WHUFC.com
Ian Hendon's side are edged out by the odd goal in five as Matt Taylor
scores on his comeback
22.11.2011
IPSWICH TOWN XI v WEST HAM UNITED XI
DEVELOPMENT SQUAD MATCH
TUESDAY 22 NOVEMBER 2011
KICK-OFF: 1PM
FULL AUDIO COVERAGE - WEST HAM TV
Full-time score - Ipswich Town XI 3-2 West Ham United XI
90 mins - The time is nearly up now as Murray gets forward and wins a corner
off Potts. Potts has been outstanding today, but he'll end the day on the
losing side as the whistle goes for full-time. A creditable display from a
Hammers team who gave a lot away to Ipswich in terms of experience.
Substitiute Murray made the difference, scoring two and assisting for the
third Ipswich goal. For West Ham, there were goals for Taylor and Sears,
with the added bonus of Taylor coming through more than an hour on his
comeback. Stay tuned to West Ham TV for highlights and reaction. Don't
forget, it's Kids for a Fiver at the Boleyn on Saturday for the visit of
Derby County.
88 mins - Sears wins a throw deep in Ipswich territory. A chance to get men
forward... Sears and Driver try to work an opening before the right-back
commits an infringement.
87 mins - Vose appears to be fouled by the corner flag but nothing is given.
A long clearance follows and the ball drops to a blue shirt. Murray romps
away down the right and makes for the box. Brown slides in with an
inch-perfect tackle. The corner is cleared.
85 mins - Lee is replaced by Blair Turgott for the final few minutes.
84 mins - Another corner, this time as Lawrence's shot takes a nick off a
defender. The corner comes over and Potts is there AGAIN!
83 mins - Potts heads clear twice before the ball is worked back to Iceland
international Bjarnason. He wins another corner and Potts is there again to
head away.s
82 mins - Time is counting down and still the game is in the balance.
Ipswich have come back into things possession-wise, but the pace of Sears
means West Ham will always have a chance to break away. For now, Ipswich
have a corner.
79 mins - Lletget is tackled and Burke finds the overlapping Kennedy. His
cross-shot eludes Kurucz, but thankfully also eludes both the sliding Murray
and the far post. Goal kick.
76 mins - It is all West Ham as Vose controls Demel's clearance and finds
Sears. His cross goes behind for another corner. Again, Vose's delivery does
not beat the near-post defender.
75 mins - Sears turns provider this time, but Vose's shot is blocked behind.
The corner is easily headed clear at the near post.
73 mins - West Ham are back in the game. Montenegro and Lletget are involved
before Moncur checks. Lletget finds Sears, who drops his shoulder before
curling a shot over the top.
71 mins - GOAL! Montenegro controls a long ball forward superbly. He turns
but passes up the temptation to shoot to find Sears. The No10 has great
acceleration off the mark and bursts past Kennedy before slamming a shot
that Cropper cannot keep out. The ball hits the goalkeeper's body, but the
pace on the shot sees it bounce high into the net. Game on!
70 mins - Two more Ipswich changes as Ellington and Smith go off, with
Cormac Burke and Joe Whight coming on. Burke has joined Murray up front,
with Whight slotting in alongside Ainsley at the back.
69 mins - Vose is involved straight away, collecting a pass from Lee and
running at the home defence. His shot hits Hyam and spins wide. Vose takes
the corner himself and Potts heads it powerfully over the top.
67 mins - GOAL! Murray turns provider this time, teasing Demel before
lofting a cross to the far post where Ellington leaps to volley home from
close-range. Hendon replaces Taylor with Dominic Vose.
66 mins - It's 4-4-2 now for West Ham with Sears up front with Montenegro. I
think we're going to see a second Hammers change shortly.
63 mins - Lee is spoken to for a sliding challenge on Hyam. I'm not sure
there was too much contact there, to be honest.
62 mins - A change sees Lletget come on for Wearen. Ipswich also make a
switch as Shane O'Connor replaces Emmanuel-Thomas.
61 mins - GOAL! Murray scores again - at the third attempt. Emmanuel-Thomas
picks the substitute out with a pull-back and Murray shoots past Kurucz but
Potts blocks on the line. Demel cannot clear and Murray's follow-up is
blocked by Wearen. The ball drops to Murray again and he lashes it high into
the net.
