West Ham United 0-4 Man United FT

West Ham United v Manchester United
Barclays Premier League
Saturday 5 December
Kick-off: 3pm
Referee: Peter Walton

 

Final score - West Ham United 0-4 Manchester United

94 mins - Diamanti ends the game with a curler that bounces into Kuszczak's stomach. The Pole clears and referee Walton blows for full time.

93 mins - United are finishing on top, knocking the ball around the pitch with a bit of a swagger. Let's hope West Ham can get this result out of their systems on the training pitch this week ahead of the trip to Birmingham City.

91 mins - West Ham start the first of three added minutes by winning a corner. Diamanti can't beat the first defender, though. The Italian rolls Parker in down the right channel seconds later, but the captain's cross loops harmlessly into the hands of Kuszczak.

90 mins - Giggs is now playing at left-back!

89 mins - This has been a strange game. United haven't actually played well. You wouldn't say they have dominated possession or territory, but they have a four-goal lead. They also only have ten men, as Brown walks off with an injury.

87 mins - Collison clips a pass over the top for Franco, but the Mexican's volley slides off the side of his boot into the advertising board behind the goal.

85 mins - Diamanti tries to find Franco, but his pass is overhit. It's just West Ham's day here.

83 mins - Good tackle there from Gabbidon to halt Valencia just when it looked like the Ecuadorean might latch on to Berbatov's through pass.

81 mins - No. Diamanti's shot hits the ball and bounces back to him. The Italian finds Franco, but his cross is too close to Kuszczak, who claims high above his head.

80 mins - Giggs threatens again, but this time his cross is headed clear by Tomkins. Diamanti breaks and is fouled by Scholes 25 yards out. The former England midfielder reacts angrily and is booked for dissent. Can the Italian find a bit of magic to get the Hammers on the scoresheet?

77 mins - So close to a consolation for the home side. Diamanti slid a neat pass through to Ilunga, whose cut-back found Franco. The Mexican laid the ball out to Stanislas, but the winger's first-time shot rolled just past the far post.

73 mins - Rooney is replaced by Michael Owen. Green is heading off, with Peter Kurucz on to replace him. It is the young Hungarian's debut.

72 mins - GOAL! Oh dear, oh dear. Valencia lays the ball across and Rooney slots in from six yards out.

71 mins - GOAL! That is probably that. Anderson ends a superb move by firing the ball across the face of goal, where Valencia ghosts in to side-foot into the net.

68 mins - Evra comes within a whisker of making it 3-0 to the visitors, playing a one-two with Rooney before dragging his shot inches wide of the far post.

67 mins - Changes for both teams. Kovac is replaced by Dyer, while United send on Dimitar Berbatov for Gibson.

66 mins - Two bits of news. The first is the crowd, which is 34,980. The second is that Kieron Dyer is going to enter the fray shortly.

65 mins - Good football again from the visitors, who threaten through Scholes. Valencia's cross is poor though, and Green catches with ease.

63 mins - Diamanti comes close to getting a goal back for the hosts, curling a free-kick that Kuszczak can only divert over the crossbar for a corner. United clear the set piece easily enough.

61 mins - GOAL! Fantastic goal from the visitors. Giggs swaps passes with Rooney before powering towards the West Ham penalty area. He lays the ball into the path of Gibson, and the Irishman lets fly with an unstoppable first-time shot.

60 mins - Green has the physio on. I'm not sure what's wrong with him, but it might be his finger. He has a quick drink and seems to be ok.

59 mins - West Ham win a free-kick 40 yards from goal. Diamanti goes for goal and it flies an absolute mile over the crossbar.

57 mins - Fletcher fouls Stanislas wide on the left. Diamanti slams a superb free-kick 45 yards to the far post, where it is met by Tomkins, but his header is too close to Kuszczak.

56 mins - United have a long spell of possession inside the West Ham half, but Anderson wastes all the good work by passing the ball out for a goal kick.

54 mins - All of a sudden the game springs into life with chances at both ends. First, Franco's attempted through ball to Stanislas is blocked, then Gibson breaks and finds Giggs, whose poked shot is held by Green at the second attempt.

53 mins - Ilunga slides in to win the ball from Valencia, but only at the expense of a corner.

52 mins - More good work from Kovac nearly forces a mistake from Fletcher, but his back-pass is just strong enough to elude Franco and reach Kuszczak, who hacks the ball upfield.

