Aston Villa 0-0 West Ham United
17.01.2010
Aston Villa v West Ham United
Barclays Premier League
Sunday 17 January 2010
Kick-off: 1.30pm
Referee: Mike Jones
Full-time score - Aston Villa 0-0 West Ham United
96 mins - We are now in the 96th minute. Surely there cannot be much longer
to go? Young launches the ball into the box and Green claims again. He boots
the ball upfield and referee Jones blows for full-time! That is a very
well-deserved point for the Hammers, who will return to action at Portsmouth
a week on Tuesday. Robert Green turns 30 tomorrow, and he has plenty to
celebrate after a superb performance and his fourth clean sheet of the
season.
94 mins - Less than a minute to go and the ball is in the hands of Green,
who saved Agbonlahor's shot with his face! Tomkins is down and needs
attention. While he gets some help from physio Rolls, Nouble is replaced by
Manuel da Costa.
92 mins - Brilliant from Robert Green. Agbonlahor got in behind the Hammers
back four but the England goalkeeper was out like a shot to dive bravely at
the forward's feet and prevent him from scoring his tenth goal of the
season.
91 mins - Downing overhits the free-kick...
90 mins - Stanislas is penalised for a foul on Young wide on the right.
We're going to have a minimum of four minutes.
89 mins - The ball bounces around in the midfield and Stanislas launches
into a tackle with Petrov. After a short melee, both players are booked,
Stanislas for the foul and Petrov for his reaction.
88 mins - Collison wins a corner wide on the left. Good work from the Wales
midfielder. Stanislas trots across to take it. Villa clear their lines.
87 mins - Faubert slides in to concede another corner. Young crosses and the
ball flies up in the air to Downing. He heads goalwards but cannot repeat
his trick for Middlesbrough last season as Green easily catches the loose
ball.
85 mins - West Ham break again through Behrami. The ball goes to Stanislas,
who finds Diamanti. Warnock blocks the Italian's shot into the air and
Behrami challenges Friedel before ending up in a heap on the floor. After a
short period, Jones stops the game for the midfielder to receive treatment.
82 mins - Superb from Nouble, who cleverly turns Collins and bursts down the
left wing, outpacing his former team-mate with ease before Dunne makes a
last-ditch challenge. Nouble is only 18, remember, but he's played like a
real man today. Can he cap his display with a dramatic winner?
81 mins - Diamanti swings in a free-kick after Nouble had been hauled down
by the Spaniard Cuellar. The ball breaks to Noble, but his first-time volley
flies well wide.
79 mins - Ooooh! Close call there. Nouble tried to break the Villa offside
trap and latch on to Noble's pass, but he is just a yard the wrong side of
Cuellar.
76 mins - A second booking for a West Ham player. Collison is the man booked
and he can have no complaints after hauling down Petrov. Downing crosses and
Dunne heads out for a goal-kick... Or so I thought. Jones gives a corner!
West Ham, thankfully, clear the ball.
74 mins - Green almost ruins all his good work when Carew forces him to gift
possession to Agbonlahor. The winger crosses to Petrov, but Tomkins makes a
heroic block to get his goalkeeper off the hook.
73 mins - Superb play from Nouble as he forces Dunne into conceding a
corner. The ball is worked to Stanislas, who shoots and it takes a BIG
deflection off Carew, only for referee Jones to award a goal kick.
Interesting.
71 mins - Nouble finds Diamanti with a clever pass. The Italian shows great
vision to pick out Stanislas on the far post. He takes a touch and shoots
low across the six-yard box where Collins slices the ball over his own
crossbar. The resulting corner is not great. Diamanti tries to repeat the
trick to Stanislas 25 yards out, but the winger completely misses his kick!
69 mins - West Ham have a decent bit of possession around the Villa box that
ends with Faubert crossing low and Collins hacking the ball into the stand.
West Ham work the throw-in to Diamanti in a central position, but his shot
is not well hit and rolls out for a goal kick.
67 mins - Both sets of fans are trying to get their respective teams going
as the game enters its final quarter. For some reason, the floodlights are
on! There is not a single cloud in the sky over Villa Park. Faubert is
penalised for handball and Villa have a free-kick wide on the left. Young
curls it in, Faubert heads half-clear and Dunne knocks the ball out for a
goal kick.
65 mins - Scott Parker has an ice-pack strapped to his upper leg. Let's hope
that it's nothing serious. On the pitch, Diamanti wins a free-kick midway
inside the Villa half. Noble clips it in and Downing completes the
clearance.
63 mins - Villa break down the left and the ball is worked to Agbonlahor
inside the penalty area. He has time to turn and shoot, but his effort is
high over the crossbar. That was a let-off.
63 mins - More good work from Nouble, who has worked his socks off today.
Noble finds him wide on the left and he cuts inside Collins before testing
Friedel with a low shot at his near post.
62 mins - Kovac is the second Hammer to be replaced, with Junior Stanislas
on in his place. Noble is going to hold in midfield.
60 mins - More controversy! Downing shoots low and hard and Green cannot
hold on, Carew nips in and clips the ball into the net, but wait, the
offside flag is up. Replays show it is the right decision from the assistant
referee.
59 mins - Kovac is very, very lucky to stay on there. After being booked
before the break, he slides in and brings down Petrov. Referee Jones gives
just a free-kick.
58 mins - West Ham clear the ball again and it falls to Collins, who hits a
first-time volley from 25 yards that flashes wide.
57 mins - It is Parker who is coming off, with Diamanti heading on in his
place. Behrami goes into the middle, with Diamanti wide on the right and
Collison wide on the rigth. Villa also make a change, with Norway striker
John Carew on for Heskey.
56 mins - Villa keep up the pressure, with Downing's shot deflected over for
another corner. West Ham half-clear and Milner smashes the ball across the
box where Cuellar can only sky his shot into the stand.
54 mins - Scott Parker turns away from two Villa players and tries to find
Collison but his pass is too strong and skips through to Friedel. On the
touchline, it looks like Diamanti is about to enter the fray. Villa win
another corner, meanwhile, which is headed clear by Behrami at the near
post.
53 mins - A chance for the Hammers goes begging. Spector races on to Noble's
pass and cuts the ball back into the penalty area. It hits Nouble and
bounces to Behrami, who tries to find the unmarked Kovac, but his pass goes
astray and Villa clear.
51 mins - Villa have really turned up the heat since half-time and win
another free-kick down the right when Spector clashes with Young. The same
player curls in the set piece and it eludes Dunne's head before bouncing
behind off Collins's shin.
49 mins - A second corner flashes across the goalmouth before the ball falls
to Downing. Green kicks clear after grabbing the ball but it falls to Villa
again. Agbonlahor and Heskey combine to find Milner, who smashes a low shot
inches wide of the post.
48 mins - Villa have started the second half as they ended the first,
forcing a succession of corners. The first is cleared, but West Ham cannot
get hold of the ball for any length of time at present.
46 mins - West Ham get the second half underway courtesy of Nouble and
Collison... There are two balls on the pitch! A ballboy runs on to retrieve
one with play going on about ten yards away! Play resumes with a West Ham
throw-in.
