WHUFC.com
A lack of organisation on the Birmingham equaliser proved too costly for Sam Allardyce on Boxing Day
27.12.2011
Sam Allardyce believed his West Ham United side threw away two precious points in their Boxing Day encounter away at Birmingham City. Having seen Carlton Cole fire in a fourth-minute opener, the Hammers manager then watched as the visitors created a succession of first-half chances only to spurn them all. That profligacy came back to haunt them in the second half when David Murphy was able to score from a poorly-defended corner and in the end, Birmingham will feel hard done-by that they did not scramble a late winner. The 1-1 draw ensured Big Sam's team stayed in second spot, although they slip to three points behind leaders Southampton and are now level on points with third-placed Middlesbrough. Although he would not name names, the manager was especially dismayed with the way the Birmingham equaliser was defended in the 81st minute. "It is a night of frustration for me because our performance in the first half should have had the game sewn up by half-time," said the manager. "We didn't do that and at some stage when you are playing away from home the opposition are going to put you under some pressure. "We were coping with that and our man who should have dropped on the line from the corner decides not to do his job properly and the ball goes in. We end up in a one-one and hanging on towards the end rather than being comfortable in possession and seeing the game out. It was a great shame after all the great
play and chances we produced."
It was all so different in the first 45 when Julien Faubert twice had good chances, while Freddie Piquionne was also denied a decent goalscoring opportunity. The terrific Cole felt he had added a second just before the interval when he twisted and shot for goal, only for Boaz Myhill to save superbly. In fairness, Robert Green then had to be alert on several occasions after the break. For all of Green's brilliance, the manager felt he was let down by poor marking. It was something he vowed to put right on the practice pitches this week in the lead-up to Saturday's trip to Derby County. "What counts in this game is what happens in both boxes and all we had to do was defend a corner properly and we didn't. They scored and technically we have allowed the opposition back in the game just by not having our man where he should have been because he went and forget. I don't accept that. "They get told what their positions are and what they have to do. Lads are going to have to man up and stop doing these types of things. They are very costly in the end and today it cost us two points. "Not just that but the other side of thing is creating chances and not taking them. If we had gone two-nil up they would have had the spirit knocked out of them and we would have been more likely to end up three-nil rather than 2-1 because they get more desperate and take more chances."
Of huge disappointment to the manager was the suspensions accrued by George McCartney, Kevin Nolan and Faubert for the Pride Park encounter this week after their fifth bookings of the campaign. Jack Collison will also be serving the last fixture of a three-game ban for that match. "At the end of the day we get three booked who were on four bookings and they are all banned for Saturday at Derby so I feel like we have lost at the minute," added Big Sam. The manager may have Abdoulaye Faye and Sam Baldock back for Derby, while Winston Reid and Matt Taylor are also thought to not be too far behind but, whoever plays, he knows that they will have to start producing victories again on a regular basis. "I am happy overall but not the last four games. We have only taken four points which is a nonsense compared to what we have done and it tells you we have to go and win three or four on the trot now. "We have got to put a run of wins together to get back in touch with Southampton and not let the gap get too big. Our gap to the chasing teams has been whittled down because of our poor results."
In fairness, he conceded that his team had done well given the circumstances around his selection options which meant Gary O'Neil was back on the bench after eight months out with an ankle injury. Dan Potts did well on only his second game, while James Tomkins and Papa Bouba Diop were heroic at times in blocking the Blues' charge. "I have been pretty critical to a patched-up team which has been patched up for a long time now. We have got a 17-year-old at left-back away from home for the first time while George is playing centre-half. "They did a good job overall but there is just the element of concentration at key times that makes us ruthless. That makes you win the game instead of drawing and we have lost that ability to do our job correctly. We have to put that right."
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Montano at the double
WHUFC.com
Young forward Cristian Montano scored two more league goals out on loan on Boxing Day
26.12.2011
Cristian Montano made it a Boxing Day to remember with two goals as Dagenham & Redbridge won 3-0 at home to fellow strugglers Barnet. The young attacker has just extended his loan stay at the Hammers' near neighbours until 14 January and put them in front with a terrific long-range effort. He added a second just before the interval, and then promptly made the third for Brian Woodhall to wrap up a deserved win. The 20-year-old has now scored eight goals in 19 league matches this season during his loan spells for Notts County, Swindon Town and the Daggers. Montano, who can be recalled at any time, was the only young Hammer on loan duty on Monday, with Callum McNaughton missing out for AFC Wimbledon through injury as they lost 2-0 at home to Oxford United. Robert Hall was not in the Oxford lineup as he travelled with the first team to Birmingham City. In the Championship, Herita Ilunga played the full 90 minutes as Doncaster Rovers lost 3-0 at Burnley while Jordan Spence continues to wait for a chance under Derek McInnes at Bristol City, who went down 1-0 at Coventry City.
