WHUFC.com
Andy Carroll's second-half header is enough to send West Ham United to
defeat at the Boleyn Ground
23.10.2010
WEST HAM UNITED v NEWCASTLE UNITED
BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
SATURDAY 23 OCTOBER 2010
KICK-OFF: 5.30PM
Final score - West Ham United 1-2 Newcastle United
93 mins - Gabbidon pumps a long ball forward to nobody and it flies out for
a throw. Seconds later, the game is over. That was a truly forgettable
afternoon, to be brutally honest. There will need to be a massive
improvement if West Ham are to knock Stoke City out of the Carling Cup on
Wednesday evening.
92 mins - The stadium is near-silent as we approach what has been something
of an inevitable conclusion since Newcastle went ahead.
91 mins - This has been far too comfortable for Newcastle. We're going to
have at least three more minutes and there is no sign whatsoever of a
comeback.
89 mins - Carroll again. He's been outstanding today, the big striker. He
runs at Gabbidon and shoots from about 25 yards. The ball flies low and
about two yards wide of the post.
88 mins - Another chance for Newcastle as Barton wins the ball and tries to
play in Ameobi, but his pass is too strong.
87 mins - Obinna is fouled by Jose Enrique. Noble takes the free-kick, Da
Costa helps it on but it's well wide, in truth. Time is rapidly running out,
here...
85 mins - Newcastle work Green again as Gutierrez cuts inside and shoots
with his right foot, but it is straight at Green.
84 mins - Obinna and Ilunga combine down the left. The left-back crosses and
Cole gets his head to it. It looks like the ball will drop to Parker, but it
just won't sit for the No8 and Newcastle clear the danger.
83 mins - Barton takes and Green helps the ball out for a throw. Newcastle
are taking ages over every set piece, but you can't really blame them.
82 mins - Newcastle look like the only winners here, to be honest. Carroll
holds the ball up on the edge of the box before laying it back to Ameobi,
whose shot is deflected narrowly wide for another corner.
81 mins - Newcastle come close again. Jose Enrique is allowed to turn away
from Barrera. He runs about 40 yards before seeing his shot hit Jacobsen and
spin behind. The corner drops dangerously inside the six-yard box before
Obinna smashes it upfield.
80 mins - West Ham need to stand up and be counted in the final ten minutes.
They need a point out of this game, at least...
78 mins - The ball drops to Jacobsen, who finds Barrera. He runs at Jose
Enrique before slicing his cross behind. It's been one of those days, so
far.
76 mins - Barrera is on for Behrami. To be fair to Behrami, he sprints
across the pitch to save valuable seconds.
75 mins - Jacobsen gets down the right and manages to squeeze the ball
inside for Cole, who crosses, but Krul is there.
74 mins - Nearly a third for Newcastle. Noble is beaten to the ball by
Barton and runs at the back two. He opts to shoot instead of passing to
Carroll. The shot hits Gabbidon and spins over the crossbar. The Magpies
keep up the pressure from the corner and a cross is headed over the top by
Ameobi.
73 mins - No sign of a change of shape or a third substitution from the home
side.
69 mins - GOAL! Carroll heads in, completely unmarked from six yards out.
Poor defending. Barton receives the ball from Ameobi, who has dragged
Gabbidon out of the middle. He crosses first-time and Carroll loses Da Costa
before planting a powerful header past Green.
67 mins - McCarthy is on. Barton whips the free-kick over and Cole heads it
behind for a corner.
66 mins - Piquionne is going to go off. McCarthy is called to the bench.
Before his entrance, however, Da Costa is booked for a foul on Ameobi as the
striker spins away from him 30 yards out.
64 mins - At last some West Ham pressure as Piquionne rises at the far post
to head a Noble cross. He seems to injure himself as he lands, though, and
needs the physio on for some treatment.
60 mins - Gutierrez finds Carroll inside the box, but Gabbidon does superbly
to block his initial effort before bringing the ball clear. Fine defending,
and it is met by some real noise from the home fans.
58 mins - West Ham are sitting too deep here, for some reason. They are
inviting Newcastle on to them and it's handing the initiative to the
opposition. Behrami and Da Costa both give the ball away under no pressure
and Newcastle clear. Ameobi challenges Gabbidon and goes clear. Thankfully,
a foul is given by the Newcastle forward and West Ham escape.