Villa are the first of the two teams to emerge after half-time. They will be
kick towards the Holte End in the second half. Let's hope that doesn't
inspire them on to victory. Matthew Upson leads the Hammers back on to the
pitch.
Half-time score - Aston Villa 0-0 West Ham United
46 mins - Downing finds Young, who is also wearing bright green boots, down
the left channel. Tomkins challenges him strongly and the ball hits the
Villa player and bounces out for a goal kick. Green belts the ball long and
referee Jones blows for half-time.
45 mins - We are going to have at least one more minute...
44 mins - Petrov tries a crossfield ball to Young that Faubert can only
divert out for Villa's eighth corner of the half. After a spot of juggling,
Green holds on again.
43 mins - Danger for West Ham as Tomkins is penalised for a foul on
Agbonlahor RIGHT on the edge of the penalty area. Young curls the ball in
and Green claims.
42 mins - Warnock overlaps brilliantly again, latching on to Young's pass,
but he overhits his cross terribly after cutting into the Hammers box.
40 mins - Two impressive pieces of defending. First, Spector blocks a shot
well before Faubert shields Young's pass to Milner out for a goal kick.
36 mins - Milner goes out to the left touchline to receive a throw-in and
curls it into the box with his left foot, only for Heskey to miss his kick.
35 mins - Green does superbly again, diving like Superman to punch Young's
cross out of danger. The ball is launched back into the penalty area and
Spector heads it out for a corner. After Young's first effort is headed out
for another flag-kick, Downing curls the second in and Collins heads well
wide.
33 mins - West Ham go forward again through Parker, who tries to play in
Collison, only for Cuellar to cut across and stab the ball out for a
throw-in.
32 mins - Noble curls the corner in and it flicks off a head to Parker on
the edge of the box. He works the ball to Collison, who finds Behrami, but
the Swiss midfielder's first-time shot is high into the Holte End.
31 mins - West Ham try to break and Collison is fouled. Kovac takes the
free-kick quickly to Noble, who is tackled by Dunne. West Ham keep up the
pressure from the resulting throw-in and Nouble wins a corner off Dunne.
29 mins - Good from Green again. Downing found Young wide on the left, who
rolled the ball to Warnock, whose teasing cross was expertly plucked out of
the air by the England stopper.
28 mins - All of that action did not take place in the 26th minute, so I
apologise, but it all got a bit breathless for a few moments and I was
trying to keep up!
26 mins - Villa force another left-wing corner when Tomkins blocks a shot
from former England U21 colleague Milner. After Noble intercepts the ball,
Nouble breaks and beats two, only to lose the ball on the edge of the Villa
box. The home side come forward immediately and Green scambles the ball
clear. Kovac knocks it out for a throw-in and Green pulls off a marvellous
save from Agbonlahor, whose shot on the turn looks destined for the net.
25 mins - Petrov tries to send Agbonlahor clear with a raking ball from just
inside his own half, but Upson watches it closely and clears with his left
foot on the edge of the penalty area.
23 mins - Downing and Young have swapped flanks. The two England
internationals do that often for O'Neill, providing in-swinging crosses that
have proved hard for their opponents to deal with.
20 mins - Villa win another free-kick inside West Ham territory, this time
for Upson's foul on Agbonlahor. Young curls in an inviting ball and Faubert
hacks it behind. Villa take the corner short and Kovac heads clear. The
hosts win possession back and force another corner when Tomkins blocks
Heskey's shot. Young curls the ball into the danger zone and Spector dives
in bravely ahead of Green to head clear.
18 mins - Poor old Kovac! Milner takes the free-kick and it hits him square
in the face. Physio Andy Rolls comes on to have a quick look, but Kovac
looks OK to continue. After a few seconds, he returns to the fray.
17 mins - Kovac is booked for next to nothing. He outmuscles Heskey, who
falls to the ground. Not only does the referee give a dubious free-kick, but
he compounds the decision by showing the Czech a yellow card. Not sure about
that one.
16 mins - A first half-chance for Villa. Nice play from Milner and Wanock
down the left ends with the left-back launching a deep cross to the back
post. Downing heads the ball down and Green falls on it at his near post.
14 mins - There are quite a few empty seats around Villa Park this
afternoon, which is a bit disappointing, but perhaps to be expected when you
consider the game is being shown live on television. Those inside the ground
are not making too much noise, either. That is mainly because West Ham are
doing a good job of stifling the home side, so far.
12 mins - Tomkins gets in a challenge on Agbonlahor and concedes a corner.
Young whips the ball in and Green claims above his head.
10 mins - A nice bit of possession football there from the Hammers, but
shame about the finish! Behrami and Faubert combine to find Collison, who
gives the ball to Parker. The less said about his shot, the better...!
9 mins - Nouble needs to do more of that today. He is playing up front on
his own and will have to hold the ball up and bring his team-mates into
play. Manager Zola appears happy enough so far in his seat in the dugout.
O'Neill, meanwhile, is on the edge of his technical area with his arms
folded.
7 mins - Heskey goes down in the midfield and needs the physio on for some
treatment. After a few running repairs, he is back on the field again.
5 mins - Amazing run from Nouble, who picks up the ball 20 yards inside his
own half before going past Collins and Dunne and bursting into the box
before, unfortunately, skying his shot well over the top under pressure from
Petrov.
5 mins - A lot of 'feeling out' in midfield so far, with Villa controlling
possession. The home side force a succession of throw-ins down the right
flank.
3 mins - Those clouds I was talking about before kick off have almost
completely disappeared. So much for my weather forecasting...
1 min - Heskey flicks on a long ball and Agbonlahor is caught offside.
Tomkins is going to have to keep a close eye on the lightning-quick England
man, who is Villa's top scorer with nine goals this term.
1.31pm - The minute's silence was immaculately observed by both sets of
players and fans, as one would expect. Moments later, Villa get us
underway...
1.29pm - Referee Mike Jones goes through the coin toss and photocall with
the mascots before calling the two teams together for the minute's silence.
1.26pm - The home fans are very quiet, with just a gently murmur moving
around the stands surrounding us. Across the pitch, the Hammers faithful are
in full voice as usual as the two teams enter the field of play.
1.25pm - We're going to have a minute's silence before today's game in
memory of those who perished in the attack on the Togo team coach at the
Africa Cup of Nations. Villa midfielder Moustapha Salifou was among the
players on the bus and, thankfully, escaped injury.
1.20pm - Villa Park is a proper old-fashioned football stadium, a bit like
the Boleyn Ground, with four stands rather than an enclosed arena. The Holte
End is absolutely massive to our right. The West Ham fans are sat directly
opposite us in the Doug Ellis Stand. Villa's players have headed back to
their dressing room, with Valon Behrami the first Hammer to follow them down
the tunnel. The Switzerland midfielder is sporting a bright blond rinse this
afternoon. The small television screens in the Press Box, meanwhile, are
showing an interview with Alessandro Diamanti. The Italian certainly has
some impressive tattoos!
