Daily WHUFC News - 5th May 2013

Stalemate at the Boleyn
WHUFC.com
West Ham United and Newcastle United shared the points in the Barclays
Premier League on Saturday
04.05.2013

West Ham United maintained their position in the top ten of the Barclays
Premier League but were unable to claim all three points from a stubborn
Newcastle United team at the Boleyn Ground on Saturday. Newcastle had their
6-0 defeat to Liverpool from last weekend fresh in their memories, but they
were considerably tighter on this occasion as neither team were able to
trouble the scorers. Papiss Cisse went closest for the visitors, with a shot
that beat Jussi Jaaskelainen and so nearly crept over the line before
Winston Reid got back to clear. Andy Carroll could not add to his recent
glut of goals against his old side, and Matt Jarvis forced a save from Rob
Elliot, but 0-0 was just about the right scoreline. Joey O'Brien was the
recipient of an early yellow card after he scythed down Steven Taylor in the
left channel, and Hatem Ben Arfa decided to to shoot from goal from the
resulting free-kick, and from an unfavourable angle he whipped the ball over
the top.

With 20 minutes on the clock, Reid did brilliantly to get back in time -
just - and knock the ball off the line after Yohan Cabaye's pass cut out the
Hammers defence and put Cisse in on goal. He slipped the ball past Jussi
Jaaskelainen and surely thought he had put his side in front, only for Reid
to intervene. In truth, the first half offered little in the way in the way
of attacking threat, and although Newcastle enjoyed slightly better of the
play, they were not able to force a breakthrough before the interval. There
was a greater sense of urgency at the start of the second period, and former
Magpie Andy Carroll was not far away with a header from Matt Jarvis' floated
left-wing cross, which drifted just wide. Yohan Cabaye had space for a
25-yard shot at the other end on 49 minutes, but his right-footed effort
swerved away from Jaaskelainen's post and flew off target. The Hammers were
beginning to create the better chances by the hour mark and they had strong
penalty shouts waved away by referee Phil Dowd after Fabricio Coloccini
eased Ricardo Vaz Te away following Jarvis' dangerous cross from the left.

Visiting goalkeeper Rob Elliot then had to make a fine double save to deny
Kevin Nolan from close in following another Jarvis delivery, while the
wideman almost turned goalscorer as West Ham recycled possession in the
aftermath of that chance, with Jarvis' rasping drive needing a touch over
from Elliot.
At the other end, Yoan Gouffran went just as close with 67 minutes played,
beating Jaaskelainen to a channel ball down the left, but looping an effort
across the face of the unguarded goal from a tight angle. Then, with 74
minutes on the clock, sub Shola Ameobi caught a 25-yard shot well but was
off target. Joe Cole's late free kick struck a post but would not have
counted as an offside Carroll challenged Elliot and both teams had to be
content with a solitary point.

West Ham United: Jaaskelainen, Demel (Taylor 80), Collins, Reid, O'Brien;
Diame, O'Neil, Nolan; Vaz Te (Collison 59), Carroll, Jarvis (J.Cole 84)
Subs: Henderson (GK), C.Cole, Noble, Pogatetz
Booked: O'Brien
Newcastle United: Elliot; Simpson, S.Taylor, Coloccini, Yanga-M'Biwa; Tiote,
Gutierrez; Ben Arfa (Ameobi 65), Cayabe, Gouffran (Gosling 76); Cisse
Subs: Harper (GK), Williamson, Perch, Anita, Campbell
Referee: Phil Dowd
Attendance: 34,962

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Carroll wins SBOBET player poll
WHUFC.com
Andy Carroll has won the April SBOBET Player of the Month poll with 36 per
cent of the vote
04.05.2013

Andy Carroll has been named as the SBOBET Player of the Month for April -
the second month in a row he has claimed the prize. Carroll took 36% of the
vote, six per cent more than goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen in second. James
Collins (14%) rounded off the top three. The on-loan Liverpool man notched
two goals in April - the equaliser in the 1-1 draw at the start of the month
and a last minute consolation at Manchester City on April 27. He also made
telling contributions away from goalscoring, providing the assists for Kevin
Nolan in the Boleyn Ground victory over Wigan Athletic and Ricardo Vaz Te in
a thrilling 2-2 draw with Manchester United. Carroll's fine form stretches
back further than just April, though, with six goals in his last ten games
going in to Saturday's game with former side Newcastle United.

