ELLIOTT WARD learned just an hour and a half before kick-off
that he'd be making his full League debut for the Hammers
against Crewe.
Some would say it's been a long time coming for the 20-year-old
defender, who was tipped for the top before a back injury derailed
his progress, keeping him out for the whole of last season.
But Elliott showed few signs of nerves as he turned in an exemplary
display against the Railwaymen.
"It was really good to play against Crewe," admitted
Elliott. "Every footballer wants to play as much as they can
and it's been a bit frustrating for me recently.
"But there weren't too many nerves to be honest. I'm
generally quite a confident lad and I believe in my ability to do a
good job at this level.
"You do the hard work in training to make sure that you're
ready when the chance comes, and it's just a case of going out
and making sure you perform.
"I came on late against Reading and played up front when we
were trying to get back into the game, but it's really been a
case of waiting for my chance and I have to thank the manager for
handing it to me against Crewe."
Elliott certainly took his chance turning in a commanding
performance. But his full League debut for the Hammers was soured
slightly by Crewe's last minute equaliser, which denied West
Ham United three points after an otherwise solid performance.
"We played some good football, defended well and limited them
to very few chances," he said. "We've only got
ourselves to blame for not winning. We knew that three points
against Crewe would be important after the Reading result, but
unfortunately they alluded us.
"That's been the story of our season so far.
They've been games that we've dominated and really should
have won or taking something from and we haven't.
"But the results in the other games went for us on Tuesday,
with Reading and Stoke both losing, which just goes to prove that
you never know what's going to happen in this League.
"Now it's really important that we pick ourselves up and
look to make up for it on Friday. That's going to be another
very tough game against Leicester, but everyone in the squad
believes in our ability to make things happen for the Club this
season and we'll go into the game confident of hitting back
with a win."
Elliott was partnered in central defence by his former Academy and
Reserve team-mate Anton Ferdinand, fulfilling a pact that they made
as youngsters to play together in the senior Hammers side.
"It was good to play alongside Anton again," admitted
Elliott. "We played together in the Youth and Reserve teams
and we always said that our aims were to play together in
centre-defence for the first-team.
"It helps because we've got a good understanding and we
know how the other person plays, and it's great that we've
been able to achieve that goal at last.
"From our point of view I think we did well and limited Crewe
to only a few chances. But it was solid performance from the whole
team and really we should have taken all the points."
Elliott now has to wait to find out whether he will keep his place
for Friday's clash with Leicester. But the Academy graduate has
done himself no harm and with Malky Mackay struggling with a calf
injury and Tomas Repka still suspended, Ward looks set to continue.
"Fingers crossed I'll keep my place for Friday," he
said. "I've just got to train well and then hopefully
I'll get selected.
"It's going to be an important night for us and we need to
come out confident that we can put this bad spell behind us and get
back on a winning run."
Ward's Wait Is Over
16th March 2005