1.15pm - The sun is shining bright over Villa Park, but the grey clouds are
gathering, so the weather might not be set fair for too long. On the pitch,
the West Ham squad is being put through its paces by Antonio Pintus. The
stadium announcer has just told us that James Collison is starting for the
Hammers, whoever he is...
Good afternoon from a bright but chilly Villa Park for this afternoon's
Barclays Premier League fixture between Aston Villa and West Ham United.
The Hammers will rise to 14th in the table with a win, while a draw will
lift Gianfranco Zola's side two places into 16th. Martin O'Neill's team are
sixth, with a two-goal win lifting the Villans to fifth.
Gianfranco Zola's side have not been in league action since going down to a
2-0 defeat by Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane on 28 December. Following
a 2-1 FA Cup third-round loss to Arsenal on 3 January, last Sunday's home
fixture with Wolverhampton Wanderers fell victim to the cold weather.
Zola has made four changes to the side that was narrowly beaten by the
Gunners a fortnight ago. At the back, Jonathan Spector replaces Swiss
Under-19 defender Fabio Daprela at left-back. The three other changes are in
midfield, with Alessandro Diamanti, Luis Jimenez and Junior Stanislas making
way for the suspension-free Scott Parker, Mark Noble and Jack Collison.
Former Hammer James Collins starts for Aston Villa, who make one change,
with goalkeeper Brad Guzan being replaced by fellow American Brad Friedel.
Aston Villa: Friedel, Cuellar, Collins, Dunne, Warnock, A.Young, Petrov,
Milner, Downing, Agbonlahor, Heskey (Carew 57)
Subs: Guzan, Beye, L.Young, Sidwell, Delph, Delfouneso
West Ham United: Green, Faubert, Tomkins, Upson, Spector, Kovac (Stanislas
62), Behrami, Parker (Diamanti 57), Noble, Collison, Nouble (Da Costa 90)
Subs: Kurucz, Daprela, Jimenez, Sears
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Green's day at Villa
WHUFC.com
Robert Green produced an unbeatable display as West Ham United secured a
point at Aston Villa
17.01.2010
West Ham United ensured they made an unbeaten Barclays Premier League start
to the new decade after a brave goalless draw at Villa Park. Robert Green
was key to the visitors securing the point, producing a string of fine stops
as the Hammers moved up two places to 16th in the table. For the second game
in a row, Frank Nouble was handed the lone striker role in a 4-5-1 formation
and he so nearly marked his first league start with a breathtaking goal
after just five minutes. In a forty-yard run, he outsprinted former
team-mate James Collins before beating Richard Dunne but, sadly, could not
apply the finish the move deserved as he smashed his shot over the crossbar
under pressure from Stiliyan Petrov Radosalv Kovac was shown an early yellow
card by referee Mike Jones for a tackle on Emile Heskey, although he
appeared to win the ball. The Czech midfielder felt the force of James
Milner's effort from the resulting free-kick as it struck him flush in the
face. After a quick shake of the head the 30-year-old was soon back on his
feet.
Ashley Young had scored a spectacular goal in the side's first meeting
earlier in the season and he came close to repeating the trick again in the
27th minute, but this time, however, Green was able to push his effort away
from goal to safety. The England man then made his second great save within
a minute as showed lightening reflexes to acrobatically push away Gabriel
Agbonlahor's shot from ten yards out. Villa were turning the heat up and
Green was forced to again show his full range of goalkeeping skills by
confidently claiming a dangerous Stephen Warnock centre two minutes later.
The hosts continued to apply the pressure after coming out of the traps
strongly in the second half and Milner's rasping drive was just inches wide
of Green's left-hand post. The Hammers had looked threatening on the break
and they had a great chance to take the lead in the 53rd minute from a
counter-attack, but Valon Behrami's cut back was just behind Kovac. Cuellar
blazed another good opening over the bar before both managers opted for a
change apiece. For the visitors, Alessandro Diamanti replaced Scott Parker
and the hosts swapped Heskey for Carew. The Villa substitute thought he had
given his side the lead with virtually his first touch just past the hour
mark when he prodded home a rebound, only for the celebrations among the
majority of 35,646 people present - who had impeccably observed a minute's
silence in respect of those killed in the attack on the Togo team coach
before the game - to be instantly muted by the referee assistant's flag for
offside.
Kovac escaped with just a talking to from Jones for another late tackle
before Zola replaced him with Junior Stanislas. Nouble was certainly
enjoying his chance to shine and was a constant thorn in the side of the
home defence. In one attack, he beat Collins for pace and skill once more
before forcing Brad Friedel into a low save at his near post. Collins came
come close to marking his second game against his former club with an
unwelcome own goal, but his sliced clearance from Stanislas' centre went
just over. Villa's corner count was mounting but Green was not really being
tested, although he had James Tomkins to thank for a brave block from
Petrov's shot. Soon after, Jack Collison was carded for pull on the
Bulgarian. Green ensured he picked up a clean sheet as an early present
ahead of his 30th birthday on Monday by the best save of the lot in the
dying minutes, when the threw himself at the feet of Agbonlahor. West Ham
tried to force a winner but could not fashion a chance of note, with only
yellow cards for Stanislas and Carlos Cuellar following an altercation worth
noting. The Hammers have a free weekend in seven days' time before the
crucial trip to Portsmouth the following Tuesday, where more dogged
defending will be very much appreciated.
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Cole grateful for Zola support
WHUFC.com
Gianfranco Zola has been a big influence on Carlton Cole as he looks to a
playing return
15.01.2010
Carlton Cole has praised the support of Gianfranco Zola as he looks to a
playing return in the near future. The England striker has stepped up his
work this week and joined in with the rest of the squad on Friday morning
for part of their session. With the manager talking positively at his media
engagements about the 26-year-old's efforts to aid the cause, Cole said such
backing played a big part in his determination to come back as soon as
possible. "Mister has been very positive as usual," Cole said. "He always
is. He talks to me all the time, sees how I am doing. He is always positive
and that's great. He is a major influence on me and I owe him a lot. That
attention has helped make me a better player and person as well. He's very
good with all of that."
Cole has not played since 28 November after limping out of the 5-3 win
against Burnley with a knee injury. He has been a constant presence at
Chadwell Heath ever since, arriving early and leaving late in a bid to get
back. "I have come through the difficult bit. "Now I have got to get my
cardio work up and things like that. I want to make sure I am 100 per cent
ready and not still catching up with anything when called upon. "It's a
relief as well that I didn't need an operation when I got my injury. I have
been able to work on getting back and get over the injury without an
operation. It just shows the staff here at West Ham have been working hard
to get me fit and they have helped me to get where I am."