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Macca pleased with clean sheet
WHUFC.com
Assistant manager Neil McDonald says Saturday's 0-0 draw with Newcastle
United was fair for both teams
04.05.2013

West Ham United assistant manager Neil McDonald thought a point apiece was
fair after his side battled out a 0-0 draw with Newcastle United at the
Boleyn Ground on Saturday. West Ham failed to score at home for just the
second time this season, but Newcastle could not breach the hosts' defences
either on an afternoon of few clear-cut chances. The result keeps the
Hammers in the top ten of the Barclays Premier League and former Magpies
right-back McDonald was happy to keep a clean sheet. He told West Ham TV:
"It's a clean sheet in the Premier League, which is vital. I suppose a draw
in the end was probably fair in our opinion. "Newcastle probably had the
better chances in the first half, but we certainly had the better chances in
the second half. "Both teams were unable to get the ball over the line and
it's a nil-nil draw, but it's only the second time we've failed to score at
home, which is pretty good for a newly-promoted team."
Newcastle travelled south having been defeated 3-0 and 6-0 in the previous
two home games, so McDonald was not surprised to see them set up with a more
defensive style at the Boleyn Ground. Talking about his own side's
opportunities, Sam Allardyce's No2 was disappointed to see Kevin Nolan, Matt
Jarvis and Andy Carroll pass up opportunities to break the deadlock. He
continued: "I think Newcastle, with their two previous resilts, were going
to come here and be a little more compact. They certainly did that and they
passed it better than us in the first half and created a couple of chances.
"Second half, I felt we played off the front foot better and created a lot
more chances in open play, as well as from putting them under pressure from
our free-kicks and corners. "We were just unable to breach their defence in
the end, and that's disappointing because we created three or four chances
to win the game. Overall a 0-0 is a fair result."

West Ham thought they may have had a penalty when Ricardo Vaz Te went down
under a Fabricio Coloccini challenge in the second half, while the officials
had to make another big call in the opening period when Winston Reid cleared
Papiss Cisse's shot from off the line. Newcastle claimed a goal, but
McDonald was more interested in the quality of his defender's recovery. He
said: "We were sitting on the bench thinking we might have had a penalty.
Sometimes you get them, sometimes you don't, but we're more disappointed
that we haven't scored from the chances we've created at the end. "For them,
Cisse's made some clever runs in the first half which caused us a few
problems. He got in behind, got past Jussi [Jaaskelainen], but defenders
want to keep clean sheets and Winston was in the right place at the right
time to clear the ball off the line."

Next for the Hammers is a trip to another of McDonald's former clubs,
Everton, and he is looking for a three-point haul to help consolidate West
Ham's top-half position, He sxplained: "Everton are a difficult team to
play, especially at home, and they're in good form themselves. We certainly
want to finish as high as we can, we want to improve our scoring record away
from home too. "We want to amass as many points as we can from the two games
left and if we can do that we might finish in the top half. If we can do
that it will have been an absolutely brilliant season. "The players will be
prepared - we know what Everton's strengths and weaknesses are and we'll be
ready."

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'We're a lot better than that'
WHUFC.com
Jordan Spence called upon the Development Squad to make amends for defeat at
Southampton
04.05.2013

Jordan Spence vowed to ensure there will be no repeat of the Development
Squad's second-half capitulation at Southampton, one that saw the Saints run
out convincing 5-2 winners. It was all the more galling for centre-half
Spence, who knows as well as anyone that the Hammers back four are a great
deal better than Thursday's showing suggested. Though the lure of the Elite
Group's top three is now gone, the 22-year-old insists he and his teammates
will not be short of motivation for Tuesday's final Barclays Under-21
Premier League fixture at West Bromwich Albion.

