collison, Daniel Kearns (Anthony Edgar 59), Tony Stokes (Oliver Lee 79), Henri Camara
Subs (from): Adam Street, Tom Harvey, Tony Brookes.
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Carr praises 'terrific' Under-18s - WHUFC
The Academy side are still in with a chance of winning their league this season after an impressive victory
31.03.2008
Tony Carr has paid tribute to his Under-18s after they recorded another fine victory at the weekend with a 4-0 defeat of Reading.
"It was terrific, a really good team performance," said the club's Academy director about the dynamic display at Little Heath on Saturday. "We were short of strikers and we played a triallist Ahmed Abdulla up front and Junior Stanislas off the striker in the hole and it worked really well. Reading are a good team at this level. That is the measure of why I am so pleased because it came against very good opposition."
The victory underlines that there is more to come behind the likes of James Tomkins, Jack Collison and Freddie Sears who have all made the jump to the first team in recent months. Among the next batch are two England Under-19 internationals in blossoming central defender Jordan Spence, who is still only 17, and Stanislas, an attack-minded midfielder who has good ability from set-pieces as well as plenty of pace and skill.
All four goals came in the first half, but Carr was just as delighted with the way his team saw out the contest after the break. "In the second half it was about trying to make sure we didn't concede. We had a couple of good chances, but the job was done really. We were worthy winners." He also singled out 16-year-old goalkeeper Adam Street, who "is having a very good second half to the season" after his fourth clean sheet in five matches as well as an outstanding recent reserve-team bow.
Football at Under-18 level is all about the development of individual players, but United find themselves in with a chance of winning Group A of the Premier Academy League. Arsenal are two points behind the leaders but have four games left compared to West Ham United's two. "We will see what happens," Carr said. "At the end of the day, no matter if we win our last two games they have still got their games in hand and it is how well they do with those.
"We will just have to wait and see. I am more pleased with the performance of the players as I am with the league position. As I have said before, that is more important although the league position gives us that added incentive to keep going right to the end, right to the wire." It is also a key time in the season for youngsters wanting to impress and, having scored on his debut, triallist Abdulla is one who will hope to get more time to shine.
"He has been training for a week, he is only a schoolboy and I put him in to see what he could do. He has come in, worked hard and scored a goal. It is early days for him but he has done well." Similarly, Stanislas also earned plaudits for his goal, which rounded out the scoring after further strikes from Anthony Edgar and Oliver Lee followed Abdulla's opener. "It was an individual effort where he has come inside the edge of the box from the left-hand side and spotted the keeper just off the line and chipped him into the far corner. It was a cheeky goal but it is something you try when you are 3-0 up."
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Winning run ends for reserves - WHUFC
Jimmy Walker and Henri Camara were the only first-teamers on view in a tough test at Chelsea
31.03.2008
Chelsea reserves 3-0 West Ham United reserves
West Ham United reserves' winning run came to a halt at Chelsea on Monday night as the home team's superior strength told in a difficult derby.
Claudio Pizarro, Fabio Ferreira and Jack Saville did the damage for the hosts but the likes of Jordan Spence and Junior Stanislas can take heart from lively displays. The defeat means Aston Villa, who won 1-0 at home against Birmingham City, have now taken top spot in the southern section of the Barclays Premier Reserve League and they still have four games left compared to United's two.
Minute by minute I Table I Fixtures and results
With James Tomkins and Freddie Sears promoted to the first team and only Jimmy Walker and Henri Camara possessing any senior experience, it was always going to be a tough ask for Kevin Keen's men at Griffin Park. While Chelsea had no Under-18s on view and other big names like Branislav Ivanovic and Steve Sidwell in their ranks, the visitors had to play five youngsters who had featured in the Academy's 4-0 win against Reading just two days previously. Furthermore regulars Kyel Reid and Zavon Hines are out on loan
Jack Collison stated United's intent on 34 seconds with a fierce shot that just missed the goal before Camara, on his first appearance since getting a late run-out for the first team against Birmingham City on 9 February, had a similar effort with six minutes gone. Within a minute, though, Chelsea were in front. A long clearance by goalkeeper Stuart Searle was knocked on by Franco Di Santo into the path of Pizarro. The Peru striker made no mistake to the left of goal, rolling his shot beyond the helpless Walker.