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Birmingham 1 - 1 West Ham
BBC.co.uk
Page last updated at 21:16 GMT, Monday, 26 December 2011
West Ham climbed back into second place in the Championship despite David Murphy's late header earning Birmingham a point. Sam Allardyce's side took the lead when Carlton Cole latched on to a flick-on from Frederic Piquionne to sprint clear and drive into the corner. But Birmingham dominated after the break and went close through Nikola Zigic and Marlon King. The equaliser came when Pablo Ibanez headed across for Murphy to convert. Both teams fashioned early chances as Chris Burke sent a header off target before Hammers skipper Kevin Nolan narrowly failed to connect with Julien Faubert's low cross. West Ham went in front after four minutes when Cole took advantage of hesitation from Ibanez before racing clear and firing past Boaz Myhill. Faubert somehow missed a golden headed opportunity to put the visitors 2-0 ahead midway through the half before Ibanez cleared Piquionne's nodded effort off the line from the resulting corner. At the other end, Murphy and Keith Fahey forced Robert Green into saves. There was a frantic start to the second half as Burke curled an effort inches wide before Steven Caldwell and Joey O'Brien made last-ditch tackles at either end. Birmingham substitute Zigic looped a header on to the roof of the net from Murphy's cross and missed a great chance from close range after James Tomkins's sliced clearance. The leveller finally arrived nine minutes from time as Murphy converted Burke's corner to delight the home crowd, with Marlon King missing a late chance to snatch all three points.
Birmingham manager Chris Hughton: "Over the 90 minutes it was a fair result. I was pleased we finished so strongly. "It is very tough when you concede so early in a game particularly against a team as good as West Ham. "We were indebted to Myhill's save just before half-time which kept us in the game. "I still felt, even in the first half, when we were not at our best that we could still create opportunities and put them under the pressure."
West Ham manager Sam Allardyce: "It was all about us missing too many chances in the first half. That was our problem. "Unfortunately we didn't capitalise upon what was a great first half performance. "(Boaz) Myhill's marvellous save just before the half was a vital turning point and it came back to haunt us. "Birmingham is a difficult place to come to at any time but I am disappointed we didn't win the game."
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Birmingham City 1 West Ham Utd 1
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 26th December 2011
By: Staff Writer
West Ham are back in the Championship's automatic promotion zone tonight - but on goal difference only, after a late goal at St Andrews cost them two vital points in the fight for promotion. Middlesbrough's 1-0 win at home to Hull earlier in the day saw Sam Allardyce's side temporarily deposed from the second place in which they had previously sat since November. And although a 1-1 draw was good enough for West Ham to reclaim second position in the table, Allardyce will no doubt be furious at his team's inability to hold on to the lead obtained through Carlton Cole's fourth minute effort. The big striker pounced on a defensive error to score the opening goal of the game after only three minutes on a chilly evening in Birmingham. With a long punt from Rob Green having been nodded on, City defender Pablo Ibanez midjudged the bounce allowing Cole to slip in behind the defence. The England striker, who has an excellent recent record against Birmingham took one touch before expertly finding the corner of Boaz Myhill's net. It was a lead that the Hammers were to hold on to for some 77 minutes before the home side finally salvaged a point through David Murphy. West Ham's defence, handicapped from four quick bookings by card-happy referee Darren Deadman had been under pressure since the introduction of man-mountain Nicola Zigic ten minutes into the second half. With just nine minutes left to play, the Serbian rose highest to meet a corner which he sent back across goal; the ball finding David Murphy, who nodded into an empty net.
Allardyce - who had to be restrained by the fourth official during injury time after Papa Boupa Diop sustained a head injury for which referee Deadman failed to stop play for - will no doubt also be fuming at the match official's refusal to award a penalty for what seemed two fairly decent shouts during the first half. The two incidents occurred within two minutes of each other; firstly, Kevin Nolan went down on the perimeter of the box after his legs became entangled with City's Steven Caldwell. However the far more obvious infringement came when Julien Faubert's goalbound header was clearly palmed away by eventual goalscorer Murphy - who therefore shouldn't have been on the pitch by the time he grabbed Birmingham's equaliser.
To add insult to injury, Sam Allardyce - whose paper-thin squad is already being stretched beyond its limits - lost a further THREE players today. Bookings for George McCartney, Kevin Nolan and Julien Faubert rule all three out of the New Year's Eve clash with Derby. Danny Potts, who made a second successive start today since being promoted from the youth team could well be joined by one or two of his fellow youngsters on Saturday at Pride Park.