He told West Ham TV: "It's disappointing because we've come away getting
beaten in an unattractive manner. We've got one more game and more
importantly, it's about addressing it individually, collectively and making
sure we don't see any performances like that again. "Every game's important.
Everyone in the changing room will want to win and individually everyone
will have their own targets, goals and aspirations. You can't let that
fizzle out in May." Reflecting on Thursday's ill-fated trip to the south
coast, Spence blamed a lack of consistency for what ensued after the
half-time interval. With plenty of senior experience under his belt, the
Woodford-born defender was adamant that such lapses are not to be tolerated
at this level. He continued: "We're in the business of making sure we're
elite players all the time. And the thing about being a top player is
consistency. You don't play at the highest level and you won't play in our
first team without consistently performing. Out of character, yes, but it
can't happen really. "We made a good start to the game, scored a good goal
and even once we conceded the first goal, which was against the run of play,
we did well to get our noses in front again with the penalty. "We didn't see
out the half, which was disappointing. But even with that, I don't think it
was a major, major factor, we still felt we were the dominant force in the
game and sadly errors cost us in the second half. We weren't as productive
in an attacking sense, nor were we as efficient defensively. "Nobody likes
to be on the receiving end of conceding that number of goals. I think anyone
who has seen us play as a back four, [knows] we're a lot better than that
and that's the end of it really."

In the aftermath of a turbulent outing, Spence reckons honesty is the key to
preparing for a trip to the Baggies. That process will already have begun
with the players and staff poring over footage to see how and why Thursday's
game went awry. "It's now about learning. There will be some individual
analysis and we do unit analysis as defenders, midfielders and attackers.
The analysis will be done and then we've got to prepare right for the West
Brom game and prepare right for what's to come until the end of the season.
"We're honest with each other. Nick isn't someone who's going to rant and
rave, he's someone who's interested in our development, all the way through
as players, as individuals and as a team. So, harsh words, but we've got to
be honest. There's no point being in this game if you're not going to be
honest."

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On this day - 5 May
WHUFC.com
West Ham United and Crystal Palace shared the points in a six-goal thriller
15 years ago today
05.05.2013

Classic match
Crystal Palace 3-3 West Ham United
Premier League
5 May 1998
West Ham United were en route to an eighth place Premier League finish when
they travelled south of the river to take on Crystal Palace in the
penultimate fixture of the 1997/98 campaign. It proved to be a real thriller
as the sides shared six goals. The Hammers took a fourth minute lead when
Frank Lampard's run towards goal was only ended by a tackle from Sasa
Curcic, which ended up in his own net. But Palace hit back through a Marcus
Bent chip, and then Simon Rodger's first time effort from the edge of the
area put his side 2-1 up. it got even better for the hosts when Attilio
Lombardo finished coolly for 3-1, but the Hammers were not finished and came
roaring back in a rousing finale. Manny Omoyinmi got the comeback going in
the 68th minute, and although David Unsworth was sent off with two minutes
to play, West Ham still managed to level up thanks to Omoyinmi's second.

Complete record - 5 May
2007 West Ham United 3-1 Bolton Wanderers (Premier League)
2001 West Ham United 3-0 Southampton (Premier League)
1998 Crystal Palace 3-3 West Ham United (Premier League)
1996 West Ham United 1-1 Sheffield Wednesday (Premier League)
1990 West Ham United 4-0 Wolverhampton Wanderers (Division Two)
1986 Everton 3-1 West Ham United (Division One)
1984 West Ham United 0-1 Aston Villa (Division One)
1980 West Ham United 4-1 Charlton Athletic (Division Two)
1979 Blackburn Rovers 1-0 West Ham United (Division Two)
1951 West Ham United 0-0 Cardiff City (Division Two)
1934 Notts County 1-2 West Ham United (Division Two)
1928 Newcastle United 3-1 West Ham United (Division One)
1923 West Ham United 0-1 Notts County (Division Two)
Played 13, Won 5, Drawn 3, Lost 5, Scored 22, Conceded 16