Pizarro went close again on 12 minutes while Walker also had to be alert on another occasion to deny the towering Di Santo, the 18-year-old sensation newly arrived from Argentinian football. On 20 minutes, the United keeper did brilliantly with two saves in quick succession, one from Jimmy Smith and the second from Ivanovic, the 24-year-old Serbia defender who is tipped for big things after his January switch from Lokomotiv Moscow.
For all of Chelsea's pressure, Lee Hales very nearly equalised on the half-hour mark after good work by Stanislas. A delightful chip looked a certain goal until Searle managed to stretch and tip the ball behind to safety. Di Santo then went close on 36 minutes with a free header but contrived to miss the target from close range. Keen's men finished the half as they had begun it but the home side remained in front at the interval.
Within four minutes of the restart, Ferreira made it two with a low shot that gave Walker no chance. The attacker set himself well to wrongfoot Bondz N'Gala before lashing into the corner of the net and the strike all but ended the away side's hopes of getting something from the game. With Sidwell beginning to pull the strings despite the best efforts of captain Collison, Chelsea were able to remain a threat. That said, Northern Irish youth international Daniel Kearns got a valuable hour at this level while Stanislas did really well midway through the half to work an opening before firing just wide.
Chelsea finally made it 3-0 on 75 minutes with Saville heading in with his very first touch - just 12 seconds after entering the fray. The remaining minutes saw only half-chances for both teams from distance on a heavy pitch that had begun to take its toll on the young legs. The likes of Spence, with a couple of good late challenges, will have learned much from a difficult defeat that, taken in context, will do much for their future development.
Chelsea: Stuart Searle, Carl Magnay (Tom Taiwo 54), Branislav Ivanovic, Jimmy Smith, Shaun Cummings, Steve Sidwell, Fabio Ferreira, Phil Younghusband, Franco Di Santo, Claudio Pizarro (Jack Saville 74), Ricardo Fernandes (Daniel Philliskirk 63)
Sub not used: Niclas Heimann
West Ham United: Jimmy Walker, Ashley Miller (Ryan O'Neill 46), Jordan Spence, Bondz N'Gala, Joe Widdowson, Junior Stanislas, Lee Hales, Jack Collison, Daniel Kearns (Anthony Edgar 59), Tony Stokes (Oliver Lee 79), Henri Camara
Subs not used: Adam Street, Tom Harvey, Tony Brookes.
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Marathon effort from Potts - WHUFC
You can still back former defender Steve Potts as he gears up for the London Marathon on Sunday week
01.04.2008
The arrival of April has seen Steve Potts step up his preparation for this month's London Marathon.
The former West Ham United defender, who spent 17 years at the club, is running the Sunday 13 April race on behalf of a worthy cause. "I want to raise as much money for Children with Leukaemia as I possibly can," he said. "And hopefully, the generosity of the West Ham United supporters can help me to achieve that."
Potts, now 40, played 506 league and cup games for the club after making his debut on New Year's Day 1985. His 17 years in the first-team reckoning at the Boleyn Ground stand him in ninth place in the club's all-time appearance charts. The 1993 Hammer of the Year began his training in January and has gradually increased the mileage as the big day approaches - but whatever the difficulties of the training regime, he remains focused.
"Leukaemia is a terrible illness and I've seen how it affects children, who have to endure painful chemotherapy, hair loss and all the other horrible side-effects. It's three-and-a-half years of treatment, which is very daunting and it's a very long road to recovery. This is now a great opportunity for me to try and do my little bit to raise some money to help these kids and, ultimately, to try and find a cure."
To make a donation, please visit: www.bmycharity.com/pottsy or send donations to: Steve Potts, London Marathon c/o Children with Leukaemia, 51 Great Ormond Street, London, WC1N 3JQ. Cheques should be made payable to 'Children with Leukaemia'.
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Blown it - KUMB
Filed: Monday, 31st March 2008
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United's reserves all but blew their chances of winning the league after suffering a heavy defeat against Chelsea tonight. The Hammers, who went into the game a point clear at the top of the Premier Reserve League South went down 3-0 at Brentford's Griffin Road ground whilst a 1-0 win for title challengers Aston Villa at home to near neighbours Birmingham saw them go two points clear at the top - with two games in hand on Kevin Keen's team.