Birmingham City 1 West Ham Utd 1: match facts
West Ham United: Green, O'Brien, Tomkins, McCartney, Potts, Noble, Diop, Nolan, Faubert (Sears 84), Cole (Carew 74), Piquionne (Lansbury 58).
Subs not used: Boffin, O'Neil.
Goals: Cole (4).
Shots on target/off target: 5/3.
Booked: Nolan (61), Faubert (70), McCartney (78), Noble (78).
Birmingham City: Myhill, Murphy, Caldwell, Ibanez, Burke, N'Daw, King, Beausejour (Redmond 70), Fahey, Spector, Wood (Zigic 56).
Subs not used: Doyle, Ridgewell, Mutch.
Goals: Murphy (81).
Shots on target/off target: 10/6.
Booked: None.
Referee: Darren Deadman (4).
Attendance: 20,214.
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Allardyce bemoans missed chances
Hammers boss unhappy with wasteful showing at Blues
Last Updated: December 26, 2011 9:45pm
SSN
West Ham manager Sam Allardyce believes missed chances were behind their draw at Birmingham, while Chris Hughton says it was a fair result. Carlton Cole gave the Hammers an early lead and the goal looked like being the winner for most of the match before David Murphyequalised. The visitors created the better of the chances at St Andrews and Allardyce was not happy his team failed to convert more of their opportunities. Allardyce believes Boaz Myhill's fine first-half save to deny Cole was the game's turning point.
Wasteful
"It was all about us missing too many chances in the first half. That was our problem," said Allardyce. "There is always going to be some pressure at some stage and generally we would have expected it at the beginning with Birmingham coming out of the traps. "But it wasn't as we controlled the first half and created a lot of chances that went begging. "You know that it is going to change at some stage and they did so by going direct when they sent on big (Nikola) Zigic. "We only had to cope with a corner but unfortunately from a technical point of view my player has failed to drop on to the line and as a result we lost a goal and had to be content with a draw. "There were also other disappointing features from the second half. Unfortunately we didn't capitalise upon what was a great first half performance. "(Boaz) Myhill's marvellous save just before the half was a vital turning point and it came back to haunt us. "Birmingham is a difficult place to come to at any time but I am disappointed we didn't win the game."
Spirit
Birmingham's spirit was acknowledged by manager Chris Hughton, who commented: "Over the 90 minutes it was a fair result. I was pleased with finished so strongly.
"It is very tough when you concede so early in a game particularly against a team as good as West Ham. "We were indebted to Myhill's save just before half-time which kept us in the game. "I still felt, even in the first half, when we were not at our best that we could still create opportunities and put them under the pressure.
"You can see why West Ham where they are. They certainly have quality, power and pace. They are a strong physical side which will win them points. "If there was going to be a winner it would probably have been us but over the 90 minutes a draw was a fair result. "Murphy also did well for us. He is in very good form and it was needed and he scored at just the right time."
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Murphy helps Blues hold Hammers
Last updated: 26th December 2011
SSN
David Murphy headed home a late equaliser for Birmingham, who earned a 1-1 Championship draw with West Ham at St Andrew's on Boxing Day. West Ham owners David Sullivan and David Gold were denied the perfect post-Christmas present on their return to their former club. The Hammers joint-chairmen were back at St Andrew's together for the first time since selling to Carson Yeung in November 2009 and subsequently taking charge at Upton Park the following January. And they were celebrating after just four minutes as Carlton Cole capitalised on hesitancy from Pablo Ibanez to put the Hammers ahead, just as he had done in the Carling Cup semi-final second leg between the two sides at the start of 2011. Birmingham launched a remarkable fightback to turn that tie around and, after an impressive albeit not quite repeat comeback, defender Murphy headed home an 81st-minute leveller to grab a deserved share of the spoils from what was a thoroughly entertaining encounter. Victory could easily have gone to either side but a point apiece was a fair reflection and extended City's unbeaten run on home soil while West Ham, boasting the best away record in the second tier, moved back into second place behind leaders Southampton.
Amid a blistering start to proceedings, both teams created early openings as Chris Burke sent a header off target before Hammers skipper Kevin Nolan narrowly failed to connect with Julien Faubert's low, teasing cross. And the deadlock was soon broken out of nowhere as Cole nicked the ball of a hesitant Ibanez before racing clear and dispatching the perfect finish past Boaz Myhill. It was proving to be a free-flowing, open encounter in front of the 20,214 present, both defences snuffing out half-chances at either end, although West Ham were enjoying the better of proceedings with Cole causing City all sorts of problems. Faubert somehow missed a great headed chance to put the visitors 2-0 ahead midway through the half before Ibanez cleared Frederic Piquionne's nodded effort off the line from the resulting corner.