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Losing start for Holmar
WHUFC.com
Holmar Orn Eyjolfsson's loan spell at Belgian side KSV Roeselare began with
a narrow defeat
17.01.2010
Holmar Orn Eyjolfsson has suffered a losing start to his loan spell at
Belgian Jupiler League side KSV Roeselare. Flanders-based Roeselare, also
known as Roulers in French, went down to a 2-1 home defeat on Saturday and
remain bottom of the 15-team standings. Eyjolfsson, who has been handed the
No6 shirt, completed the full 90 minutes on his debut as Roeselare recovered
from a goal down, only to be denied a point by their mid-table opponents
through Aloys Nong's 85th-minute. The 19-year-old has joined Roeselare until
the end of the Belgian season, having spent a short time on loan at League
Two side Cheltenham Town earlier this term. Roeselare, who have gathered 12
points from their 20 league matches so far, have eight fixture remaining in
which to gain enough points to climb one place and avoid the end of season
play-offs. KSC Lokeren, who sit 14th, also have 12 points. Last month, the
division's 16th club, RE Mouscron, were removed from the league due to
ongoing financial problems. Roeselare travel to KV Kortrijk in the Cofidis
Cup on Wednesday 20 January before travelling to Lokeren for an important
league game next Saturday evening.
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U18s too strong for Fulham
WHUFC.com
Tony Carr's U18s defeated Fulham 3-1 in the FA Premier Academy League on
Saturday
16.01.2010
West Ham United Under-18s kept up their fine FA Premier Academy League form
with a 3-1 victory over Fulham at Little Heath on Saturday. Robert Hall,
Danny Purdy and Danny Subuola were all on target as the Hammers warmed up
for Tuesday's FA Youth Cup fourth-round visit of Queens Park Rangers with an
impressive win. Hall opened the scoring after half-an-hour, creating a yard
of space inside the penalty area before lashing a low, left-foot shot into
the bottom corner of the net. Eoin Wearen sliced the ball into his own net
to get Fulham back on level terms shortly after half-time before West Ham
scored twice late on to collect the three points. Purdy slotted home from
the penalty spot after Nicky Barrett had been sandwiched by two visiting
defenders before Subuola saw his shot deflect off a Cottagers defender
before flying past the helpless goalkeeper in the final minute. Carr's
youngsters have now lost just two of their last ten league matches and will
go into Tuesday's tie at the Boleyn Ground (7pm kick-off) full of
confidence. West Ham's U16s also enjoyed a successful Saturday, overcoming
their Fulham counterparts 4-3.
West Ham United U18: Loveday, Modelski, Craig, Sanchez (McNaughton 60),
Brown, Barrett, Moncur, Wearen, Purdy, Hall (Subuola 75), Abdulla (Turgott
65)
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Aston Villa 0 - 0 West Ham
By Phil Dawkes
BBC.co.uk
Struggling West Ham clinched a vital away point as they frustrated Champions
League hopefuls Aston Villa in an uninspiring draw at Villa Park. Villa were
stifled by West Ham's five-man midfield, and the visitors could have taken
an early lead only for Frank Nouble to fire over from 12 yards. After the
break, Villa's James Milner clipped the post with a 20-yard drive and James
Collins volleyed wide. Villa applied late pressure but were denied by a
resolute Hammers defence. Martin O'Neill's Villa side have gone about their
pursuit of the top four in comparatively low-key fashion, certainly in
comparison to some of their rivals for a place in Europe. But they came into
this match having lost their two previous Premier League matches - to
Liverpool and Arsenal - and the draw will do little to make up the ground
they lost as a result as they stay in sixth place. They had the best of a
largely poor game, but were unable to break down an impressive West Ham
backline. Be it takeover talks off the pitch or a relegation battle on it,
the Hammers are rarely out of the media limelight at present. Negotiations
with a quartet of suitors interested in a buyout rumble on with no
resolution in sight, but a repeat of this hard-working and committed
performance could see them avoid their battle with relegation becoming a
similarly protracted affair. As a result of this point they have climbed to
16th place in the league and even if Bolton win later on Sunday to overtake
them they will end the weekend out of the relegation zone. They have
struggled all season with injuries, particularly in attack, and although
they were able to welcome back both Mark Noble and Scott Parker in midfield,
they lack a cutting edge without leading scorers Carlton Cole and Guillermo
Franco. As a statement of their ambition at Villa Park, they dropped striker
Alessandro Diamanti to the bench and replaced him with Jack Collison in a
reinforced midfield designed to suffocate the home side. For much of the
first half they did just that as Villa were stifled, and harried into a
series of misplaced passes. With their stall set out, the visitors created
the first chance of the match. Nouble collected on the half way line and
scythed through the Villa defence and into the box but his shot was woefully
high, affected partly by the sliding challenge of Carlos Cuellar. On the
25-minute mark, Villa finally found some cohesion in the final third and but
for Robert Green in the West Ham goal would have taken the lead.
Ashley Young found space on the left and his cross come shot was looping
into the far corner until Green palmed away and then a minute later Gabriel
Agbonlahor was allowed to swivel and shoot in the box only for the England
keeper to parry to safety. Villa continued to apply pressure for the rest
of the half but had only a Collins header, put over from a Young corner, to
show for it. The home side started the second half with purpose and were
almost rewarded when Emile Heskey teed up Milner to shoot from 25 yards but
his effort grazed the outside of Green's left-hand post and went wide.
Minutes later, Villa floated over a free-kick and from Matthew Upson's
defensive header Collins volleyed just wide. Villa briefly thought they had
broken the deadlock on the hour when substitute John Carew bundled in after
Green had saved from Stewart Downing but referee Mike Jones ruled that the
striker had kicked the ball out of the keeper's hands. West Ham could have
stolen a much-needed win late on when the ball found its way to substitute
Junior Stanislas, who drove in a cross that was fortuitously cleared over
his own bar by Collins. The final chance of the match fell to Agbonlahor,
who broke free of his marker inside the box but Green was quick out to block
before the striker could pull the trigger.
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Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill: "We're disappointed we didn't win the
game but I'm delighted with the effort of the side. "We've not had much time
to prepare but once we got into it I thought we dominated. "The team has
been doing well and we're still fighting on all fronts."
West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola: "The performance of the players was
unbelievable. I'm really proud of them. "The commitment despite the
difficulties was outstanding. I'm fortunate to have players like them. "We
have a young side and players who can improve. It makes me optimistic if we
can learn to handle games like this we can stay in the league."
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Aston Villa 0 West Ham Utd 0
KUMB.com
Filed: Sunday, 17th January 2010
By: Staff Writer
A superb defensive performance at Villa Park this afternoon saw West Ham
move out of the relegation zone. Gianfranco Zola's side climbed above both
Hull and Wolves into 16th place in the Premier League after gaining a
richly-deserved point against a frustrated Aston Villa. Rob Green, who was
rarely called upon during the game typified the performance with a superb
save two minutes into injury time to deny Gabriel Agbonlahor after the
England striker took advantage of a rare defensive lapse to burst through on
goal. That chance was one of just a handful of chances VIlla - 12 places
ahead of United at start of play - managed to create despite the home side
enjoying a shade under 56% of possession. Of the 12 shots they managed just
three were on target; credit to the likes of James Tomkins who had an
excellent game in the centre of defence. The Irons, for their part managed
just the one shot on target during the game (eight altogether) although the
priority for this one, having gained just one clean sheet since last August,
was clearly defence. Frank Nouble, making his first Premier League start
did his chances of extending his run in the first team no harm at all with
an impressive performance, and could have scored in the opening moments had
he remained a little more composed following a thrusting 50-yard run through
the heart of the Villa ranks. Despite the statistics - and Agbonlahor's 92nd
minute chance - West Ham could have won the game in the closing 20 minutes
when forward thinking changes by Zola (although mostly enforced) saw the
Hammers finish the stronger. With Villa on the backfoot and apparently out
of ideas West Ham took the game to the home side in the closing stages.