United were up against it from the start as lowly Chelsea - who started the evening just two places off the bottom of the Premier Reserve League South - featured first team stars Steve Sidwell and Claudio Pizarro. The Blues took the lead after just seven minutes when Stuart Seale's long goal kick was knocked on by Franco Di Santo into the path of Pizarro who finished from close range. That lead was doubled four minutes into the second half when Fabio Ferreira's shot somehow found its way through a crowd of players into the back of Jimmy Walker's net. The final blow was struck 16 minutes from time when substitute Saville (on for Pizarro) converted Phil Younghusband's free kick from close range. The defeat - watched by first team manager Alan Curbishley - almost certainly end United's chances of lifting the title, although this season's efforts will certainly have caught the eye of the Hammers boss who has pledged to feature more of his young stars in the first team before the end of the season.
West Ham United: Walker, Miller (O'Neill 46), Spence, N'Gala, Widdowson, Stanislas, Hales, Collison, Kearns (Edgar 58), Stokes (Lee 78), Camara.
Subs not used: Street, Harvey, Brookes.
Chelsea: Searle; Magnay (Taiwo 54), Ivanovic, Smith, Cummings; Ferreira, Sidwell, Younghusband, Fernandes (Philliskirk 62); Di Santo, Pizarro (Saville 73).
Subs not used: Heimann.
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Ferdinand: we can't blame injuries - WHUFC
Filed: Monday, 31st March 2008
By: Staff Writer
Anton Ferdinand has insisted that a series of injuries were not responsible for Saturday's 2-1 defeat at Sunderland. The Hammers lost four players - George McCartney, Carlton Cole, John Paintsil and Freddie Ljungberg - at various points during the match to injury. But the centre-half, talking on WHUTV admitted that the team should still have taken something from the match despite being forced to make several re-shuffles during the match. "I thought we defended well; It was a cruel way to lose the game but that's football," he mused. "But I thought the boys played well and we should have come away with at least a point. We're professionals and we've got to get on with it - we can't blame injuries all the time. But we've got to work hard so that if there are injuries the people coming off the bench know what's going on."
Ferdinand also revealed that he felt the turning point in the game was SUnderland's equaliser, which cancelled out Freddie Ljungberg's 18th minute opener.
"We stopped passing the ball, switching the play, keeping the ball," he added. "We had a bad five minutes after we scored and they got back into it. "If we had gone in 1-0 up at half time I think it would have been a different story." Meanwhile Alan Curbishley has claimed that he is once again down to the proverbial 'bare bones' ahead of the visit of Portsmouth next Tuesday. "The injury list is chronic," he moaned. ""We have got a bit of a break and then they come thick and fast again - but I can't tell you who I've got fit and available for the next game. It has been the story of the season."
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Sears returns - KUMB
Filed: Monday, 31st March 2008
By: Staff Writer
Alan Curbishley says that Freddie Sears should be fit enough to face Portsmouth at the Boleyn next Tuesday. The 18-year-old striker missed Saturday's defeat at lowly Sunderland after being the latest Hammer to suffer a 'groin strain' (even though he showed no signs of it when leaving the pitch at Goodison Park a week earlier). "Freddie should be okay for the next game," confirmed Curbishley. "He nearly made it [at Sunderland] but we didn't think he was worth risking." However there is more bad news elsewhere on the injury front; Freddie Ljungberg could be out for the rest of the season after pulling a hamstring in the closing stages of Saturday's game, whilst Carlton Cole (foot) and John Paintsil (concussion) are also likely to miss next week's game. However there was some good news as Dean Ashton, who went down late on at the Stadium of Light clutching the ankle that kept him out for a year has reported no further problems.
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Hammers line up bid for Lazio star Behrami - Daily Mail
Last updated at 17:11pm on 31st March 2008
West Ham are set to launch a summer raid for Lazio midfielder Valon Behrami. The Swiss international, who is yet to sign a new contract with the Italian club, has been linked with a move in recent weeks. And West Ham, who recently appointed Italian Gianluca Nani as Director of Football, are currently in pole position to sign the 22-year-old. Behrami, previously with Lugano and Genoa, is expected to be included in the Switzerland squad for this summer's European Championship Finals.