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U18s finish on a high
WHUFC.com
West Ham United completed their Barclays U18 Premier League season with a
2-0 victory at Stoke City
04.05.2013

West Ham United completed their Barclays U18 Premier League season with a
hard-earned 2-0 victory at Stoke City. The Hammers ended the Tier One Stage
campaign with a fourth victory in five outings in the Potteries through
goals either side of half-time from trialist Joe Ward and schoolboy forward
Djair Parfitt-Williams. Academy Director Tony Carr MBE praised his young
squad - Parfitt-Williams was one of five schoolboys to start at Stoke - for
their resilience and clinical finishing at Stoke. "We won 2-0," said Carr.
"We put in a very disciplined performance and defended very well against a
Stoke attack that was very direct and saw a lot of high balls pumped into
our penalty area. It was a good rearguard performance. "We opened the
scoring when Nathan Mavila dispossessed one of their defenders and had a
shot that their goalkeeper parried into the path of Joe Ward, who tapped
home to put us one-nil up at half-time.
"Our second goal came from Djair and was another case of us breaking up
their play and winning the ball back. Djair picked the ball up and ran
through and poked it past the goalkeeper from close range with about ten
minutes remaining. "It was a well-worked victory and fully deserved."

Carr has been pleased with the way the Under-18s have been performing in
recent weeks, praising the youngsters for tightening things up at the back.
West Ham have conceded just eight goals in their final seven league matches
to finish third in the Tier One table, having been bottom of the pile at one
stage. "We were talking on the coach on the way back from Stoke about how we
had played well in most of our matches, but that we had been conceding
sloppy goals that had put us on the back foot. "We have worked on it and
have been a lot more secure in recent weeks, which has enabled us to record
some good results.
"We have now got two friendly matches to finish the season against Tottenham
Hotspur and Southampton, where we will blood the Under-17s and the
schoolboys to prepare them for next season."

The Tottenham fixture will be away from home next Saturday, but West Ham
fans will be welcome to come down to Little Heath on Saturday 18 May for the
11.30am home kick-off against the highly-rated Saints.

West Ham United U18s: Nemrava, Knoyle, Onariase, Harney, Burke, Page, Miles
(Girdlestone), Makasi, Parfitt-Williams, Mavila, Ward (Boakye-Yiadom)

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West Ham 0 Newcastle 0
4 May 2013
Last updated at 17:52
By Alistair Magowan
BBC Sport

Newcastle's Premier League status remains in the balance after they shared a
goalless draw with West Ham. The Hammers put Alan Pardew's side under
pressure in the second half but Papiss Cisse came closest to scoring when
his first-half shot was cleared off the line by Winston Reid. Replays were
inconclusive but Rob Elliot made a double save to deny Kevin Nolan, while
Andy Carroll headed wide. Newcastle are three points above third-bottom
Wigan after they beat West Brom. Their position is made more worrying
because the Latics have a game in hand and a better goal difference, but the
clean sheet was a vast improvement on last weekend's 6-0 loss to Liverpool.
It was clear that the visitors arrived at Upton Park aiming to be more solid
after that shattering defeat and the return of Fabricio Coloccini in the
heart of their defence after injury was a welcome boost. Now they must turn
their attentions to their next match against relegated QPR, but the fact
that their hopes are not entirely in their control underline the side's
worrying loss of form. Newcastle are also one point clear of arch rivals
Sunderland, who also have a game extra, and in some senses this was an
opportunity missed as West Ham, promoted from the Championship last season,
are relatively comfortable in mid-table and remain 10th in the Premier
League.