50 mins - Fine football from United. Gibson latched on to Giggs' pass and crossed to Rooney, who cut in front of his marker, but could only screw his shot wide of the near post.

48 mins - Green gets a bit fortunate there. His clearance to Ilunga was under-hit and fell to Valencia, who turned and ran into the box, only for his cross to hit Gabbidon and fall into the goalkeeper's hands.

46 mins - Collison and Franco get us underway again... 30 seconds into the second half, Franco turns and rolls a pass in between the central defenders for Stanislas, but it is inches too strong and rolls through to Kuszczak.

The two sides are back on the pitch for the second half. Diamanti is on for Hines. The Italian is sporting a goatee beard,

Diamanti is obviously keen to be involved as he already has his tracksuit top off and is warming up in his No32 shirt with Frank Nouble and Josh Payne. Meanwhile, on the sidelines, Stephanie Moore is presented with two cheques totalling nearly £50,000 for the Bobby Moore Fund for Cancer Research UK. The first is the money raised at the pre-season Bobby Moore Cup tie against SSC Napoli, while the second is from the club's principal sponsors, SBOBET.

Alessandro Diamanti is being put through his paces by fitness coach Antonio Pintus, so it appears almost certain that he will be on at the start of the second half, presumably in place of Hines.

Half-time score - West Ham United 0-1 Manchester United

46 mins - GOAL! 20 seconds before the whistle, and West Ham concede. Gabbidon heads Giggs' cross straight to Scholes, who skips around Kovac and rifles a left-foot shot into the top corner via Green's right hand.

45 mins - Diamanti is out to warm up on the touchline. The reason could be Hines, who appears to be struggling with a knee injury. We're going to have at least one added minute.

43 mins - Fletcher appears to haul down Stanislas, but Walton is unmoved. Valencia works the ball to Gibson 25 yards out, but he can only drag his shot well wide.

42 mins - Tomkins gives himself a 'touch test' by hoofing a clearance miles up into the air. While every other player stands watching, he runs over, brings the ball down perfectly and completes his clearance. Very impressive.

41 mins - It's all gone a bit quiet at the Boleyn Ground. Giggs attempts to liven things up, but his header from 15 yards floats harmlessly over the top.

37 mins - Green signals to Franco to go wide-left to receive a long clearance. The Mexican does just that and forces Gibson into conceding a throw-in. Good teamwork, that.

36 mins - Alert goalkeeping there from Green, who rushed to the edge of his penalty area to dive at the feet of Rooney before completing the clearance with his feet.

33 mins - Neville is going to have to come off. He signals to Kuszczak to throw the ball straight out. The defender, who appears to have hurt his right groin, is not at all happy as he leaves the pitch. Michael Carrick is on in his place. It looks like Carrick is going to play at centre-back. Interesting.

32 mins - Parker's attempted through ball to Hines is too strong, but Neville appears to injure himself shepherding the ball back to the goalkeeper.

31 mins - Brilliant defending from Tomkins to head Evra's cross out for a corner. The ball drops to Scholes, whose powerful shot is blocked behind by Kovac. The next corner is headed clear by Spector to Gibson, whose first-time shot hits the corner flag!

28 mins - Brown brings down Hines wide on the right, handing Stanislas the chance to curl a free-kick into the area. He does just that, and the ball somehow eludes everyone and bounces out for a throw-in.

26 mins - Good play from Franco to hold off Scholes and launch a cross into the area. The ball falls to Stanislas, who cuts inside but sees his shot half-blocked and the ball rolls through to Kuszczak.

25 mins - Kovac wins a round of applause for forcing Gibson to launch a long ball back to his own goalkeeper, who then hacks the ball into the stand. Fine work from the Czech, who looks really fired up this afternoon.

24 mins - Audacious effort from Rooney, who takes a touch 35-plus yards from goal before launching a volley at goal. Green watches the ball sail a few yards over his crossbar.

23 mins - Interesting defending from Gabbidon, who heads the ball high into the air inside his own area. Green comes and claims above the leaping Rooney.

20 mins - Giggs' corner is cleared by Kovac, only for the Red Devils to regain possession and win yet another corner. Giggs crosses and Kovac heads clear. Scholes' volley is blocked and, when Giggs is flagged offside, West Ham finally have a chance to clear their lines.

19 mins - United are turning up the heat here. Evra gets free down the left and wins another corner off Spector. West Ham need a spell of possession to relieve the pressure that is building up.

18 mins - United work it short before Giggs finds Anderson, whose shot is blocked by Tomkins before Collison completes the clearance.