Although the Irons failed to seriously test Villa keeper Brad Friedal,
under-pressure boss Zola will no doubt be pleased at the way his side ended
the game. The closest they came to snatching all three points was when
Junior Stanislas' fierce 71st minute cross was turned behind by former team
mate James Collins with team mates ready to pounce and keeper beaten -
although some lovely football also saw chances for Diamanti, Noble and
Parker at the game drew to a close. All in all, a very satisfactory
afternoon's work for Zola and his team, whose next outing is the crunch trip
to Portsmouth nine days from now.
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Villa held by Hammers
Defences come out on top in Villa Park stalemate
Last updated: 17th January 2010
SSN
Man of the match: James Tomkins. The young centre-half was a towering
presence throughout, while Matthew Upson was also as reliable as ever
alongside him.
Save of the match: Robert Green did brilliantly to dive at the feet of
Gabriel Agbonlahor as he burst through in the dying seconds.
Effort of the match: Agbonlahor brought the best out of Green with a
stinging volley in the first half.
Moment of the match: Radoslav Kovac really should have seen red during the
second half for a clumsy challenge on Stiliyan Petrov, having already been
booked, but the Hammers kept 11 men on the field.
Talking point: What will the future hold for these two sides? Can Villa push
for a UEFA Champions League spot? Can West Ham avoid the dreaded drop?
Aston Villa missed the chance to close on the Premier League's top four on
Sunday after being held to a goalless draw by struggling West Ham, who move
out of the relegation zone on the back of a battling point. The Hammers set
out their stall with the intention of keeping things tight, deploying Frank
Nouble as a lone frontman. Villa struggled to break down the visitors'
resolute rearguard and a spinning snap-shot from Gabriel Agbonlahor, which
was beaten away by Robert Green, was as close as either side came during a
quiet opening 45 minutes. The second period produced slightly more in terms
of attacking endeavour, but chances remained at a premium. John Carew did
have the ball in the net at one stage, but he was adjudged to have strayed
offside before bundling home. Agbonlahor also came close once more, but he
fired high over the top when found in acres of space by Stewart Downing.
West Ham were unable to field a single experienced striker because of
injuries to Carlton Cole, Zavon Hines and Guillermo Franco, and 18-year-old
Nouble was left to shoulder the goalscoring responsibilities on his first
Premier League start. And Nouble came close to breaking the deadlock after
six minutes. He burst forward from the halfway line and shook off the
challenges of Villa centre-backs James Collins and Richard Dunne to find
himself with only Brad Friedel to beat. But, having done all the hard work,
he then unleashed a shot from 12 yards out which ended up in the Holte End.
Hammers midfielder Radoslav Kovac became the first player to be yellow
carded after 17 minutes for a challenge on Emile Heskey 20 yards out. There
was a lack of inspiration about Villa's play in the opening quarter of the
game but Green was tested for the first time after 26 minutes. Heskey found
Ashley Young in space on the left and he cut inside and saw his cross-shot
heading for the top corner before it was fingertipped away at full stretch
by Green. The England keeper then excelled himself in turning aside a fierce
Agbonlahor shot on the turn from 15-yards out as Villa finally came to life.
Green also did well to cling onto a teasing cross from overlapping left-back
Stephen Warnock as Heskey challenged inside the six-yard box. Heskey sent a
volley wide of Green's right-hand post which he only half connected with
from a Young cross but Villa were still guilty of too many misplaced passes
before the interval. O'Neill would have demanded a vast improvement from his
side and they started the second half on the offensive. Collins failed to
make full contact on a Young corner with his glancing header, but the
woodwork came to West Ham's rescue after 49 minutes. Heskey teed up a
shooting opportunity for Milner on the edge of the box and his drive beat
the dive of Green but clipped the outside of a post. Dunne failed by inches
to get on the end of a Young free-kick as the pressure started to mount on
the Hammers goal and Carlos Cuellar fizzed a first-time drive over the bar
from Milner's fiercely driven cross. Both sides made a substitution after 56
minutes with Heskey replaced by Carew and Parker, who looked to have
suffered a recurrence of his hamstring injury, making way for Alessandro
Diamanti.
Kovac was fortunate not to receive a second yellow card for a challenge on
Villa skipper Stiliyan Petrov and referee Mike Jones made it clear to
Hammers captain Matthew Upson that the midfielder was in the last chance
saloon. The warning was heeded by Gianfranco Zola who replaced Kovac five
minutes later with Junior Stanislas. Carew had the ball in the net after 61
minutes but it was ruled out for offside. Then Agbonlahor was just too high
from 12 yards out when he should have at least hit the target. Former
Hammers defender Collins was fortunate to slice a cross from Stanislas over
his own crossbar. Green then made a hash of a clearance under pressure from
Carew but Agbonlahor opted not to shoot with the goal gaping and his cross
was cut out. Collison was yellow carded for a foul on Petrov as Villa
pressed for the winner. Then Petrov and Stanislas squared up to each other
as tempers became frayed and both were yellow carded. Agbonlahor, who
endured one of those afternoons in front of goal, spurned the final
opportunity of the game as he spun in behind but saw a heavy touch allow
Green to dive at his feet and divert the ball to safety.
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Zola hails 'awesome' Hammers
West Ham boss pleased with battling point
By Chris Burton Last updated: 17th January 2010
SSN
Gianfranco Zola has praised his West Ham side for the effort they put in
during a goalless draw at Aston Villa. The Hammers continue to see their
endeavours on the field overshadowed by events off it, with takeover talk
dominating discussions around Upton Park. However, they were able to put
those issues to one side at Villa Park on Sunday as they ground out an
impressive point. That was enough to life them back out of the Premier
League relegation zone, giving cause for optimism for all those connected
with the club. "I'm very proud of them," Zola told Sky Sports afterwards.
"The performance they put in, especially in the second half, was awesome.
There was a moment in the game where I thought we might even win this game.
But I think the result was fair. "I'm blessed because I have a bunch of
players who are fantastic."
Zola admits he is hoping to see the ownership saga at West Ham resolved as
soon as possible, but insists he has no inside knowledge as to who may be
about to assume control in the East End. "I don't know anything," he said.
