West Ham United reserves v Fulham Reserves
Barclays Premier Reserve League South
Boleyn Ground
Tuesday 27 April 2010
Kick-off: 7pm
Full-time score - West Ham United reserves 3-2 Fulham reserves
100 mins - Trotta creates some space about 20 yards from goal and shoots with his right foot. Spence blocks before clearing. I am 99 per cent sure the injured player was the substitute Kamau. However, the medical staff have re-emerged from the tunnel, so fingers-crossed the stretcher was simply a precaution. The final whistle is blown and West Ham have completed their reserve season with a victory.
Don't forget to keep a close eye on whufc.com for exclusive post-match reaction. WHUTV will also have highlights and post-match interviews soon.
98 mins - Smith lifts a free-kick into the box. Toure wins it but the ball bounces safely through to Kurucz.
96 mins - GOAL! Peniket pulls a goal back for the ten men as he curls a low shot inside Kurucz's far post from 15 yards.
95 mins - The crowd give the injured Fulham player a warm round of applause as he is carried off and down the tunnel. Let's hope it's nothing serious. I'll try and work out who it is for you now.
91 mins - I'm sorry, but I can't see which Fulham player is down injured. We're going to have four added minutes, but at present, everybody's concerns are with the injured player. There are six yellow-vested paramedics and the Fulham physio tending to him at the moment. The medical staff carefully lift the player on to a larger stretcher.
90 mins - Montano is booked for a challenge that leaves a Fulham player in a heap on the pitch. The physio dashes on as the striker is cautioned. There seems to be some concern as he landed awkwardly, but his legs are thrashing around, so hopefully it's not too serious. Montano goes to check on his opponent's condition. The stretcher is brought on by the paramedics who are always on hand.
88 mins - Stefan Payne and Pierre, who is injured, are the two Fulham players to be replaced. Zola comes on for Daprela.
87 mins - Great stuff! Stanislas turns on a sixpence before shooting. His effort is deflected and Etheridge can only turn it aside. Montano races to the loose ball before crossing with his left foot to the far post. Abdulla catches the ball flush on the volley, only for the goalkeeper to save well with his legs.
85 mins - Fulham are going to make a second change. It is going to be Richard Peniket to come on. In fact, Michael Kamau is also going to be introduced. Andrea Zola is also going to be sent on for the final few minutes. I hope his Dad hasn't gone home early...!
82 mins - GOAL! Montano has his goal! Toure can only get a toe-end on the through ball and the Colombian-born player is there to finish superbly, smashing the ball low past Etheridge and into the bottom right-hand corner. Surely game over, now. Montano will be well-pleased with that, as he has been desperate to make his mark at reserve-team level.
81 mins - Fulham force a corner. Buchtman takes it, it is flicked on at the near post and Trotta tries to hook it goalwards. The ball spins high in the air and Kurucz claims.
80 mins - Steve Davis is coming back into it at the World Snooker in Sheffield. He's just rattled in a 128 break against Neil Robertson and is now only 9-2 behind... Frei is on for Harris.
79 mins - Fulham are going to make a change. Kerim Frei is going to come on.
77 mins - Zola and Modelski are warming up on the touchline. I'm not sure Dyer will want to change anything, though.
76 mins - We have a short break in play as Briggs receives treatment. Dyer uses the hiatus to issue some instructions while some of his players enjoy a drink.
74 mins - That should have been 3-1. Brown does brilliantly to trick his way into the box. He cuts the ball back to Abdulla, who controls and shoots, but it hits a Fulham defender and Etheridge gathers the spinning ball. Abdulla wants a penalty, but the referee is not having any of it. Moments later, West Ham have the ball again and Stanislas smashes the ball high and wide from 25 yards.
71 mins - I doubt anyone cares, but Bayern Munich are now 2-0 up on aggregate against Lyon in the UEFA Champions League semi-final second leg in France.
68 mins - You have to feel sorry for Montano. He runs on to Stanislas's through ball and rounds Etheridge before smashing his shot against the post from no more than five yards. The angle was a bit tight, to be fair to the striker, but still he lies on the turf, holding his head in sheer disbelief. On the plus side, West Ham are well on top here, all of a sudden.
67 mins - Boa Morte has showered and changed and is now making his way through the West Stand Lower to sit with Zola and Clarke. He gets a cheer from the fans as he jogs up the steps.
66 mins - Montano again! McNaughton slams a superb raking ball over the Fulham back-four, a la Michael Dawson. Montano gets between Fulham's centre-backs and heads goalwards, but Etheridge is able to jump high enough to catch above his head.
65 mins - Montano comes close to his first goal at reserve level, latching on to a long through ball and volleying towards the near post. Etheridge throws himself to his left to keep the ball out before expertly preventing the corner.
61 mins - West Ham make a hash of a free-kick. Spence gives the ball away to Smith. He tries to play in Payne, but Brown is there again to cut the pass out. Good positional play from the No6.
58 mins - Trotta does well to hold of McNaughton before flicking the ball into the path of Briggs. The captain cuts into the box on his right foot and shoots. The ball hits Spence and bounces towards the goal, but Kurucz is there to gather it.
56 mins - Great block from Spence to deny Buchtman after the midfielder had skipped past McNaughton. The ball rebounds to Harris, whose low shot is gathered by Kurucz at the second attempt. Fulham look by far the more likely scorers at present.
54 mins - McNaughton does well twice more in the space of a few seconds, first to out-muscle Trotta, then to cut off Payne's attempted through ball to the same player.