Murphy's goalbound free-kick forced Robert Green into action for the first time before Keith Fahey's volley tested the Hammers stopper during a sustained spell of pressure from the home side. The visitors had gone quiet over the second quarter but Myhill was called into a great stop in first-half injury time to deny Cole's quickfire effort. The second half started in the same fashion as the first as Burke curled an effort inches wide before Steven Caldwell and Joey O'Brien made last-ditch tackles at either end.
Blues boss Chris Hughton turned to Nikola Zigic in an attempt to change things around. Caldwell saw a header cleared to safety from Burke's corner before Myhill was again called upon to to parry substitute Henri Lansbury's strike to safety. Zigic looped a header on to the roof of the net from Murphy's cross and, after Fahey tested Green, the Serbian somehow missed a gilt-edged chance from close range after James Tomkins' sliced clearance. But a leveller finally arrived nine minutes from time as Murphy converted Burke's corner to send the home crowd into raptures, with Marlon King missing a late chance to snatch all three points.
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Birmingham City 1 West Ham United 1: match report
By Telegraph staff
9:33PM GMT 26 Dec 2011
Sam Allardyce was far from happy after watching West Ham denied victory by a late equaliser from Birmingham's Brian Murphy. Murphy's late goal enabled Birmingham to maintain their unbeaten home record while West Ham returned to second place behind Championship leaders Southampton with the point. However, the West Ham manager has further reason for concern after George McCartney, Kevin Nolan and Julien Faubert collected bookings which will rule all three out of the next game, against Derby. Carlton Cole's eighth goal of the season after just four minutes put the visitors in control but West Ham failed to capitalise upon their early advantage. Birmingham deservedly stole an 81st minute equaliser when Murphy headed home following a Chris Burke corner which was pushed back into the goalmouth melee by Birmingham's Steve Caldwell. Allardyce said: "It was all about us missing too many chances in the first half. That was our problem. There is always going to be some pressure at some stage and generally we would have expected it at the beginning with Birmingham coming out of the traps.
"But it wasn't as we controlled the first half and created a lot of chances that went begging. You know that it is going to change at some stage and they did so by going direct when they sent on big [Nikola] Zigic. "We only had to cope with a corner but unfortunately from a technical point of view my player has failed to drop on to the line and as a result we lost a goal and had to be content with a draw. There were also other disappointing features from the second half. Unfortunately we didn't capitalise upon what was a great first half performance. "[Boaz] Myhill's marvellous save just before the half was a vital turning point and it came back to haunt us. "But our big problem now is the three suspensions for the next game means I do not know where I am going to get the players from to fill these positions."
Everything had looked so bright for West Ham when they stormed into the lead with a route one goal. Robert Green's long clearance was headed on and Cole beat the hesitant Pablo Ibanez to shoot past Myhill. Julian Faubert should have increased West Ham's lead but his weak, close range, header was deflected for a corner by Murphy. Only a breathtaking save in the last minute of the first half by Myhill from Cole kept Birmingham in the game. But Birmingham's second half fight-back was rewarded by Murphy's late equaliser after West Ham had lost their poise and domination. "Murphy also did well for us. He is in very good form and it was needed and he scored at just the right time."
Match details:
Birmingham (4-4-2): Myhill; Spector, Caldwell, Ibanez, Murphy; Burke, Fahey, N'daw, Beausejour (Redmond 70); King, Wood (Zigic 56). Subs: Doyle (g), Ridgewell, Mutch.
West Ham (4-4-2): Green; O'Brien, Tomkins, McCartney, Potts; Noble, Diop, Noble, Faubert (Sears 84); Cole (Carew 74), Piquionne (Lansbury 58). Subs: Boffin (g), O'Neil. Booked: Nolan, Faubert, McCartney, Noble.
Referee: D Deadman (Hertfordshire).
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West Ham's draw at Birmingham City proves costly for Sam Allardyce
• Yellow cards rule three players out of Derby County match
• David Murphy heads 81st-minute equaliser for Birmingham
guardian.co.uk, Monday 26 December 2011 20.20 GMT
Sam Allardyce was far from happy after watching West Ham United hold on to take a point from a 1-1 draw at Birmingham City to maintain second spot behind Southampton. The West Ham manager was also concerned that George McCartney, Kevin Nolan and Julien Faubert picked up bookings which will rule all three out of the next game, against Derby County. Carlton Cole scored his eighth goal of the season after four minutes but Birmingham maintained their unbeaten home league record through David Murphy's 81st‑minute headed equaliser.
Allardyce said: "Unfortunately we didn't capitalise upon what was a great first‑half performance. Birmingham is a difficult place to come to at any time but I am disappointed we didn't win the game. But our big problem now is the three suspensions for the next game means I do not know where I am going to get the players from to fill these positions."
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