Reserves 4-1 Birmingham City FT

Barclays Premier Reserve League
7pm
Referee: N Kinseley

WHUTV - Full highlights to come

WESTHAM.WAP.COM - Keep up to date, on the move

FINAL SCORE - 4-1

90min - GOAL! Hat-trick for Zamora. Faubert does brilliantly again to pick out the No9 and his header is perfectly placed into the corner. The Birmingham defence were nowhere and Doyle couldn't get near it.

90min - We are playing two minutes of added time

89min - Collison takes a whack in the face. The captain has led by example this evening.

87min - Tomkins blocks a shot from Mutch. Birmingham are desperately looking for a goal back but the home defence has stood firm this half.

85min - Spence does well to clear after Birmingham pressure on the left wing. The young defender has done well at full-back tonight.

82min - Lee Hales is on for substitute Stanislas. Soon afterwards, Walker does well to hold a rasping shot from Schmitz.

81min - Faubert crosses again from the right but this time Doyle claims.

79min - Spence fizzes in a lovely cross from the right that just eludes Zamora. That pass was perfectly weighted.

77min - Jake Jarvis is about to come on for Birmingham's Semih Aydilek.

75min - We have started again. Stokes again goes over after a challenge by Zarate. Zamora does well to hold off Schmitz and get the Hammers attack going again.

72min - The game has become a bit scrappy. Stokes is on the floor getting treatment after a heavy landing following a header.

67min - James O'Brien is on for Birmingham goalscorer Milojevic. At the moment it looks like Zamora could get his hat-trick sooner rather than later.

65min - GOAL! - Zamora gets his second and what a good team goal it was. Faubert sped along the right, whipped the ball into the near post and Zamora flicked the ball effortlessly beyond Doyle. Check that one out later on WHUTV!

62min - Zamora has done well in the lone striker's role, despite the attentions of Rafael Schmitz, who  has played plenty of first-team football this season.

60min - Collison surges forward after tidy approach play involving Reid. He always looks for goal when picking up possession in central midfield.

58min - GOAL! - Zamora scores a great goal on his reserve-team comeback. Despite the close attention of two defenders, he showed good close control before swivelling on the spot and smashing the ball past Doyle. A huge cheer greeted that strike.

56min - Reid does brilliantly on the left before feeding the overlapping Spector. The American tries a trick and finds himself inside the penalty area with the goal at his mercy. His fierce shot is blocked on its way through.

55min - Stanislas has looked lively since coming on and he wins a corner after a surge up the right. From the resulting corner, Faubert picks out Tomkins but he cannot direct his header on target.

52min - De Ridder plays in a free-kick from the left. Stokes flings himself at the ball and gets the ball away. Mutch then fires in a shot that Walkers palms to safety.

50min - Faubert shows great bravery to win a 50-50 challenge. He then feeds Zamora but Birmingham get the danger away.

49min - Semih Aydilek wins a free-kick on the left. De Ridder takes it and Walker is unable to claim the cross. The move breaks down when Zarate's shot trickles wide.

48min - Collison heads over the goal, this time from Spence's cross. It is all West Ham United now.

47min - Faubert hits the post but did well to get to the ball on the edge of the area. The chance came about after Stanislas forced a good save from Doyle after Reid's deep cross. Faubert's corner is then headed wide by Tony Stokes.

46min - Birmingham get the second half under way. Kevin Keen has brought on Junior Stanislas for Zavon Hines. It looks like the Hammers will play a 4-5-1 formation with Zamora as the lone target man.

HALF-TIME - 1-1

45min - We are playing one minute of added time.

44min - Faubert does brilliantly to clear in the right-back position. Reid races away and sets Zamora free but Birmingham are able to get the danger away. On a quick counterattack, De Ridder's cross just drifts over the crossbar.

43min - GOAL! - Collison scores from the right side of the penalty area with a low drilled shot beneath Doyle's body. The move owed much to the attacking invention of Zamora and Faubert, who combined beautifully.

42min - Stokes is fouled by Mutch. West Ham United are a bit unlucky to be behind in a match that has shown plenty of competitive edge.

39min - GOAL! - Stefan Milojevic puts Birmingham in front with a close-range header that Walker could do little about. The ball went in off the post.

38min - Jared Wilson bursts forward from the back and gets a shot on goal from close range.  A superb save from Walker denies him and the ball is cleared for a corner.

36min - Zarate is growing in confidence. He is proving a strong test for the home defenders.

35min - Zarate runs from his own half, before feeding De Ridder on the right. His ball into the box looks dangerous until Collison comes back to clear and set the Hammers away again. The move finishes with Hines failing to connect properly with a swerving ball.

33min - Reid plays a ball into Doyle's hands from the left after strong play again involving Zamora. This time he linked up with Collison, who is starting to get hold of midfield.