The Magpies have lost four and drawn one of their five Premier League away
trips to London this season. Newcastle failed to score for the fourth time
in their last six Premier League matches. They netted only two overall in
the other two games. But after an improvement from Sam Allardyce's side in
the second half, Newcastle will be satisfied with a point as they held on,
particularly after a testing week where Pardew denied a reported player rift
in the camp. Before the break, Hatem Ben Arfa was at the centre of West
Ham's problems as his powerful running cut through the hosts's midfield on
several occasions. The French forward, back in the side instead of Moussa
Sissoko, twice tested Jussi Jaaskelainen, but the first period came alive
when Cisse's attempts to open the scoring were denied by Reid. Yohan Cabaye
slipped the ball through to the Senegalese forward and as his scuffed effort
looked to be dribbling into the goal, Reid slid in to clear. Assistant
referee Matthew Wilkes decided the ball did not cross the line and replays
suggested it might have been the right call. Wilkes was also the official
who ruled Wigan's Callum McManaman did not foul Newcastle's Massado Haidara
despite a crude challenge earlier in the season.

West Ham did not impose themselves on the game until after the break and as
has often been the case this season, Matt Jarvis was the source. His
inviting cross after 48 minutes was headed wide by Carroll at the back post.
Ricardo Vaz Te then failed to connect with another centre minutes later
after being pushed by Coloccini. That instigated a better spell for
Allardyce's side, who almost went in front again, but Elliot's superb double
save denied Nolan, while Carroll had another penalty appeal turned away by
referee Phil Dowd. Ben Arfa was replaced by Shola Ameobi and the substitute
centre-forward fired wide after Yoan Gouffran went close with another
effort, but as West Ham grew in confidence, the draw was well-earned and it
might yet be an important point for Newcastle.

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Ravel set for second loan spell?
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 4th May 2013
By: Staff Writer

Ravel Morrison could be set for a second year out on loan, according to West
Ham's assistant manager Neil McDonald. Speaking ahead of today's Premier
League with Newcastle, McDonald confirmed that a second season on loan -
possibly with Morrison's current club, Birmingham City - was a possibility
for the former Manchester United starlet. "One of the reasons we sent him to
Birmingham was to try and get that consistent time on the field. He would
have had a battle on to get into the team here," explained Sam Allardyce's
number two. "He has gone to Birmingham, got in the team and played well
consistently which is great. "I saw comments from Lee Clark that he might
possibly want to take him on loan again next year to give him some more
experience. That would be great and it is a decision that the manager has to
make. "Do we bring him back because he's had a good a year's football in
him, or do we leave him there for another year to see if he will develop
even more? We'll decide that in the summer."

Morrison joined West Ham in January 2012 having been let go by Manchester
United after Red Devils boss Alex Ferguson reportedly lost his patience with
the player, whose short career has thus far been dogged by controversy.
Since moving to London, there have been further rumours of bust-ups between
Morrison, club captain Kevin Nolan and McDonald himself. The 20-year-old has
thus far made just one substitute appearance - lasting nine minutes - for
the Hammers.

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Newcastle earn goalless draw at West Ham
Last Updated: May 4, 2013 9:51pm
SSN

Newcastle picked up a hard-fought point after a goalless draw at West Ham
but remain in relegation peril. Chances were few and far between as
Newcastle secured what could yet prove crucial reward - but wins for Wigan
and Aston Villa keep them looking over their shoulder.

Best of the game

Man of the match: Winston Reid - The West Ham defender celebrated his new
contract with a commanding performance at the back

Save of the match: Reid was alert to get back to clear Papiss Cisse's
goalbound shot off the line in the first half in what was the best chance of
the game.

Controversy of the match: Replays were inconclusive as to whether or not
Cisse's shot had crossed the line before Reid's intervention.

Moment of the match: In a game devoid of chances Elliot made a vital double
save to deny former Newcastle man Kevin Nolan midway through the second
half.