59 mins - I'm not sure how long the plan is for Taylor to play, but he's
still looking strong out there as he rises to head a Kurucz clearance on.
Smith is there to clear ahead of Montenegro.
56 mins - A deep cross from the Ipswich right is headed behind by Driver for
a corner. Emmanuel-Thomas takes and Potts heads clear.
55 mins - Sears tries to pick out the run of Lee with a diagonal cross from
the right. Wabara is there, though, and ushers the ball out for a goal kick.
53 mins - GOAL! Ipswich attack down their left and keep possession before
the ball is worked inside to Murray. He has too much time and space and can
pick his spot inside the right-hand post. Kurucz dives, but he was never
going to get to that pinpoint finish.
52 mins - Don't forget, it's Kids for a Fiver at the Boleyn Ground this
weekend. Order your tickets by clicking here.
51 mins - Demel's header is straight to Murray. He controls before shooting
wide from 25 yards.
50 mins - It's as lively after half-time as it was before the break.
Emmanuel-Thomas crosses low and Driver has to be alert to clear for a throw.
The home side keep the pressure on and Ellington takes on Demel before
shooting into the side-netting.
49 mins - Wabara checks on to his left foot and sends over a cross to the
far post for Lawrence, but the No7 misses the ball. Goal kick. West Ham
break through Montenegro and the ball breaks for Sears, but his cross is
headed clear by Ainsley.
48 mins - Ellington finds the new man Murray, but Potts is there to make a
fine challenge.
47 mins - Lee is fouled and West Ham have a chance to deliver into the box,
but the ball is headed clear.
46 mins - The Tractor Boys get the game back underway...
Ipswich have made a half-time substitution, taking Murphy off and bringing
on his fellow Irishman Ronan Murray. Goalkeeper Cropper is also on for
Lee-Barrett.
Half-time score - Ipswich Town XI 0-1 West Ham United XI
46 mins - That's half-time. A good sold 45 minutes from the Hammers. Hendon
will be happy, but he knows his side cannot afford to relax.
44 mins - Emmanuel-Thomas has switched flanks, with Byron Lawrence coming to
the right wing.
43 mins - Lee thunders into a challenge on halfway and the ball spins to
Taylor. He picks out Moncur, who helps the ball on to Sears. The bouncing
ball tempts Sears and he lashes a shot over the angle of near post and
crossbar.
40 mins - The threat of Emmanuel-Thomas has abated, but now Murphy is very
lively. He gets in behind again and crosses towards Ellington. Potts gets
something in the way and Demel clears. Potts' reaction suggests the
'something' might have been a painful part of the body.
39 mins - Montenegro works so hard up front, but he can play a bit too. He
holds up a pass from Brown before showing strength, skill and pace to get
away from his marker. Quality play.
38 mins - Wearen is winded and needs the physio on. He'll be OK to continue
after a quick pit-stop.
36 mins - Ellington tries to get his side back on level terms straight away,
latching on to Wabara's pass before unleashing a first-time shot that clips
the top of the crossbar on its way over the top.
33 mins - GOAL! How quickly the game can change! Hendon urges Sears to run
at Kennedy. He does before squaring for Moncur. His shot is charged down but
spins left for Lee. He gets to the ball at the byline and clips a superb
cross to the far post where Taylor rises above a defender to head into the
net.
32 mins - Big escape for the Hammers as Murphy gets in behind and crosses
from the left edge of the penalty area. His ball is for Ellington, but the
forward's slide isn't quite enough.
31 mins - Emmanuel-Thomas sends a cross into Wearen's arm from point-blank
range. The referee gives a free-kick for handball. Emmanuel-Thomas sends it
over and Ellington goes down under a challenge from Demel. Nothing given.
29 mins - West Ham attack and Taylor picks out Driver, who wins a throw near
the corner flag. It comes to nothing.
28 mins - Ellington collects a pass and drives at Demel. He gets past the
defender, but he is forced wide by the Ivorian and can only cross straight
into the arms of Kurucz.
26 mins - Formation-wise, Driver and Brown are at full-back with Demel to
the right of Potts in the centre. Wearen is anchoring the midfield behind
Lee and Moncur. Sears is wide right, Taylor wide left and Montenegro down
the middle. The goalkeeper Kurucz watches Emmanuel-Thomas' header fly well
over the top from Kennedy's free-kick.