56 mins - Ilunga gets forward for the first time and sends over the ball
into a dangerous area, but it's too far ahead of Cole and Piquionne and
flies behind for a goal kick. The attendance is announced as 34,486.
53 mins - Upson goes straight down the tunnel. Ilunga is on at left-back and
Gabbidon goes to the centre of defence.
51 mins - Gutierrez is a real threat down the left. He cuts inside and
thankfully loses control of the ball inside the box, allowing Da Costa to
clear. Moments later, Upson falls to the turf inside the West Ham penalty
area with nobody near him. I'm not sure what's wrong, but I don't think it's
serious as Upson is quickly up on his feet again. I'm not sure he's going to
be able continue.
48 mins - Noble puts in a thunderous challenge on Simpson, who then lands on
top of the midfielder. Noble looks a bit groggy as he gets up and goes to
ground again. After a quick check over from the physio and club doctor, he
is waved back on a minute later.
47 mins - Good football from the visitors. Barton lifts a ball to Nolan, who
heads down for Carroll, but thankfully the big striker's volley lacks the
power and direction to beat Green. The No1 dives low to his right to gather.
46 mins - After a short delay, we're back up and running again, with the
Hammers attacking the Sir Trevor Brooking Stand end. Cole flicks on for
Obinna, who crosses. Cole and Piquionne appear to get in each other's way
and Newcastle clear the danger.
Half-time score - West Ham United 1-1 Newcastle United
47 mins - Gutierrez crosses and Carroll picks up possession. Newcastle keep
the ball alive and Gabbidon is forced to head behind for a corner. It comes
to nothing and the half-time whistle is blown. That half was a microcosm of
the season so far. Some good stuff and some bad stuff. Let's hope we have
plenty more of the former after the break.
46 mins - We are going to have at least another two minutes...
44 mins - Great work from Noble and Jacobsen wins the ball back. Noble then
gets clear down the right from Parker's pass and he lifts his cross towards
the far post, where Krul does well to grab the ball high above his head.
43 mins - Behrami finds Obinna with a peach of a pass. Obinna controls
before winning another corner. A goal now would be priceless... Obinna
crosses and Carroll does well to head clear from inside his own penalty
area.
41 mins - It's been a good game for the neutral this, but when you're not a
neutral, it's agony!
38 mins - Gabbidon finds Obinna inside the box again. He twists and turns
before laying the ball back for Behrami, who dummies. Parker runs on to it
and shoots first-time, but it's too high.
36 mins - Outstanding from Obinna, who beats no fewer than three Newcastle
defenders before firing in a low cross that eludes Cole and Piquionne by
inches before hitting a defender's heel and spinning out for a throw.
Unlucky.
35 mins - West Ham need to get their act together here. Da Costa mis-judges
a header and Gutierrez has acres of space to cut inside and shoot from the
left. Jacobsen blocks and Gabbidon completes the clearance.
33 mins - Noble curls over his corner and Krul claims it high above Upson.
Good catch, considering the conditions.
32 mins - Noble picks out Obinna down the inside-left channel with raking
pass. Obinna has only Cole to aim for and elects to cross first-time, but
it's too high. West Ham keep up the pressure and Obinna wins a corner.
29 mins - The Newcastle No18 is ready to resume. West Ham launch an attack
down the right, but Obinna loses his footing in the rain and the chance is
lost. It's all gone a bit quiet here at the Boleyn Ground.
28 mins - Gutierrez needs the physio on. He was hurt in a tackle with
Parker. The winger hobbles to the touchline and we're back up and running
again. Let's hope the break in play brings about a change in the momentum.
26 mins - Free-kick to West Ham 40 yards from goal as Noble is hauled back
by Simpson. Noble himself curls the ball over and Piquionne wins it, but his
header is off-target.
24 mins - That's a great chance for West Ham to re-take the lead. Piquionne
races on to Cole's flick-on and checks before laying the ball back to
Obinna. The Nigerian elects to shoot first-time and lifts the ball well over
the top from 18 yards.
23 mins - GOAL! That was coming. Kevin Nolan does what he does best,
breaking late into the box and smashing the ball into the bottom right-hand
corner after Carroll had made a niusance of himself from a right-wing cross.
22 mins - West Ham need to get a foot-hold in this game again. The Magpies
are having the bulk of possession, even if they haven't worked Green as yet.
A spell of keep-ball would not go amiss.
