SECOND-HALF goals from Teddy Sheringham and Marlon Harewood have
earned West Ham United a brilliant 2-1 victory against Wigan at the
JJB Stadium.
Without a win in five games, Alan Pardew rang the changes to take
on the team lying second in the Championship. The most notable was
in goal, where Jimmy Walker came in to make his third League start
of the season in place of Stephen Bywater.
Tomas Repka returned at right-back after a three-match suspension,
with Shaun Newton moving to right midfield in place of Luke
Chadwick. In the centre of midfield Hayden Mullins earned a recall
with Carl Fletcher starting on the bench after playing twice for
Wales last week.
True to the reputations of both sides, the game was open and fast
right from the kick-off. Tomas Repka had to be alert at the back
post to prevent Leighton Baines' cross reaching Nathan
Ellington after just five minutes.
Graham Kavanagh scuffed his 20 yard shot well wide with less than
10 minutes on the clock, before Walker was called into action for
the firs time, spreading himself well at the feet of Jason Roberts.
On 14 minutes Mark Noble had West Ham's first goal-bound
effort, his dipping 25 yard shot no more than catching practice for
John Filan in the Wigan goal.
Two minutes later a slick Hammers move involving Teddy Sheringham
and Nigel Reo-Coker released Marlon Harewood, but he pulled his
shot wide from the edge of the area. Sheringham's effort five
minutes later did hit the target, but the Hammers captain
couldn't find the power to trouble Filan.
Tempers had hardly been raised during the opening exchanges, until
Reo-Coker lunged in far too late on Baines, sparking an ugly melee
and earning the Hammers midfielder a yellow card.
With passions suddenly running high, Wigan had a great chance to
open the scoring. Roberts chased a ball in behind the West Ham
defenders and was clattered by the on rushing Walker. But the
referee waved away the home side's penalty claims and Walker
recovered to make a safe catch from Gary Teale's shot.
His next stop was far from straight forward, though. Elliott
Ward's slip allowed Ellington to race clear on goal, but Walker
won the battle, spreading himself to make a great stop with his
legs.
With Wigan well on top, all Hammers could do was hold on. They
could not quite get a grip on Teale though, as he jinked his way
into the penalty area and curled a shot just wide of the post.
Three minutes before half-time Roberts went down in the box again,
Tomas Repka the challenger this time. But again referee Curson
waved away Wigan's protests.
It was left for Hammers to have the final chance of the half,
Sheringham's lofted pass releasing Harewood through the middle,
who dinked the ball over the advancing Filan, but cleared the
crossbar as well.
HT: 0-0
Hammers started the second-half far better than they had the
first, Reo-Coker and Hayden Mullins busily supporting their
forwards.
But in their urgency to push forward, Alan Pardew's men left
themselves vulnerable on the break, and that allowed Jason Roberts
to open the scoring with 51 minutes gone.
The Latics forward brought down a long ball under pressure from
Anton Ferdinand and burst past the defender to bury his shot low to
Walker's right.
Alan Pardew's men hit back in the best possible fashion just
five minutes later. Elliott Ward swung in a cross from the left and
the ball broke to Teddy Sheringham at the far post.
The Hammers striker, celebrating his 39th birthday, showed a
coolness honed over the years to lash the ball past Filan and make
it 1-1.
Lee McCulloch saw a back post header drift high of the crossbar and
then a wild shot fly even higher, before Sheringham raised the
expectation level inside the JJB when he lined up a 20 yard
free-kick that eventually bent straight into Filan's arms.
With 65 minutes gone West Ham wasted a crucial chance. Elliott
Ward's long ball was chased by Harewood and when his pressure
caused David Wright to slip, the Hammer striker was through on
goal. He danced around Filan, but took the ball too wide and by the
time he could cross Wigan had got defenders back to clear.
But there was no stopping Harewood just a minute later. Mark
Noble's fine threaded ball released Harewood and his finish was
cool and clinical, firing low to Filan's right to put Hammers
2-1 in front.
Paul Jewell introduced new signing Brett Ormerod for the final 20
minutes to try and silence the fantastic West Ham travelling fans.
The change certainly added some urgency to the Wigan attack. Soon
Ward was making a fine block to deflect Graham Kavanagh's
fierce shot after Ormerod had knocked the ball down.
Wigan were enjoying plenty of pressure, but a defence marshalled by
the excellent Anton Ferdinand refused to buckle.
At the other end, Sheringham's flick on released the marauding
Harewood again, this time his rasping near post drive was tipped
around the post by Filan. From the resulting corner Noble picked
out Ferdinand, but his header crept just over the bar.
With four minutes left Roberts' header from Leighton
Baines' cross bobbled just inches wide of Walker's post,
but that chance aside, Hammers continued to put up a solid barrier
against Wigan's attack. Carl Fletcher was added to that barrier
when he replaced Shaun Newton with two minutes left to shore up
West Ham's midfield.
Four minutes of injury time were added, but Hammers held firm until
the final whistle to celebrate a 2-1 victory and one of their most
important three points of the season so far.