23 mins - Superb turn from Montenegro to get away from Ainsley and latch on
to Taylor's pass. He would have been clear down the left, but Ainsley simply
pulls his shirt to prevent the Paraguayan from getting away.
22 mins - Great work from Kurucz, who is out quickly to make a superb save
to deny Murphy. The forward had beaten the offside trap to get on to
Emmanuel-Thomas' pass. The rebound drops to Ellington, who misses his kick
before finally getting a shot away. Potts and Demel combine to block and the
ball is cleared.
21 mins - Ipswich are on top at present. Emmanuel-Thomas finds Wabara in
space on the right. He crosses low and the ball deflects off both Brown and
Potts into the arms of Kurucz.
19 mins - That's close. Hyam is involved heavily in midfield, playing a
give-and-go before finding Murphy 20 yards out. The Irishman pokes a shot a
yard wide of the left-hand post. Kurucz was at full-stretch there.
18 mins - Taylor curls a cross over for Montenegro, but he's offside as
Lee-Barrett catches.
16 mins - Wabara does not need any tips on how to attack... He runs and is
brought down a yard outside the penalty area. Emmanuel-Thomas curls his shot
over the wall but it's straight at Kurucz.
15 mins - This is a bit frantic at the moment. The ball is pinging from end
to end with neither side really getting it under control for an extended
period. Taylor raises a smile as Emmanuel-Thomas tells Wabara to 'Stand on
him' to prevent him getting a run at winning headers.
12 mins - It's been a decent game so far. The tempo is really high, as you'd
expect from two teams packed with first-team talent and aspiring young
professionals. West Ham have more than held their own.
10 mins - Brilliant work from Montenegro, who forces a clearance to go
straight to a Hammers shirt. He then turn and races down the left before
beating one defender before finding Moncur. He feeds Driver wide right,
whose deep cross is headed wide by Taylor. In fairness, Taylor was trying to
head that back across goal and just got more power on his header than he
would have liked.
9 mins - Murphy beats Demel down the left touchline before crossing. Brown
is there again, volleying clear this time.
8 mins - Taylor is involved again, controlling a long diagonal ball before
beating Wabara. He lobs the ball goalwards, but Lee-Barrett makes the catch.
6 mins - Emmanuel-Thomas takes and Demel wins it before being fouled.
Free-kick to the visitors. A high ball comes forward again and Potts climbs
high to head clear powerfully above the head of Ellington. Great stuff - I'm
sure watching dad Steve will have loved seeing that.
5 mins - The tackles continue to fly in - fair ones, mind you - as Taylor
and Wearen combine to halt right-back Reece Wabara. Wabara is on loan from
Manchester City. A cross comes over from the left and Brown heads behind for
an Ipswich corner.
4 mins - Taylor! Montenegro holds the ball up well before it is worked to
Taylor 30 yards out. He takes a touch, looks up and slams a shot that clears
the crossbar by a yard. Close.
3 mins - The home side are on top in the early showing. West Ham get some
possession and Montenegro has some space before being challenged strongly by
Luke Hyam. Seconds later, the same player challenges Moncur.
1 min - Ipswich are first to show as Emmanuel-Thomas controls a diagonal
pass on the touchline before bursting between Taylor and Brown. He crosses
high and Demel is forced to head over his own crossbar. The corner comes in
and Demel is there to head clear. A strong start from the Ivorian.
1pm - West Ham get things underway. Olly Lee is captaining the Hammers
today.
12.58pm - The two teams have finished their warm-ups and are stripped and
ready for the action to start.
12.55pm - A few West Ham-related links in the Ipswich team. Goalkeeper
Lee-Barrett played for Hartlepool United against the Hammers in the FA Cup
fourth round in January 2009, while substitute stopper Cody Cropper is a
United States Under-20 colleague of Sebastian Lletget. Finally, Jay
Emmanuel-Thomas bagged a hat-trick for Arsenal in their 4-1 home Barclays
Premier Reserve League victory over West Ham last season.
12.52pm - Matt Taylor is out warming up with his team-mates ahead of the
game. If all goes well today, with assistant manager Neil McDonald watching
on, the No14 could be involved against Derby County on Saturday.