20 mins - Cole has been penalised a couple of times for fouls, but this time
he looks like the aggrieved party, heading the ball past Coloccini before
appearing to be fouled by the Argentinean defender. Nothing given, however.
17 mins - Newcastle continue to press forward. Tiote picks the ball up 30
yards out and drives a ferocious shot that hits Parker on the head and spins
behind for a corner. The flag-kick is deep and Williamson cannot keep the
ball in the penalty area. The Hammers clear to Piquionne, but his attempted
cross-field pass for Obinna is a bit over-ambitious.
16 mins - Newcastle are having a good spell here. Ameobi spins away from Da
Costa but Behrami tracks back superbly and forces the striker wide. He still
gets a low cross in, but it's an easy clearance for Jacobsen.
15 mins - The Newcastle players wanted an offside flag in the build-up to
the goal. Piquionne looked level and Cole was definitely behind the ball
when his partner shot across goal.
13 mins - Obinna cuts inside on his right foot and shoots... The ball flies
out for a throw-in at least 20 yards the wrong side of the corner flag. The
Nigerian gets an ironic cheer from the home fans.
12 mins - GOAL! Cole scores from a yard! Piquionne springs the offside trap
to race on to Noble's fine pass. The Frenchman scuffs his left-footed shot
across the face of goal and the England forward is there to apply the
finishing touch from close-range.
11 mins - Green is taking a bit of stick off the Newcastle fans behind his
goal, but he shuts them up by claimiing the ball high above Carroll.
9 mins - Just as was the case last weekend at Wolves, West Ham need to score
while they are on top.
7 mins - Another minute, another chance. Obinna gets clear down the left and
crosses low, where Piquionne's shot is blocked behind by Krul. The assistant
referee had his flag up for offside though. It was the right decision, as
Piquionne had strayed a yard or two beyond the back four.
6 mins - West Ham have started well, here. Behrami cuts inside and finds
Piquionne, who knocks the ball into the path of Cole. The striker turns on
to his left foot, but his shot from 14 yards is blocked by a defender.
Moments later, Cole has the ball in the box again and goes down under a
challenge from Williamson. The assistant referee flags, but it is for a foul
by Cole, rather than on Cole.
4 mins - Piquionne springs the offside trap and crosses low towards Cole.
The ball eludes the No9 and hits Obinna at the back post before looping into
the hands of Krul. Close call, that. This is a very open start to the
game...
3 mins - Newcastle win a free-kick just inside the West Ham half. It is won
by Carroll but Gabbidon clears. Noble picks out Obinna, who tries to find
Cole, but it comes to nothing.
2 mins - Tiote stops Noble's run with a cynical block. The free-kick comes
to nothing, unfortunately.
1 min - Two long balls forward bounce through to Tim Krul in the Newcastle
goal. Positive start from the Hammers...
5.32pm - We're underway.
5.30pm - The applause is superbly respected by both sets of players and
fans. Brilliant to see. Well done everyone.
5.27pm - The legends line up for a photocall on the touchline. Brown and
Bond are joined by the likes of Eddie Bovington, Martin Peters and Peter
Brabrook. Speaking to them earlier this afternoon, the greats have got some
superb stories to tell about their time at the Academy of Football. Of
course, we are going to have a minute's applause in memory of the late
Malcolm Allison, who died recently at the age of 83. We have also lost
former England international and West Ham Chief Scout Eddie Baily.
5.26pm - The re-called Carlton Cole has good memories of playing against
Newcastle. The England striker scored a magnificent goal in the 2-2 draw at
St James' Park in January 2009 - the last time the two sides met.
5.25pm - The Newcastle fans are singing their hearts out in the Sir Trevor
Brooking Lower. They've brought a fair few fans today, to be fair to the
Magpies. The Toon Army does travel in good numbers. 'Bubbles' starts to play
and the home supporters respond with some noise of their own...Seconds
later, the two teams emerge from the tunnel.
5.20pm - Kieron Dyer is on the big screens talking about the positive fight
against racism in sport. Unfortunately, Dyer has been ruled out of today's
game as the club continue to manage his comeback from long-term injury. Dyer
has been in fantastic form this season and will hope to be back in action
next Saturday.
5.18pm - Victory today would take West Ham above Newcastle and into 17th
place. A massive win - 9-0 to be precise - would put the Hammers above
Fulham and Blackburn Rovers into 15th. I think we'd all settle for a 1-0
success, though!