"To be honest I shut my door to that and focused on the game. "Hopefully
something will happen tomorrow (Monday) because I think it is important that
we have that kind of stability. Everybody will benefit from that."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Zola refusing to quit
Hammers boss will not give up
By Chris Burton Last updated: 17th January 2010
SSN
Gianfranco Zola admits he has considered quitting West Ham, but insists he
loves his job too much to walk away. The Italian continues to work under
difficult conditions at Upton Park, with ongoing takeover talk doing him few
favours. That off-field wrangling needs to be resolved quickly if the
Hammers are to avoid becoming stuck in a rut, especially as the January
transfer window is now in full swing. Zola is keen to bolster his squad,
while retaining the services of those already at his disposal, but currently
has no funds with which to work. That is a far from ideal situation for a
club who continue to find themselves at the wrong end of the Premier League
table. Zola has revealed that the pressures placed on his shoulders have
forced him to weigh up his options on several occasions, but is adamant that
he will not be turning his back on the Hammers any time soon. Obviously when
you have difficult moments you think about walking away. But then you say 'I
love what I'm doing'," he said. "I work with the players all the time and on
a one-to-one situation. It's the best part of my job. "I was born to play
football and now I've got knowledge about football. One of my biggest
satisfactions is if I can transfer my knowledge to a young player and maybe
make a difference to him. That is what I love. "My duty is to entertain
people. It was my duty when I was a player and now it is to teach other
people to entertain and that is what I focus on. "I knew when I took this
job that it could go wrong and they could fire me. I accepted that, so there
is no fear for me.
"If what I'm doing is not good enough then it's right that they change. I'm
not going to go to anybody and say I'm doing well, it's up to them."
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Aston Villa 0 West Ham United 0: match report
Read a full match report of the Premier League game between Aston Villa and
West Ham at Villa Park on Sunday Jan 17, 2009.
Telegraph.co.uk
Published: 3:47PM GMT 17 Jan 2010
Aston Villa failed to cash in on slip-ups by their Champions League-chasing
rivals as West Ham earned a surprise share of the spoils to move out of the
Barclays Premier League bottom three. Villa could have closed the gap on
the top four after Manchester City, beaten at Everton, and Tottenham, held
at home by Hull, both dropped points yesterday. But a combination of a
below-par performance and some fine saves by Robert Green meant they had to
settle for their first goalless draw of the league campaign. Sport on
television It means the Carling Cup semi-finalists have taken only one point
from the last nine. Martin O'Neill's side barely woke from their slumbers
during the opening 45 minutes against a side ravaged by injury problems.
They dominated the second period but rarely threatened to find a way past
England keeper Green. "Away from home it's a good result," said West Ham
captain Matthew Upson. "We're improving. We've had some really tight games
against some top teams. We set out well today. The last few months we've had
an improvement. Hopefully we can maintain that to the end of the season."
Fellow defender James Tomkins was given the man-of-the-match award for his
performance, and he was satisfied with his afternoon's work. "A team like
Villa, you have to keep them quiet in the first half," he said. "We had a
few chances at the end, maybe could have stolen it, but overall we're
happy."
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West Ham earn point as Aston Villa flounder in fight for fourth placeBuzz
up!
Stuart James at Villa Park guardian.co.uk, Sunday 17 January 2010 15.58 GMT
The race for Champions League football and the coveted fourth place has
turned into a grind. Having watched Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City and
Liverpool all fail to win yesterday, Aston Villa were unable to capitalise
on their rivals' shortcomings here against a belligerent West Ham United
side. Frustration was the overriding emotion for the Villa supporters at the
final whistle after a jaded performance that suggested two games in four
days was too much for Martin O'Neill's players.
In truth, there had been signs that Villa were suffering from their
exertions in the Carling Cup semi-final at Ewood Park on Thursday night long
before the closing stages. The slick, incisive passing that cut Blackburn
Rovers open was conspicuous by its absence as Villa struggled to play with
any tempo for long periods. It was not until the 27th minute that Villa
threatened and then Ashley Young had been trying to cross rather than shoot
when the ball looped towards the far corner before Robert Green clawed it to
safety.
Moments later the home side created their best chance of the first half when
Gabriel Agbonlahor took Stewart Downing's cross on his chest and spun before
hitting a powerful shot from about 10 yards that Green repelled. West Ham,
though, were hardly under siege and might even have taken an early lead with
Frank Nouble, who was making his first Premier League start – evidence of
the lack of striking options at Gianfranco Zola's disposal – left James
Collins trailing and rode Richard Dunne's challenge before slicing over.
Villa improved after the break but there remained a lack of conviction about
their play, with little evidence of a plan B when crosses into the penalty
area failed to yield reward. James Milner drilled inches wide, Carlos
Cuellar blazed over and Agbonlahor failed to hit the target from another
Downing centre. At the opposite end Collins was fortunate not to put through
his own net when he skewed Junior Stanislas's cross over the crossbar. West
Ham, however, will be happy with the point that lifts them out of the
relegation zone.
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Hammers stand firm
ESPN
Stadium: Villa Park, England
Attendance: 35,646
Match Time: 13:30 UK
Official(s):
Michael Jones (Referee)
Updated: January 17, 2010, 8:36 AM UK
Aston Villa failed to cash in on slip-ups by their Champions League-chasing
rivals as West Ham earned a surprise share of the spoils to move out of the
Premier League bottom three. Villa could have closed the gap on the top four
after Manchester City, beaten at Everton, and Tottenham, held at home by
Hull, both dropped points on Saturday. But a combination of a below-par
performance and some fine saves by Robert Green meant they had to settle for
their first goalless draw of the league campaign. It means the Carling Cup
semi-finalists have taken only one point from the last nine. Martin
O'Neill's side barely woke from their slumbers during the opening 45 minutes
against a side ravaged by injury problems. They dominated the second period
but only spasmodically threatened to find a way past England keeper Green.
In contrast, the Hammers were cock a hoop after gaining the point which
moved them above Hull and Wolves. West Ham were unable to field a single
experienced striker because of injuries to Carlton Cole, Zavon Hines and
Guillermo Franco, and 18-year-old Mark Nouble was left to shoulder the
goalscoring responsibilities on his first Premier League start. And Nouble
came close to breaking the deadlock after six minutes. He burst forward from
the half-way line and shook off the challenges of Villa centre-backs James
Collins and Richard Dunne to find himself with only Brad Friedel to beat.
But, having done all the hard work, he then unleashed a shot from 12 yards
out which ended up in the Holte End. Hammers midfielder Radoslav Kovac
became the first player to be yellow carded after 17 minutes for a challenge
on Emile Heskey 20 yards out. There was a lack of inspiration about Villa's
play in the opening quarter of the game but Green was tested for the first
time after 26 minutes. Heskey found Ashley Young in space on the left and he
cut inside and saw his cross-shot heading for the top corner before it was
fingertipped away at full stretch by Green The England keeper then excelled
himself in turning aside a fierce Agbonlahor shot on the turn from 15-yards
out as Villa finally came to life. Green also did well to cling onto a
teasing cross from overlapping left-back Stephen Warnock as Heskey
challenged inside the six-yard box. Heskey sent a volley wide of Green's
right-hand post which he only half connected with from a Young cross but
Villa were still guilty of too many misplaced passes before the interval.