12.50pm - It's an overcast day here in Suffolk, but there is no wind and the
temperature is on the chilly side but it's not what you would call cold. All
in all, the conditions are set fair for what should be a decent game of
football. Both teams will be keen to impress, with first-team spots up for
grabs ahead of the busiest part of the npower Championship season.
12.30pm - The Ipswich Town starting XI and substitutes have also been
announced. The Tractor Boys have a very strong team out, with Republic of
Ireland internationals Mark Kennedy and Daryl Murphy, New Zealand FIFA World
Cup star Tommy Smith, experienced Premier League campaigner Nathan Ellington
and England Under-21 forward Jay Emmanuel-Thomas all in the starting lineup.
Ipswich Town XI: Lee-Barrett, Wabara, Kennedy, Ainsley, Smith, Hyam,
Lawrence, Teddy, Emmanuel-Thomas, Murphy, Ellington
Subs: Murray, Cropper, Whight, Burke, O'Connor
12.20pm - West Ham United's team and substitutes will be as follows:
West Ham United XI: Kurucz, Driver, Brown, Potts, Demel, Wearen, Moncur,
O.Lee, Sears, Taylor, Montenegro
Subs: Larkins, K.Lee, Lletget, Turgott, Vose
Good afternoon and welcome to Ipswich Town's training ground for today's
Development Squad fixture. Ian Hendon brings a side mixing plenty of youth
with a bit of experience to Suffolk with Guy Demel, Matt Taylor, Freddie
Sears and Peter Kurucz all involved. Meanwhile, the likes of Dan Potts,
Elliot Lee and Matthias Fanimo will be keen to build on their impressive
form in recent weeks. Between them in the experience-range are midfielder
Olly Lee, who excelled in last week's 2-0 victory at Whyteleafe. Demel and
Sears, of course, will be anxious to impress ahead of Saturday's npower
Championship visit of Derby County to the Boleyn Ground. It promises to be a
competitive 90 minutes, whatever happens! The team news will be posted as
soon as the two lineups become available, with live text updates on the
action from kick-off at 1pm.
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Piq pleased to break duck
WHUFC.com
Frederic Piquionne is feeling good after netting his first goal of the
npower Championship season
22.11.2011
Frederic Piquionne will never have scored a more fortunate goal than the
strike that clinched West Ham United's 2-1 npower Championship victory at
Coventry City.
The striker bagged his first of the 2011/12 season - and first league goal
since scoring at Everton on 22 January - with a comedy finish at the Ricoh
Arena, diverting Cyrus Christie's header past Joe Murphy with his knee after
failing to make contact with a diving header of his own. The old saying that
it does not matter how they go in as long as they do go in was echoed by the
No30 when he spoke to West Ham TV. "I think it's the worst goal I've ever
scored but it was a very good goal because it was the winning goal and we
needed the three points," said Piquionne. "Julien crossed the ball and I
missed it and the defender touched it. I slipped and when I did I touched
the ball with my knee and it went into the goal! I just fell over. It was a
good goal for the team."
Piquionne's goal was his first in 21 appearances dating back to the FA Cup
sixth-round defeat at Stoke City on 13 March - more thany eight months ago.
The Frenchman's goal was all the more special as it secured West Ham's first
come-from-behind victory of a season that he hopes will end with promotion
to the Premier League. "Of course I thought sometimes the next goal would
not come because this was my first goal for West Ham this season. I haven't
played a lot but when I come on the pitch I do my best. "It's superb for the
team, for our mentality and for everything. It is the first time we have won
a game when we've conceded the first goal. We had the aim to score goal and
to win and we had to do it."
Piquionne was one of two strikers to catch the eye after coming off the
substitutes' bench at Coventry. His good friend Carlton Cole scoring the
Hammers' equaliser to cap an outstanding individual display, impressing the
32-year-old. "Coley is a very good player. Sometimes he has to play more and
in the last two games he has made a difference for the team. He's been very
good for us. "Maybe we have to keep the ball better, but we won the game but
for the club it was important."
Having netted his first goal of the campaign, Piquionne is hoping to
convince manager Sam Allardyce of his value to the club, both in the
short-term and for the remainder of his contract, which expires in summer
2013. "I am nearly 33, so maybe that's why the gaffer doesn't let me play on
the pitch - OK gaffer?!" he joked. "No, seriously, I am very well in the
team. I have a lot of friends and I have one more year on my contract and I
want to stay at West Ham."