5.15pm - Kick-off is rapidly approaching and some of the greats are out on
the pitch-side being interviewed. John Bond and Ken Brown are recounting the
golden era of the late 1950s to mid 1960s. Remember those days? If you
don't, West Ham won promotion to Division One in 1958 before going on to win
the FA Cup in 1964 and European Cup Winners' Cup a year later.
Welcome to the Boleyn Ground for today's Barclays Premier League encounter.
The club will honour Malcolm Allison before kick-off with a minute's
applause. Allison, who served the club to distinction in the 1950s, died a
week ago at the age of 83.
West Ham United manager Avram Grant has made three changes to the side that
drew 1-1 at Wolves a week ago.
Captain Matthew Upson returns at the heart of the defence, with Danny
Gabbidon moving to left-back and Tal Ben Haim dropping to the bench. Further
forward, Valon Behrami makes his return from a knee injury in place of
Kieron Dyer, while Victor Obinna moves to the left wing. Luis Boa Morte
drops to the substitutes bench, with Carlton Cole returning to the starting
XI up front.
West Ham United: Green, Jacobsen, Da Costa, Upson (Ilunga 53), Gabbidon,
Behrami (Barrera 76), Parker, Noble, Obinna, Piquionne (McCarthy 67), Cole
Subs: Stech, Ben Haim, Faubert, Boa Morte
Newcastle United: Krul, Simpson, Jose Enrqiue, Coloccini, Williamson,
Barton, Tiote, Jonas, Nolan, Carroll, Ameobi
Subs: Soderberg, Perch, Taylor, Guthrie, Routledge, Smith, Lovenkrands
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham 1 - 2 Newcastle
BBC.co.uk
By Peter Scrivener
Andy Carroll put a troubled week behind him by heading Newcastle's winner in
a 2-1 win that leaves West Ham rooted to the bottom of the Premier League
table. The striker, who appeared in court on an assault charge on Monday,
nodded in Joey Barton's cross from close range. Carroll had earlier set up
Kevin Nolan for Newcastle's equaliser - heading a Barton centre into his
skipper's path. Carlton Cole's opener for West Ham came after early pressure
but the home side were outplayed from then on. The result leaves the Hammers
level on points with Wolves and Liverpool but below them on goal difference.
Avram Grant's side started the match with all the confidence you would
expect from a team that was unbeaten in its previous four outings.
They spent the majority of the opening 10 minutes of the game camped in the
Newcastle half. However, they were unable to create any clear-cut chances
until a moment of class from Mark Noble which led to their goal. The
midfielder showed terrific vision to pick out Frederic Piquionne's run from
deep with a beautifully weighted pass over the top and the French striker's
low ball across the six yard box was gleefully turned in by Cole for his
first goal of the season. But the home side appeared to switch off after
scoring and suddenly Newcastle were in the ascendancy with Jonas Gutierrez,
Barton and Carroll providing the main threat. And the Magpies duly levelled
when Carroll rose well at the back post to head Barton's cross into the path
of Nolan, who smashed in a low shot from eight yards.
Chances continued to be at a premium though as the first-half continued to
be played out at breakneck speed, to the detriment of the quality of
football on display at times. Passes frequently went astray and the ball
spent periods ricocheting untidily around the midfield. Victor Obinna's
surging runs down the left lifted the home fans but he was wasteful with his
final ball, while Gutierrez and Shola Ameobi were similarly at fault for
Newcastle. Carroll however continued to terrorise the West Ham defence and
he forced a decent save out of Robert Green just after the break. The
21-year-old was played in by a deft nod down from Nolan, with who he has
been ordered to live until January while on bail, but his controlled volley
from the edge of the box was comfortably held by the Hammers' stopper. West
Ham were then rocked by the sudden departure of captain Matthew Upson. The
centre-back, who did not appear to be injured in a challenge, went down with
an unidentified problem that necessitated him leaving the pitch. The short
break did not disrupt Newcastle's flow though and it was fitting that
Carroll's tireless running up front should be rewarded with Newcastle's
winner. Barton, who had another terrific game for the Magpies, was again the
provider. His centre found an unmarked Carroll eight yards out and the
striker powerfully headed home.
The visitors, who have moved into the top half of the table with the win,
could easily have scored more as they laid siege to the West Ham goal.