O'Neill would have demanded a vast improvement from his side and they
started the second half on the offensive. James Collins failed to make full
contact on a Young corner with his glancing header, but the woodwork came to
West Ham's rescue after 49 minutes. Heskey teed up a shooting opportunity
for Milner on the edge of the box and his drive beat the dive of Green but
clipped the outside of a post. Dunne failed by inches to get on the end of a
Young free-kick as the pressure started to mount on the Hammers goal and
Carlos Cuellar fizzed a first-time drive over the bar from Milner's fiercely
driven cross. Both sides made a substitution after 56 minutes with Heskey
replaced by John Carew and Parker, who looked to have suffered a recurrence
of his hamstring injury, making way for Alessandro Diamanti. Kovac was
fortunate not to receive a second yellow card for a challenge on Villa
skipper Stiliyan Petrov and referee Mike Jones made it clear to Hammers
captain Matthew Upson that the midfielder was in the last chance saloon. The
warning was heeded by Gianfranco Zola who replaced Kovac five minutes later
with Junior Stanislas. Carew had the ball in the net after 61 minutes but it
was ruled out for offside. Then Agbonlahor was just too high from 12 yards
out when he should have at least hit the target. Former Hammers defender
Collins was fortunate to slice a cross from Stanislas over his own crossbar.
Green then made a hash of a clearance under pressure from Carew but
Agbonlahor opted not to shoot with the goal gaping and his cross was cut
out. Collison was yellow carded for a foul on Petrov as Villa pressed for
the winner. Then Petrov and Stanislas squared up to each other as tempers
became frayed and both were yellow carded.
Martin O'Neill played down the significance of a verbal exchange with Aston
Villa fans situated behind the dugout during the latter stages of the match.
O'Neill and Villa's goalkeeping coach Seamus McDonagh appeared to have words
with several spectators and the game ended with around half a dozen stewards
in position alongside and at the back of the home dugout but O'Neill was
adamant what occurred was "not a big issue". The former Celtic boss tried to
laugh off the incident and said: "It was my brother. I told him not to say
anything. He was giving me a bit of advice. I shall see him when I get home
tonight. "I didn't know about Seamus and I'm not so sure this is really a
big issue. It does not concern me. "The issue today was we were unable to
score a goal but it was a big effort by my players considering we played in
the Carling Cup semi-final only on Thursday. "It is disappointing the win
didn't materialise and when you drop points at home it can be considered a
missed opportunity. "But I think this result and other ones this weekend
involving teams near us in the table highlight how difficult this league
is."
O'Neill believes the fair play of his skipper Stiliyan Petrov prevented West
Ham midfielder Radoslav Kovac from being sent off in the second half for a
second bookable offence.
O'Neill said: "I think Stiliyan kept Kovac on the pitch by getting up so
quickly because it did look a bookable offence. "If he had stayed down, the
player would have been sent off so well done to Stiliyan. "Hopefully this
idea we have a couple of divers in our team like Gabriel Agbonlahor and
Ashley Young gets washed away with the rest of the nonsense."
West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola revealed his pride at his team's
performance in claiming a point which lifts them out of the bottom three.
Zola said: "It is a good point for us. They had good chances but we did as
well. The way we played in the second half deserved a point and I'm proud of
my team's performance. "We were up against a team who are in good form and
we have important players missing. "It is massive to be out of the bottom
three and this result here will also give the players a big boost of
confidence."
Kovac was substituted soon after his challenge on Petrov by Zola to avoid
being red-carded after having already picked up a first-half booking. Zola
said: "The referee told our captain (Matthew Upson) the next tackle was
going to be a sending-off so we took no chances. "I thought the first
booking in any case was harsh because it wasn't a foul but I also have to
congratulate Petrov because he is a fair person and a fair player."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Aston Villa frustrated as dogged West Ham hold firm
Aston Villa 0 West Ham United 0
The Times
(Andrew Matthews)
Peter Lansley, Villa Park
Clambering out of the relegation zone with this well-earned point, West Ham
United could barely have cherry-picked a happier fixture schedule as they
prepare to welcome their bigger-name players back to full fitness over the
next month.
Gianfranco Zola continues to make light of the club's convoluted takeover
business — "I just shut the door on this today so that I can concentrate on
the game," the manager said — before announcing that Carlton Cole, his
England centre forward, is due to resume full training this week and that
Kieron Dyer should not be far behind. On the day that Scott Parker returned
to action after a hamstring injury and Robert Green, his England goalkeeper,
to something approaching his best form, the West Ham manager suggested that
his team's performance in holding Aston Villa can provide a "platform" for
Barclays Premier League survival.
"It is massive, not only to be out of the bottom three but also because
picking up a point here is not an easy task," Zola said. "It will give the
players a big boost. There are many positive things, just as we have
important players coming back.
"I'm lucky to have a bunch of players who are so committed. The desire to
please me and the club is unbelievable. If we perform like this and when we
have everybody back, we are good enough to start climbing the league. But we
have to keep showing this level of commitment and focus."
After a trip to Fratton Park, West Ham host Blackburn Rovers, Wolverhampton
Wanderers, Birmingham City and Hull City either side of a visit to Burnley.
Although they rode their luck yesterday, West Ham grew in confidence,
stature and attacking threat as a frantic game progressed, Frank Nouble, 18,
impressing as a lone striker on his full league debut.
Villa were left frustrated in spurning the opportunity — another opportunity
— to regain level pegging in the contest for fourth place. With Liverpool
and Tottenham Hotspur also held, and Manchester City losing, O'Neill's team
had the opportunity to reach the 38-point mark.
Yet their league form, such as it can be judged without any previous action
this calendar year, has not been hot. Successive defeats by Arsenal and
Liverpool have dented Villa's ambition of moving on up into the Champions
League place they tried on for size this time last year.
The only progress that Villa have been allowed since Christmas has been
against Blackburn Rovers in both cups. On Wednesday they will seek to
protect a one-goal advantage in the Carling Cup semi-final against Sam
Allardyce's team and so reach Wembley for the first time in ten years. That
would resemble an achievement, a best yet in O'Neill's tenure, but, in the
Premier League, Villa must feel like they are hitting their heads against a
ceiling.
Just when their chief rivals are wobbling, Villa get a dose of the
heebie-jeebies themselves. They have gone three league games without a goal.
Gabriel Agbonlahor manoeuvred three clear goalscoring chances yesterday,
most notably in the second minute of stoppage time when he turned Matthew
Upson to run on to John Carew's flick-on only to allow Green to come out and
smother the ball, and James Milner finally ran out of luck, driving a
25-yard shot against the outside of a post early in the second half.
West Ham, even without a senior striker available, could have stolen all the
points when James Collins, the defender they sold to Villa for £5 million in
August, sliced the ball over his own crossbar late on. They finished with
more attacking options, with Junior Stanislas and Alessandro Diamanti
threatening Villa on the break, and, takeover distractions aside, West Ham
must fancy their chances of staying up if they retain their best players
beyond the transfer window.
Green, uncertain at times, produced spectacular saves from Ashley Young and
Agboblahor just as Villa looked set to take charge in the first half, and
Upson and James Tomkins grew in stature as the game progressed. Parker
showed glimpses of his class, before giving way to rest his troublesome
hamstring.