Talking point: How big a miss has Fabricio Coloccini been at the back for
Newcastle? Should West Ham do all they can to sign Andy Carroll on a
permanent basis?

The closest either side came to scoring was when Papiss Cisse saw his
first-half effort cleared off the line by Winston Reid. Newcastle welcomed
back captain Fabricio Coloccini to the side after being out of action since
February with a back problem and his presence helped organise their
defensive line after conceding six last time out against Liverpool. Hatem
Ben Arfa, who was recalled to the starting line-up, tried his luck with a
free-kick wide on the right on ten minutes with his dipping effort landing
on the top of Jussi Jaaskelainen's net. Newcastle went so close to breaking
the deadlock on 20 minutes when Yohan Cabaye played Cisse in on goal and his
scuffed shot was cleared off the line by Reid with Newcastle players
appealing that the ball had crossed the line before the West Ham defender's
intervention. Ben Arfa was looking the man most likely to score and he had a
chance on 25 minutes when he ran from halfway line into West Ham's penalty
area only for his final shot to lack the power to trouble Jaaskelainen.

Andy Carroll was starved of service against his former club as West Ham
failed to offer any real threat in the final third. The game livened up a
bit in the second half and Carroll had a chance four minutes after the break
when he got on the end of Matt Jarvis' cross at the far post, but he could
only head his effort wide of the target. Carroll had another sight of goal
on 57 minutes when Mohamed Diame picked him out inside the box, but under
pressure the striker sent his header over the crossbar.

The home side had claims for a penalty waved away on 65 minutes when Carroll
went down in the box after a tangle with Danny Simpson before the ball
dropped to Jarvis who picked out Kevin Nolan at the far post only to see his
close-range effort kept out by Rob Elliot and then his follow-up also
blocked by the Newcastle keeper. Newcastle went close to scoring three
minutes later when Yoan Gouffran beat Jaaskelainen to a long ball over the
top to go round the keeper, but his touch took him too wide and he could
only loft his shot wide of the gaping goal. Newcastle boss Alan Pardew felt
his side's battling goalless draw at West Ham proved there is no rift in the
camp at St James' Park.

"It was a very important performance because there was a lot of myths and
reporting that was unfair on us and we had to show that wasn't the case and
that we were a strong team and have got spirit in the group," noted Pardew.
West Ham first-team coach Neil McDonald felt the officials got it right in
not awarding Papiss Cisse a goal during the 0-0 draw with Newcastle.
McDonald said: "If most of the ball is over the line it has to be all of it,
but we thought from replays we saw it was not over the line

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West Ham coach Neil McDonald praised officials after draw with Newcastle
Last Updated: May 4, 2013 11:08pm
SSN

West Ham first-team coach Neil McDonald felt the officials got it right in
not awarding Papiss Cisse a goal during the 0-0 draw with Newcastle. The
closest either side came to scoring in the stalemate at Upton Park was when
Cisse's first-half effort was cleared off the line by Winston Reid with
Newcastle players and management staff feeling the ball had crossed the line
before the defender's intervention. McDonald hailed Reid for reacting to the
chance and clearing what would have been a certain goal for Newcastle. "If
most of the ball is over the line it has to be all of it, but we thought
from replays we saw it was not over the line," McDonald told Sky Sports.
"Sometimes you get them, sometimes you don't and I suppose Newcastle will be
disappointed but we are pleased Winston Reid got back to clear the ball off
the line and help keep a clean sheet." McDonald admitted West Ham were
disappointed not to take all three points after dominating the majority of
the second half. He added: "We are slightly disappointed we didn't score the
first goal as I think it was always going to be a very, very tight game
especially after the last two results Newcastle have had and they kept it
nice and tight together and played dome decent football. "We limited them to
chances all the way through the game and we have come on strong towards the
end and maybe could have nicked it late on. "We hit the post and had a
couple of other chances so we are slightly disappointed we didn't win the
game."