17 mins - Good defending there from Spector, who stayed on his feet long enough to block a low Giggs cross. The ball hits Collison and goes out for a corner. Giggs curls the ball in and Brown heads down to Gibson, whose shot is deflected wide for another flag-kick.

14 mins - Alert goalkeeping from Kuszczak sees him run out of his box to head clear as Hines attempted to latch on to a long through-ball.

13 mins - Fine challenge from Kovac to rob Gibson in midfield. The Czech tries to find Hines, who appears to be fouled by Neville, but Walton gives nothing.

12 mins - A superb run from Giggs takes him into the penalty area before Kovac's tackle diverts the ball out for a corner. Giggs takes and Valencia flicks the ball on to the roof of the net with his head.

10 mins - So close to an opening goal for Collison. Hines picks up a loose ball inside the penalty area and rolls the ball across the face of the six-yard box. Collison appears odds-on to finish, only for fellow Welshman Giggs to get the merest of touches and divert the ball out for a goal kick off the youngster.

9 mins - There is an air of expectation here. Both sides are feeling each other out, as they say, with no clear-cut chances created as yet. West Ham are probing in the shape of a succession of throw-ins in United's half.

7 mins - Ilunga wins the ball in a sliding challenge on Valencia. The referee gives nothing, but the assistant referee flags and United have a free-kick in a dangerous position. Giggs curls the set piece into the area, but Franco heads clear.

5 mins - Gabbidon miscontrols a clearance, allowing Rooney to gain possession inside the penalty area. The England man's cross is headed back to Robert Green by James Tomkins.

3 mins - Ryan Giggs springs the West Ham offside trap, but his cross is blocked by former team-mate Jonathan Spector before Radoslav Kovac launches a counter-attack. Junior Stanislas runs at the United defence, but is crowded out by Neville.

2 mins - The Hammers have made a bright start, with Guille Franco showing a couple of neat early touches.

1 mins - Manchester United get us underway. The champions are shooting towards the Bobby Moore Stand end of the stadium.

2.59pm - There is a decent atmosphere inside the Boleyn Ground this afternoon, with not a spare seat to be had anywhere in the stadium. Gianfranco Zola takes his seat in the home dugout following a friendly handshake and a hug from Sir Alex Ferguson. The visiting manager also has a few words with fellow Scot Steve Clarke.

2.57pm - 'Bubbles' is blaring out over the PA system as the two sides emerge from the tunnel. It's a grey afternoon in east London, but the Hammers could certainly brighten the mood with a victory. Manchester United have injury problems at the back, with Scotland midfielder Darren Fletcher filling in at right-back and Gary Neville playing as an emergency centre-back. The hosts will surely be looking to exploit those areas.

2.55pm - Both teams are back in their dressing rooms making their final preparations for today's game. We've got a few big names in attendance, as you might expect for the visit of the champions. 1966 FIFA World Cup winner Martin Peters is here, as are Hammers legend Paolo Di Canio and Russell Brand.

Gianfranco Zola has made two changes to the side that beat Burnley 5-3 last Saturday, replacing the injured Carlton Cole with Zavon Hines, while Manuel da Costa's place is taken by James Tomkins.

Kieron Dyer could make his first Barclays Premier League appearance since the visit of Liverpool on 19 September after recovering from hamstring problems to take his place on the bench. Alessandro Diamanti, back following a hip injury, is also among the substitutes.

Former Red Devils defender Jonathan Spector lines up against his former club.

For the champions, ex-Hammer Michael Carrick is on Sir Alex Ferguson's bench. The starting lineup shows two changes from the 4-1 league victory at Portsmouth a week ago. Darron Gibson keeps his place after scoring twice in the Carling Cup quarter-final victory over Tottenham Hotspur in midweek, replacing Carrick. Nemanja Vidic is absent, with Gary Neville expected to move to the centre of defence and Darren Fletcher filling in at right-back.

West Ham United: Green (Kurucz 73), Spector, Tomkins, Gabbidon, Ilunga, Kovac (Dyer 67), Parker, Collison, Stanislas, Hines (Diamanti 46), Franco
Subs: Faubert, Da Costa, Payne, Nouble

Manchester United: Kuszczak, Fletcher, Neville (Carrick 33), Brown, Evra, Anderson, Gibson (Berbatov 67), Valencia, Scholes, Giggs, Rooney (Owen 73)
Subs: Foster, De Laet, Park, Nani