Stiliyan Petrov showed a different kind of class when he was upended by
Radoslav Kovac after the Czech anchorman had been cautioned early in the
game for an innocuous foul on Emile Heskey. The Villa captain could have
stayed down, and in all probability earned Kovac a second yellow card.
Instead, he bounced promptly to his feet. "I have to congratulate Petrov,"
Zola said. "He is a fair person and a fair player."
Aston Villa (4-4-2): B Friedel 7 C Cuéllar 5 J Collins 5 R Dunne 6 S Warnock
6 A Young 7 J Milner 7 S Petrov 8 S Downing 7 E Heskey 5 G Agbonlahor 6.
Substitute: J Carew 5 (for Heskey, 57min). Not used: B Guzan, L Young, S
Sidwell, N Delfouneso, F Delph, H Beye. Next: Arsenal (h)
West Ham (4-5-1): R Green 7 J Faubert 5 J Tomkins 7 M Upson 8 J Spector 6 V
Behrami 5 S Parker 6 R Kovac 5 M Noble 5 J Collison 5 F Nouble 7
Substitutes: A Diamanti 7 (for Parker, 57min), J Stanislas 5 (for Kovac,
62), M Da Costa (for Nouble, 90). Not used: P Kurucz, L Jiménez, F Sears, F
Daprela. Next: Portsmouth (a).
Referee: M Jones. Attendance: 35,646.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Aston Villa 0 West Ham 0
The Sun
ROBERT GREEN saved West Ham as they grabbed a valuable point in their battle
to avoid the drop. The Hammers lept out of the relegation zone with the draw
at Villa Park and England keeper Green was in fine form. He pulled off a
string of superb saves in the first half and denied Gabriel Agbonlahor with
a terrific one-on-one stop in injury time.
Hammers defender Matthew Upson said: "Away from home it's a good result
"We're improving. We've had some really tight games against some top teams.
"We set out well today. The last few months we've had an improvement.
Hopefully we can maintain that to the end of the season."
Fellow defender James Tomkins added: "A team like Villa, you have to keep
them quiet in the first half. "We had a few chances at the end, maybe could
have stolen it, but overall we're happy." With the Three Lions No1 spot
still up for grabs, Green would have done his chances no harm at all. In
front of Fabio Capello's assistant Stuart Pearce, who was in the stands, he
impressed by denying Villa's potent attack. Martin O'Neill's men could not
cash in on slip-ups by their Champions League chasing rivals this weekend.
Manchester City and Tottenham both failed to win yesterday but despite the
majority of possession and clearcut chances, Villa did not take advantage.
Striker Frank Nouble, making his first West Ham start, had the best effort
of the opening exchanges when he raced from his own half into the box. But
he fired over while under pressure from Richard Dunne. Green was called into
action when Ashley Young's cross-shot looked to be creeping into the top
corner. He dealt with it comfortably before making a spectacular save from
Agbonlahor's rasping drive minutes later. James Milner went closest when he
fired just wide from the edge of the box. Green's only blip came when he
spilled a shot to sub John Carew who bundled the ball over the line. But the
big Norway striker was clearly offside and West Ham survived. In the dying
minutes, Agbonlahor should have earned Villa all three points when he raced
through on goal. However, his touch let him down and it was left for Green
to have the final say as he pounced to claim the ball at the hitman's feet.
STAR MAN - JAMES TOMKINS (West Ham)
ASTON VILLA: Friedel 6, Cuellar 7, Collins 7, Dunne 7, Warnock 7, Petrov 7,
A Young 6, Milner 7, Downing 7, Agbonlahor 6, Heskey 6 (Carew 6). Subs not
used: Guzan, L Young, Sidwell, Delfouneso, Delph, Beye. Booked: Petrov.
WEST HAM: Green 6, Faubert 7, Tomkins 8, Upson 7, Spector 7, Noble 6, Kovac
6 (Stanislas 6), Parker 6 (Diamanti 6), Behrami 6, Collison 6, Nouble 7 (Da
Costa 5). Subs not used: Kurucz, Jimenez, Sears, Daprela. Booked: Kovac,
Collison, Stanislas.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
DEJA VU FEELING FOR POWDER-PUFF VILLANS
Aston Villa 0 West Ham 0
News Of The World
17/01/2010
THE Aston Villa fans are experiencing a real sense of deja vu. Going into
the New Year in 2009, they were looking in a great position to clinch a
Champions League spot. Then it all went wrong as they faded badly. A year
later and the worry is there will be a repeat scenario. Yes, a Wembley
appearance is within their grasp in the Carling Cup - and Thursday night's
game may have taken something out of them in terms of Sunday's fixture. But
West Ham are a club whose turmoil and uncertainty regarding their protracted
takeover should have made them ripe for sweeping aside by any team with
top-four pretensions. Instead, it's three league games without a goal for
Martin O'Neill's Midlanders.
And you could sense the tension in the crowd right from the first whistle.
The Villa supporters did get behind their side as the second half wore on
but, despite a procession of corners, the home side's powder-puff attack
failed to beat Robert Green. Emile Heskey simply isn't a threat. Gabriel
Agbonlahor has gone six games without a goal. Ashley Young looks out of
touch. Agbonlahor should have ended that drought in injury time but a poor
touch allowed Green out to block and West Ham got the point they deserved.
Gianfranco Zola admitted beforehand the takeover talk is affecting his
players but his decision to pack his midfield and hand a debut in attack to
lively youngster Frank Nouble paid off.
James Tomkins and Matthew Upson were excellent at the back and Zola could
even afford to take the game to Villa when being forced to replace Scott
Parker through injury and Radoslav Kovac, who was in danger of being sent
off. Indeed, Kovac should have seen red but referee Mike Jones bottled out
of awarding a second yellow for a rash challenge on Stilyan Petrov.
Ex-Chelsea kid Nouble showed his intentions with a dazzling fifth-minute run
that saw off James Collins and Richard Dunne but his snatched finish flew
over the top of Brad Friedel's bar. Green palmed away a cross-cum-shot from
Young and the keeper excelled himself with a diving stop to keep out
Agbonlahor's shot on the turn following an astute volleyed centre by Stewart
Downing. Collins headed a Downing corner over as he looked to score against
his old club but there were few openings of note in the first half. James
Milner cracked a drive inches wide after neat approach play by Downing,
Agbonlahor and Heskey as Villa appeared to be upping the tempo. When Green
spilled Downing's shot on the hour mark, substitute John Carew bundled home
the rebound but was rightly ruled offside to cut short the celebrations.
Agbonlahor shot wastefully over after a good run by Downing down the left
but Collins was lucky to escape an own goal at the other end when slicing a
Junior Stanislas cross following a great spot from fellow sub Alessandro
Diamanti. Green almost got caught out by Carew but Agbonlahor, lacking
confidence, failed to pull the trigger with the keeper way out of his goal
and the England international impressed late on when rushing out to deny the
same player. On a weekend when Villa could have sent out a real message of
intent, they failed badly.
And the whispers will continue that they won't last the course again. West
Ham worked hard and sneak out of the relegation zone again on the back of
this point.
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