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Mapies robbed! Newcastle boss insists Papiss Cisse should have been awarded
penalty in goalless draw with West Ham
4 May 2013 22:29
The Mirror

Alan Pardew insists Papiss Cisse should have been awarded a vital goal that
would have given Newcastle a massive survival boost. A goalless draw at
West Ham and a win for Wigan means Newcastle face a continued battle against
relegation at the foot of the table. But it could have been very ­different
if assistant referee ­Matthew Wilkes had ruled that Cisse's first-half
effort had crossed the line before Winston Reid hacked clear. Making the
decision all the more difficult to take was the fact Wilkes had been
involved in the ­controversial incident that saw Wigan's Callum ­McManaman
get away with an ­appalling challenge on Massadio Haidara earlier in the
season. "We scored a legitimate goal," said Newcastle boss Pardew. "I
thought it was in, at the time, and I also saw the linesman slip over. "I
asked the linesman at ­half-time how he saw it when he slipped over, but he
said not all of the ball had crossed the line. I haven't seen a replay yet."

When it was put to Pardew (above) that goal-line technology will settle such
debates next ­season, he replied: "Thanks for reminding me. That's no
­consolation to me at the moment." Newcastle now just have QPR and Arsenal
to play – and desperately need victories. "It was a great win today for
Wigan," said Pardew. "But they are not the only other club in a fight –
there are a lot of others as well." Despite only gaining a point at Upton
Park, Pardew insisted he was pleased with his side's ­performance and how
they ­responded to the thrashing against Liverpool. "We played well in the
first half," added Pardew. "And, although we faded in the second, we rolled
our sleeves up and dispelled some of the myths out there about us. "Having
Fabricio Coloccini back was a big thing for us – it helped our goalkeeper
Rob Elliot as well. "After letting in six against ­Liverpool, Elliot showed
a lot of character to produce a really good performance and that will be
great for his confidence." Other than Cisse's effort that wasn't awarded,
Newcastle went close when Yoan Gouffran failed to find an empty net from a
tight angle in the second half. "It was not an easy chance," said Pardew.
"He did well to beat the keeper to the ball, but it was a very tight angle.
The players certainly deserved their point." West Ham assistant manager Neil
McDonald claimed Cisse's shot had not crossed the line, ­saying: "I didn't
think it went over the line. And I thought a draw was about a fair result."

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Tall order: West Ham prepare move for Peter Crouch while Stoke turn to
Nicklas Bendtner
4 May 2013 23:00
The Mirror

Peter Crouch is being lined up for a move to West Ham, writes the Sunday
People. And Stoke City have already started to plan for life without the big
striker – by plotting a surprise swoop for Arsenal's Nicklas Bendtner.
Crouch, 32, moved to Stoke from Tottenham for £10million in 2011 and has hit
21 goals for the Potters since then. This season has been a ­frustrating one
though, as he scored just twice since September, and the Hammers are ready
to offer him a move back to London. The former QPR and Spurs striker is keen
to head south again and believes a switch to Upton Park is the perfect
option. West Ham are still trying to seal a deal for Liverpool's Andy
Carroll, but have spent the past month looking at other options.Hammers boss
Sam Allardyce believes the former England hitman would bring vital
experience to his side.

Crouch's exit will leave a hole in the Stoke squad though and Arsenal
outcast Bendtner, 25, is being eyed by Potters boss Tony Pulis. The Danish
international has suffered a tough season on loan at Juventus, and Arsene
Wenger has no plans to give him another chance at the Emirates. The Gunners
hierarchy wants to offload him as soon as possible, and Crouch's departure
would help Stoke meet Bendtner's £60,000-a-week wages. West Ham are also
leading the race to sign Birmingham teenager Nathan Redmond. Allardyce has
kept close tabs on the 19-year-old winger and is planning a summer move. The
cash-strapped Blues have slapped a £10m price tag on the former England
Under-20 ace, who is under contract at St Andrew's for another year.
Meanwhile, Tony Pulis wants to stay as Stoke manager.

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