Barton's deflected shot looped over while Green could only watch as a
deflected Shola Ameobi effort wrong-footed him and rolled just wide, while
Carroll's late long-range effort flew past the post.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham Utd 1 Newcastle Utd 2
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 23rd October 2010
By: Staff Writer
West Ham remain firmly rooted to the bottom of the Premier League following
a hugely disappointing performance against newly-promoted Newcastle at the
Boleyn this evening. A win today could have lifted the Hammers off the
bottom of the table - and when Carlton Cole put an effervescent Irons ahead
after just 12 minutes everything looked rosy for Avram Grant's side. However
that was to be West Ham's only shot on target during the entire game - and
what followed was as bad as anything witnessed at the Boleyn in some
considerable time as Grant's team simply collapsed against a team who were
playing second division football less than six months ago. It took the
visitors just 11 minutes to level the score; Kevin Nolan took advantage of a
knock down from current lodger Andy Carroll to fire home into Rob Green's
bottom left corner from just six yards. Thereafter the Magpies controlled
the majority of the game - and it was no surprise when they scored the
winning goal with 20 minutes left on the clock.
Question marks will inevitably be raised over West Ham's defensive abilities
once again after Carroll was given the freedom of Upton Park to nod home a
Joey Barton cross with Rob Green rooted to the spot. The lanky pony-tailed
striker, a constant threat throughout the game found himself completely
unmarked in West Ham's six-yard box before converting man-of-the-match
Barton's centre; the goal being the 17th conceded in the league already this
season by a creaky Hammers defence.
Further questions will also be asked of Avram Grant's team selection. Having
gone five games without defeat prior to today the front two pairing of
Frederic Piquionne and Victor Obinna appeared to be working well enough,
even if the Nigerian is yet to hit the net since moving to east London.
Carlton Cole, who is currently in the middle of a major slump in form proved
almost entirely ineffective today - despite scoring - in the middle of a
revised front three.
Frenchman Piquionne, who suffered the ignominy of having a goal ruled out
and being booked for an imaginary hand-ball at Wolves last weekend suffered
a further setback today when he was withdrawn late on in the second half
with what Avram Grant later confirmed was a hamstring injury. Of all the
summer signings, the veteran striker's absence will be most felt by a team
badly struggling for aggression, inspiration and inventiveness - but most of
all, points.
West Ham's haul of six points from their opening nine games leaves them
bottom of the Premier League and three points adrift of 17th-placed
Blackburn, who have a game in hand (against 18th-placed Liverpool tomorrow).
It gets no easier for Grant and his team who look forward to a trip to the
Emirates to face an in-for Arsenal next weekend - although Wednesday night's
Carling Cup clash at the Boleyn with Stoke has the potential to prove a
welcome distraction from league woes.
West Ham Utd 1 Newcastle Utd 2: match facts
West Ham Utd: Green, Jacobsen, Gabbidon, Upson (Ilunga 53), Da Costa, Noble,
Parker, Behrami (Barrera 76), Obinna, Piquionne (McCarthy 67), Cole.
Subs not used: Stech, Ben-Haim, Boa Morte, Faubert.
Goals: Cole (12).
Newcastle Utd: Krul, Simpson, Coloccini, Williamson, Enrique, Nolan, Barton,
Tiote, Gutierrez, Ameobi, Carroll.
Subs not used: Soderberg, Guthrie, Perch, Taylor, Smith, Routledge,
Lovenkrands.
Goals: Nolan (23), Carroll (69).
Referee: Chris Foy (6).
Attendance: 34,486.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Magpies rally sinks Hammers
Carroll and Nolan seal comeback victory
Last updated: 23rd October 2010
SSN
Man of the match: Cheick Tiote totally dominated the midfield and outplayed
Scott Parker, which was vital in ensuring his side secured the three points.
Moment of the match: For comedy value alone. Shola Ameobi, with space and
time, shot for goal but lost his footing. He went the one way and the ball
the other. It drew a few laughs from those in attendance.
Attempt of the match: Andy Carroll picked up the ball inside his own half
and went on a long run towards goal. The forward did well to beat two
defenders before shooting just wide of the target.
Talking point: After going 2-1 down, West Ham failed to really test
Newcastle and that will be a worrying sign for all involved with the club.
Goal of the game: Carroll's winner was stunning. Joey Barton's cross was
perfect and the forward's header was unstoppable.