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West Ham look set to sign £2m youngster - CaughtOffside.com
March 31, 2008
Alan Curbishley appears to be stepping up his interest in Ipswich youngster Danny Haynes. West Ham United are stepping up their chase for Ipswich attacker Danny Haynes, the £2m target is also on Birmingham's radar (various) Haynes would be a useful addition to the Hammers ranks that have been boosted by the recent injection in youthful talent as Curbs looks to test how his teenage stars cope as the season draws to a close. Clearly if Ipswich fail to win promotion then the deal seems far more likely as the 20 year old attacked clearly wants to make the step up to the Premier League.
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Villa plan bid for West Ham fullback Paintsil
tribalfooball.com - March 31, 2008
According to a report in The Mirror, Aston Villa boss Martin O�Neill is considering making a move for the Ghanaian international fullback, John Paintsil.
Paintsil has fallen out of favour at West Ham United, since the arrival of current coach Alan Curbishley. Though the Hammers currently have a number of players out due to injury, the player still can't find a guaranteed starting place, and although things are slowly beginning to change, he may yet find himself surplus to requirements. Yet despite the situation, the player has hinted that he could remain at the club next season and has even promised fans that the team would bounce back next year. "We�ve had a fresh start this season. I think West Ham will be the team to watch out for next season, " Paintsil said.
"Motivation is not a problem. We�ve got a lot of injuries in the team and we've lost a lot of experienced players as well, but those who are playing are showing a lot of character on the pitch."
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West Ham trials for Abdulla
tribalfooball.com - March 31, 2008
West Ham United have handed trials to schoolboy Ahmed Abdulla. Abdulla struck in this week's 4-0 defeat of Reading U18s and academy boss Tony Carr told whufc.com: "He has been training for a week, he is only a schoolboy and I put him in to see what he could do. He has come in, worked hard and scored a goal. It is early days for him but he has done well."
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West Ham to launch a bid for Lazio midfielder Valon Behrami - The Mirror
1/04/2008
West Ham are set to launch a summer raid for unsettled Lazio midfielder Valon Behrami. The Swiss international has yet to sign a new deal with the Italian club - and the Hammers, who recently appointed Italian Gianluca Nani as director of football, are in pole position to sign the 22-year-old.
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Curbishley praises Hammers defender Ferdinand
By Guardian-series
WEST Ham boss Alan praised Anton Ferdinand following Saturday's defeat at Sunderland. The 23-year-old has taken up the role as the senior player in a Hammers back line hit by injuries to Matty Upson, Danny Gabbidon, James Collins and Calum Davenport. He partnered both Jonathan Spector and James Tomkins in the 2-1 defeat at the Stadium of Light, and Curbishley said: "I think Anton has done great, to be honest. "We started off with Spector there, then Tomkins has had to come on and Specs has gone to left-back then right-back. "We were pulling people all over the place and filling in and, to be fair, I thought we did it well enough to get a point. "It's been very difficult - you can see the disruption."
The Hammers looked like they had battled their way to a hard-earned point before Andy Reid struck the Black Cats winner six minutes into stoppage time.
And that after Freddie Ljungberg had been stretchered off to leave the Irons - who had already made three substitutions - down to ten men in the remaining ten minutes. However, the Irons boss was still not best pleased with conceding so late in the match. "The nature of the goal in the end, in the last minute with 30 seconds to go, we allowed Reid to get in between two people and it was clearable. So we're very disappointed," said Curbishley, who also saw John Pantsil, George McCartney and Carlton Cole all withdraw injured early from the action. "In the second half they put a lot of pressure on us without creating much. "They had a good chance with 10 minutes to go but I thought we'd got a point."
On the injuries, he added: "It has just been the story of the season - lots of people have been out in injured long-term and the players that have been playing have had to play every week without a break and we've took another couple of injuries. "Everyone can see, if they care to look at the back of the programme, the problems we've had. "Great credit to the players that have been playing. I've got no complaints."
While Gabbidon, Collins and Davenport are out for the season, Upson - who has been missing for for four games with a calf injury - could be back in contention for the Premier League encounter with Portsmouth at Upton Park next Tuesday. "We'll have to see if Upson will be right for Portsmouth," said Curbishley. "We don't want to put anyone at risk so we'll just have to see what we've got."
4:57pm Monday 31st March 2008
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