30min - Spence wins a corner after bright approach play from Zamora and Faubert. The young defender showed real attacking verve to get forward on the right. The corner comes to nothing.

29min - England youth international Jordon Mutch gets the chance to shoot from distance but the ball bobbles wide. Walker was never worried.

28min - Ex-Middlesbrough defender Stuart Parnaby combines with De Ridder on the right but the resulting cross goes straight into Walker's hands.

27min - As Bubbles out around the Dr Martens Lower, Hines heads for goal from Faubert's cross but again Doyle is able to save with relative ease.

26min - After good control with his chest, Zamora has a go from 30 yards with a half-volley but his shot flies wide. The crowd enjoyed that.

25min - Tomkins and 'Gala are looking assured at the back. Jordan Spence, another homegrown talent, is at right-back.

24min - Faubert races away across the penalty area but last-ditch defending stops the French winger in his tracks.

23min - Just to outdo Zarate, Freddie Sears comes out to warm up sporting a pair of bright red boots. The striker has 20 goals for the Under-18s this season in just 15 matches and will hope to get a chance tonight.

21min - Collison strides forward and tries his luck from range. The shot drifts wide however, and never troubled Doyle.

20min - Zarate is wearing bright orange boots, just in case you were interested.

18min - Spector rises for a free header on the edge of the six-yard box from Reid's corner but sends it straight into Doyle's clutches. The best chance of the game so far for either side.

17min - Zamora shows neat footwork in the Birmingham half. The No9 is starting to find his feet. Kyel Reid then wins a corner after bright play on the left wing.

15min - Spector does well to tidy up just as Dutch U21 star De Ridder threatened on the right. The American international shows composure to play the ball forward for Zamora, who starts another attack. Birmingham then win a free-kick but Tomkins is able to head clear.

14min - Inventive play from Zamora sets Julien Faubert away but he is crowded out just before he can make inroads on goal.

12min - James Tomkins lofts the ball forward for Zamora but this time the referee spots an infringement.

10min - Spector launches a free-kick towards Zamora in the penalty area but Doyle, who played for the first team against the Hammers back in August, again comes to claim. A speculative effort from Mitchell McPike at the other end clears Walker's crossbar.

8min - West Ham United are playing the ball around with confidence at the back but have yet to mount a serious foray forward. Jonathan Spector tries to get something going from left-back but his ball forward runs through to Doyle.

6min - Birmingham are awarded a throw-in deep in Hammers' territory. Bondz 'Gala was surprised by the decision but it does not matter as the Birmingham attack comes to nothing.

4min - It is already a keenly-fought contest with a number of strong challenges. Birmingham get another chance on goal with Argentinian wonderkid Mauro Zarate chipping goalwards but Walker saved with ease. The goalkeeper was never troubled.

2min - Collison concedes a free-kick 30 yards from goal. Daniel De Ridder takes but the ball goes straight through to Jimmy Walker, who claims comfortably. The keeper sets the home team away on a quick counterattack that finishes with Hines playing a lofted ball into the hands of Colin Doyle.

1min - Zavon Hines and Bobby Zamora get us under way. West Ham United are kicking towards the Centenary Stand.

KICK-OFF

6.59pm - Jack Collison leads out the West Ham United side to good applause from the home support.

6.35pm - Both teams are out on the pitch warming up on what promise to be a freezing but clear night at the Boleyn Ground. Goalkeeping coach Ludek Miklosko is putting Jimmy Walker and Adam Street through their paces in front of the Bobby Moore Stand while conditioning coach Alex Dyer works with the rest of Kevin Keen's squad. A decent crowd is starting to assemble in the Dr Martens Lower, meanwhile.

6pm - Bobby Zamora makes a welcome reserve-team return, while there is also the chance for Julien Faubert to his claims. In-form youth striker Freddie Sears is on the bench. Birmingham include senior players Colin Doyle, Stuart Parnaby, Rafael Schmitz, Daniel De Ridder, a Dutch Under-21 star, and Argentinian sensation Mauro Zarate. The visitors also have Semih Aydilek, recruited from Eintracht Frankfurt, in attack.

Lineups

West Ham United: Jimmy Walker, Jordan Spence, James Tomkins, Bondz 'Gala, Jonathan Spector, Julien Faubert, Tony Stokes, Jack Collison, Kyel Reid, Bobby Zamora, Zavon Hines (Junior Stanislas 46, Lee Hales 82)
Subs (from): Adam Street, Lorcan Fitzgerald, Freddie Sears, Jack Jeffery

Birmingham City: Colin Doyle, Stuart Parnaby, David Joyce, Rafael Schmitz, Jared Wilson, Jordon Mutch, Daniel De Ridder, Mitchell McPike, Stefan Milojevic (James O'Brien 67), Mauro Zarate, Semih Aydilek (Jake Jarvis 77)
Subs: Dean Lyness, Sean Hunt, Jacob Rowe