Newcastle came from behind to prevail 2-1 at Upton Park and leave West Ham
bottom of the Premier League table. Despite their precarious position in the
standings the Hammers went into Saturday's teatime clash with confidence
high following a four-match unbeaten run, and they made a bright start to
the game. Avram Grant's side took the lead after just 12 minutes when
Frederic Piquionne beat the offside trap before turning the ball across goal
for Carlton Cole to provide the simplest of finishes But Kevin Nolan lashed
home an equaliser midway through the first half after Andy Carrollhad won an
aerial challenge, and Newcastlestarted to take control as the match wore on.
Carroll then headed home the decisive goal from a magnificent Joey Barton
cross in the 69th minute to take Newcastle into the top half.
Promising signs
The early signs had looked good for the home side. Captain Matthew Upson
returned to the starting XI along with Valon Behrami, who had been out for a
month with a knee injury. Cole also showed some early encouraging glimpses
as he made his first start for over a month. The Hammers could have been
ahead inside four minutes had Danny Simpson not cut out Piquionne's
dangerous low cross which was intended for Victor Obinna at the back post.
Cole then played a clever one-two with Obinna inside the box but he dithered
on the ball, allowing Fabricio Coloccini to clear. The hosts dominated
possession early on, pressuring the visitors down the flanks through Obinna
and Piquionne. And they had their reward in the 12th minute when Piquionne
latched on to Mark Noble's brilliant through-ball before squaring from the
left for Cole, who tapped in from five yards. The Magpies appealed for
offside but the linesman did not flag and replays suggested he made the
right decision.
Troubled
But the visitors hit back 10 minutes later when they levelled through Nolan.
Carroll, whose physical presence had troubled Upson early on, outjumped his
two markers to nod Barton's cross to Nolan who smashed the ball past Robert
Green in front of the travelling fans. Carroll was bailed to live with club
captain Nolan on Monday after appearing in court charged with assault, and
the team-mates embraced after the strike. Newcastle manager Chris Hughton
was out of the dugout for the majority of the first period as his side
started to assert more control on the game, but it was West Ham who had the
next big chance.
Obinna raced down the left before shaking off two markers to fire a
dangerous low ball across the box but no-one could find a touch. Newcastle
goalkeeper Tim Krul did well to hold on to a high Noble cross with Piquionne
lurking at the back post as West Ham looked to snatch the lead just before
the break. Newcastle laid siege to West Ham's goal with a flurry of late
attacking play but the home side held on to go in 1-1 at the break. The
visitors then had the first chance of the second period when Nolan cushioned
Barton's cross into the path of Carroll who paused before volleying at
Green.
Herita Ilunga, who had been out for six weeks with a leg injury, then
replaced Upson who was left shaken by an aerial challenge with Carroll. The
Magpies were starting to dominate thanks to some impressive attacking ball
retention and smart play down the left through Jonas Gutierrez.
Clever
The Argentina midfielder launched a clever ball over the top, but as Shola
Ameobi raced through he was harshly adjudged to have fouled Hammers
centre-back Danny Gabbidon. Gutierrez then played in Carroll only to see
Gabbidon snatch the ball with a sliding tackle inside the box. Da Costa was
taken aside for a word with referee Chris Foy after clattering into Ameobi
but did not receive a booking. Benni McCarthy then replaced Piquionne, who
had picked up an injury. The second Newcastle goal arrived when Barton
whipped a cross from the right into the box to find the unmarked Carroll,
and he powered a header past Green to put the Magpies ahead with little over
20 minutes left. It was his fifth goal of the season. West Ham pushed for an
equaliser but almost paid the price for over-committing when Barton broke
and fired a deflected 25-yard shot which looped on to the roof of Green's
net. Grant looked to increase his attacking options by replacing Behrami
with Mexico winger Pablo Barrera but Newcastle continued to dominate. Jose
Enrique rushed at the West Ham defence but Lars Jacobsen stepped in to
deflect his shot over the bar. Ameobi saw a deflected effort drift just wide
with Green rooted to his line with 10 minutes left. The Hammers fans started
leaving in their droves as the match neared its end, and those who stayed
booed the home team off after Foy blew the full-time whistle.