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Tomkins interest brushed aside
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 22nd November 2011
By: Staff Writer
Queens Park Rangers' interest in signing West Ham United centre half James
Tomkins has been laughed off by West Ham. The 22-year-old centre half has
been in exceptional form in the opening half of the 2011/12 season and is
already one of the front runners to land the club's Player of the Year award
next May. Such consistency was bound to attract the attention of other clubs
and the west Londoners were the first to make their interest public this
week when current manager Neil Warnock spoke favourably about Tomkins, a
player he values at 'around the £3million mark'. However that valuation has
been laughed off by West Ham United, with an unnamed insider telling Harris
Harris of ESPN that "we wouldn't sell him for that" adding, "he has nearly
three years left on his contract, he's not for sale."
Tomkins - who first signed pro terms with the club in 2005 - most recently
signed a new three-and-a-half year deal back in 2009, a contract that ties
him to West Ham until the summer of 2013. He has made 15 appearances already
this season, scoring once (at Watford) and being booked twice (against Leeds
and Hull).
Tomkins on the rise: career stats
2007/08 Pld 6, Gls 0, Bkd 0 (Premier League)
2008/09 Pld 23, Gls 1, Bkd 1, S/Off 1 (Premier League)*
2009/10 Pld 26, Gls 0, Bkd 0 (Premier League)
2010/11 Pld 28, Gls 1, Bkd 3 (Premier League)
2011/12 Pld 15, Gls 1, Bkd 2 (Championship)
*Includes 8 appearances for Derby County.
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Taylor scores on return
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 22nd November 2011
By: Staff Writer
Matthew Taylor made his long-awaited comeback this afternoon as West Ham's
development squad took on Ipswich Town. The midfielder, who has been out of
action for several weeks played for more than an hour as Ian Hendon's side
went down 3-2 to a strong Tractor Boys XI in the behind-closed-doors
friendly close to Ipswich's home ground. The former Bolton and Portsmouth
star put Hendon's side - that also featured Guy Demel, who is STILL to make
his debut for the club despite having joined in August - ahead on the half
hour mark after nodding home an Oliver Lee cross. However the Hammers fell
apart midway through the second half, conceding three goals in the space of
14 minutes (Republic of Ireland international Darryl Murray scoring twice
with Nathan Ellington grabbbing the third). Freddie Sears gave the final
score a rather more respectable look when he fired home West Ham's second
with just under 20 minutes of normal time to play. However Sears' goal
failed to prevent Hendon's side slipping to what was only their third
reversal in seventeen outings this season, following the defeats at Weymouth
(in July) and Charlton (September).
West Ham United: Kurucz, Driver, Brown, Potts, Demel, Wearen (Lletget 62),
Moncur, O.Lee (Turgott 85), Sears, Taylor (Vose 67), Montenegro.
Subs not used: Larkins, K.Lee.
Goals: Taylor (33), Sears (71).
Ipswich Town: Lee-Barrett (Cropper 46), Wabara, Kennedy, Ainsley, Smith
(Whight 70), Hyam, Lawrence, Teddy, Emmanuel-Thomas (O'Connor 62), Murphy
(Murray 46), Ellington (Burke 70).
Subs not used: None.
Goals: Murray (53, 61), Ellington (67).
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West Ham snub QPR interest in Tomkins
Harry Harris, ESPNsoccernet
November 22, 2011
West Ham have laughed off QPR's £3 million valuation of centre-back James
Tomkins, insisting that they are not interested in selling him to the
Premier League club.
Tomkins, 22, has been in impressive form in the Championship this season and
QPR boss Neil Warnock is believed to be considering a January swoop for the
former England Under-21 defender. But the Hammers want to keep hold of their
prized defensive asset as they look to leap straight back into the Premier
League and have no intention of selling him, especially for the £3 million
fee suggested in some quarters. A Hammers source told ESPNsoccernet: "We
wouldn't sell him for that! The player has nearly three years left on his
contract. He's not for sale." In fact, there is every chance West Ham will
offer Tomkins an improved and extended contract should they win promotion
this season. Tomkins' assured displays have helped the Hammers up to second
in the Championship table and boss Sam Allardyce has no intentions of
selling such a versatile performer, who can play right-back or centre-back.
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