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Grant expects survival scrap
West Ham manager ready for difficult campaign
Last updated: 23rd October 2010
SSN
Avram Grant admitted after the defeat to Newcastle that West Ham would be
fighting a relegation battle for the rest of the season. The Hammers took
the lead against the Magpies through Carlton Cole before slumping to a 2-1
loss. Kevin Nolan netted the equaliser after good work from Andy Carroll,
who headed home the winner in the second half. And Grant confessed after the
match that his side had struggled to cope with the aerial threat of Carroll
and fellow forward Shola Ameobi. "We knew that when they play with two
strikers they would target these to cross the ball because they have good
wide players," Grant told Sky Sports. "We have good players in the box that
can win the ball but unfortunately we didn't do it today."
Pressure
The result left West Ham bottom of the Premier League table and ended an
unbeaten run of four games. Grant accepts that they are now in a scrap for
survival and it will be difficult to pull clear of trouble for the remainder
of the campaign. "This is the position we will be in all season," he said.
"I think we will come off the bottom but we will more or less be in this
area so we need to deal with it. "Pressure is part of the game." Owners
David Gold and David Sullivan have voiced their support for Grant over the
last few weeks despite the club being rooted to the table. Grant thinks that
the pair, who sacked Gianfranco Zola after the Hammers narrowly avoided
relegation last year, will stick by him. "I am being told that they are
being patient and understanding," he said.
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West Ham 1-2 Newcastle: Sunday Mirror match report
Published 19:30 23/10/10 By Steve Stammers
The Mirror
Seven days of turmoil for Andy Carroll ended in triumph at Upton Park. After
going behind to a 12th-minute goal from Carlton Cole, Newcastle responded in
stirring fashion. And it was England U-21 star Carroll who played a major
part. He started the week in court on an assault charge, then woke up to
find his car burnt-out in the driveway. But his troubles were well and truly
put behind him last night. First he laid on the equaliser for Kevin Nolan
and he then swooped to head home the winner. West Ham started with a
confidence and assurance that had Newcastle at full stretch. The front
runners of Victor Obinna, Fredewric Piquionne and Carlton Cole have pace to
spare, and Newcastle struggled to contain them. Cole and Piquionne could
both have done better if they had composure to go with their speed of foot –
and such was the early dominance that a goal looked inevitable. It duly
arrived on 12 minutes.
Mark Noble was the architect with a superb through ball that released
Piquionne. The Frenchman appeared to shoot hastily – and wildly inaccurately
– but it turned into the perfect cross for Cole who was unmarked just two
yards from goal and had the simplest of chances to tap past Tim Krul. But
these are tentative times at West Ham. Rather than lifted by the goal, they
became less assertive and Newcastle – inspired the passing skills of Joey
Barton and the dynamism of Kevin Nolan – began to take control while West
Ham dropped deeper and deeper to protect their lead. Cheick Tiote also made
his presence felt in midfield and though the service to Andy Carroll and
Shola Ameobi was a one-dimensional long ball, it was no less effective as
both Manuel da Costa and Matthew Upson were tested to the limit.
It was Carroll who set up a 23rd-minute equaliser. Again Barton was the
source of danger with a raking ball to the far post. Da Costa and Upson were
both on the scene – but so was Carroll. He won the tussle for the ball which
he headed back into the path of Nolan. The strike galvanised West Ham back
into action but again they were lacking a cool head as openings were
squandered. The best fell to Obinna at the edge of the area but with Krul
struggling to get back into position, the Inter Milan loanee sidefooted the
ball over. The long ball once again proved effective for Toon within two
minutes of the re-start – and the move involved the same trio that had
engineered the equaliser. Barton supplied the ammunition with a deep cross
that Nolan headed back into the path of Carroll. But the striker's shot
lacked the venom to trouble Robert Green. West Ham suffered a setback in the
53rd minute when they lost captain Upson who pulled up in the area clutching
his thigh and was replaced by Herita Illunga. Danny Gabbidon switched to
central defence and he had to be at his most alert to block a run by Carroll
that threatened to take him clear on goal. Then it was the turn of Green to
snatch the ball off the head of Ameobi as Newcastle assumed control.
Barton's crossing was to prove West Ham's final undoing in the 69th minute
when he supplied the ball for Carroll to head home – and forget his
troubles.
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Carroll keeps head to sink Hammers
West Ham United 1 Newcastle United 2: Troubled striker justifies his
manager's faith to leave Grant's strugglers at rock bottom
By Nick Szczepanik at Upton Park
Sunday, 24 October 2010 Independent.co.uk.
If Andy Carroll has had time to think about football in a week that has been
memorable for all the wrong reasons, then scoring the winning goal in
yesterday evening's match would probably have been high on his wish-list.
Having a hand in his team's equaliser would also have been near the top.
Carroll experienced a night in the cells, a court appearance on a charge of
assaulting an ex-girlfriend, and an order to lodge at the house of Kevin
Nolan, the club captain – where his car was torched. And he is in court
tomorrow on an unrelated charge.
All of which was probably not in the forefront of the England Under-21
forward's mind as he flung himself at Joey Barton's cross in the 69th minute
at Upton Park to give Newcastle the three points. In fact, conversation at
the breakfast table chez Nolan this morning should be more light-hearted
than for some days, with Carroll's interim landlord having scored
Newcastle's first goal – with a little help from the lodger.
The League table will make pleasant reading too. A first win in four matches
and a second on the road – against only one at St James' Park – has elevated
Chris Hughton's erratic performers to ninth place in the Premier League.
Hughton had had a difficult week himself, losing his assistant, Colin
Calderwood, to Hibernian and having to read reports that his job might be in
jeopardy. But yesterday he preferred to concentrate on his team's
performance, in which Shola Ameobimatched Carroll in workrate, and Barton
delivered high-quality crossesthat created both goals. Carroll's strike
after a week of strife, though, guaranteed him this morning's headlines.
"Andy's a tough individual," Hughton said. "He knows that the best place for
him is the football pitch, being with a spirited group of players that are
fond of him and a staff that are supportive of him."
West Ham United, who were the better side in the opening stages and took an
early lead through Carlton Cole, remain at the bottom of the table, and lost
Matthew Upson, the England defender, who limped off with a knee injury.
Although Avram Grant, the manager, pointed out that it was West Ham's first
defeat in six matches, they have only one League win to their name this
season, and have failed to score more than once in anyLeague game.
Grant has always been adamant that the team will survive in his first season
in charge, but last night he admitted: "I think it's harder now. But there
are almost 30 games to go and there are games in the next months that we can
win. I haven't spoken to the owners but they told me that they are patient
and they understood that this season would be tough."
Grant fielded three forwards, and it seemed he would be rewarded as West Ham
did all the early attacking. They could have scored two or three before Cole
repaid Grant's decision to recall him with the opening goal after only 11
minutes. It was created by the vision of Mark Noble, who picked out the run
of Frédéric Piquionne into the left channel, and Cole slid the Frenchman's
low cross home from close range.
The shock of going behind woke Newcastle up, and they began to mount some
serious attacks on the goal behind which their supporters were massed. After
23 minutes, Barton crossed from the right, Carroll and Manuel da Costa
battled for the ball at the far post, and it dropped for Nolan to
half-volley into the bottom corner with his left foot – one to talk about
over the croissants and coffee.
Having realised that there was profit to be had in attacking West Ham,
Newcastle continued to drive forward, which made for a good, open game.
Neither team, though, was able to produce the right final pass until the
69th minute. Then it all came together for Newcastle, and again the creator
was Barton. First he threadedthe ball up the right wing to Ameobi and when
it was returned to him, he produced an inviting first-time cross that
Carroll headed powerfully past Robert Green from five yards as Da Costa, his
marker, failed to react.
Attendance: 34,486
Referee: Chris Foy
Man of the match: Barton
Match rating: 7/10
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Grant: We can turn it around
West Ham manager Avram Grant insists he is the man to turn the club's
fortunes around after the 2-1 defeat by Newcastle at Upton Park.
Telegraph.co.uk
By PA
Published: 9:50PM BST 23 Oct 2010
The Hammers went into the match on the back of a five-match unbeaten run and
went ahead through Carlton Cole's first of the season. But they failed to
take control of the game after, though, and paid the price when Kevin
Nolan's well-placed drive levelled the scores before Andy Carroll's
second-half header sealed the win. The result piled more pressure on the
Israeli, who now finds his side three points adrift of safety ahead of next
week's daunting trip to Arsenal. But he said: "It's harder for us to get out
of the relegation zone now but there are almost 30 games left and we have
games in the next two months that we can win. If we do well like we did up
until now with the five-match unbeaten run we had then I'm sure we can do
it." Owners David Gold and David Sullivan have voiced their support for
Grant over the last few weeks despite the club being rooted to the table.
Grant thinks that the pair, who sacked Gianfranco Zola after the Hammers
narrowly avoided relegation last year, will stick by him and added: "I am
being told they are being patient and understanding."
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