53 mins - Briggs shoots powerfully from 25 yards but McNaughton is there to block with his face! The ball runs through to Brown, who brings it clear with typical aplomb. The Academy defender is a cultured player.
51 mins - Payne works a yard of space inside the Hammers penalty area and shoots, but Brown blocks. Fulham work the resulting throw to Trotta, who lays off to the same player, but Payne curls his shot over from 16 yards.
49 mins - A neat flick from Abdulla looks to have released Stanislas, but Pierre sticks to his task and wins the ball back before Stanislas concedes a foul.
48 mins - Fulham have started the brighter after the break, and Trotta goes close-ish to equalising, shooting low from 25 yards. Kurucz slides, but he always looked confident that the ball would go safely wide.
46 mins - West Ham get the second half up and running, kicking towards the deserted Bobby Moore Stand end.
Half-time score - West Ham United reserves 2-1 Fulham reserves
Two half-time changes for the Hammers. Boa Morte and McCarthy are the men to make way. They are replaced by Edgar and Montano.
47 mins - Fulham take a throw-in wide on the left and Smith crosses low. McNaughton blocks it and clears and referee Bull blows for half-time. Join us again in about 15 minutes for the second half.
46 mins - We're into the one and only added minute and West Ham have got their mojo back. Daprela, who has been superb this half, gets forward again and cuts inside. Abdulla feeds the ball wide to Lee, but he crosses too high for Abdulla and Boa Morte and the ball bounces behind.
45 mins - Into the final minute of the first half and West Ham have suddenly got a bit sloppy in possession. It is important that they see out the remaining seconds. Dyer is on the edge of his technical area keeping a close eye on things.
43 mins - So close to an equaliser for Fulham. Stefan Payne gets through the middle and clear of Spence and Brown, only to shoot powerfully wide of the far post. He shrieks in frustration.
42 mins - I should also say that Stanislas looks very confident tonight. Not only is he seeing plenty of the ball, but he is also looking to run beyond the forwards and get on the end of things.
41 mins - McCarthy turns well and finds Stanislas. He lays the ball back to Lee, whose cross is just too high for Abdulla in the centre. Daprela picks up the loose ball, but Boa Morte is crowded out on the edge of the box and the chance is lost. Lee and Daprela are vital to this formation, and their willingness to get up and down the flanks is giving West Ham some real width.
38 mins - This has been a thoroughly entertaining game so far. Both teams are keeping the ball on the floor and moving it well around what is a very lush, green pitch. Alex Dyer will be delighted with the way his side have come from behind to take the lead. Without sounding too sentimental, Dyer puts a lot of time and effort into the reserve squad, and he will be particularly pleased to have seen Lee belt in his first goal of the season.
35 mins - I should have mentioned that Gianfranco Zola and Steve Clarke are here.
32 mins - McCarthy is fouled 40 yards out. Boa Morte curls the ball in, but it is headed clear.
30 mins - Stanislas concedes a free-kick 35 yards out. Buchtman shoots and Kurucz is scrambling, but the ball curls wide.
27 mins - GOAL! Good, my reverse psychology worked! Boa Morte slots the ball wide right to Lee, who slams it low across the box for Stanislas to finish first-time. Etheridge got a hand to the ball, but he couldn't keep it out.
26 mins - At last a bit of a lull in the goalmouth action...
21 mins - Josh Pritchard cuts inside on his left foot and shoots low from 25 yards. Kurucz is there, though, and collects at the second attempt.
18 mins - Brilliant stuff. Brown swaps passes with Payne before releasing Stanislas through the middle. He jets past Pierre and crosses towards McCarthy, only for Toure to stab the ball behind. The corner is won by McNaughton, but it's an easy catch for Etheridge.
17 mins - It's all calmed down a bit, but you get the feeling there could be another goal at any moment.
14 mins - It's all happening! Fulham win a corner and Briggs crosses, only for Toure to be penalised for a foul on Brown.
13 mins - GOAL! That's more like it! Stanislas drives at the Fulham defence and tries to slot the ball through to Abdulla. The youngster is muscled out, but the ball is only half-cleared to Lee, who takes a touch and belts the ball into the top right-hand corner from 25 yards.
13 mins - Briggs calls Kurucz into action again with a low shot from 25 yards, but the goalkeeper is equal to it.
11 mins - GOAL! Fulham take the lead. Smith gets round McNaughton and clips the ball high to the far post where Trotta gets above Brown and heads the ball past Kurucz from six yards. That was too easy, and Dyer lets his players know by telling them to concentrate.
9 mins - The first corner comes to nothing when Briggs's shot is deflected behind. Buchtman floats the ball in and Kurucz punches clear of the area.
8 mins - Marcello Trotta picks the ball up 25 yards from goal, but his shot is well blocked and bounces harmlessly into Kurucz's arms. Seconds later, Kurucz makes an outstanding save after Trotta had escaped Spence's clutches and shot from just eight yards. The Hungarian deflects the ball behind for a corner.
7 mins - Alex Smith picks up the ball about 35 yards out, but the Fulham left-winger can only drag his shot straight at Kurucz.
6 mins - Boa Morte is playing on the left of the three-man midfield, with Payne in the middle and Stanislas on the right. Kurucz catches confidently and bowls the ball out to Brown. He runs forward 20 yards before lofting the ball towards Abdulla, but his pass is too high and bounces through to goalkeeper Neil Etheridge.
5 mins - Fulham have a corner. Chris Buchtman crosses towards the near post, but centre-back Cheick Toure can only divert the ball well wide of the post. West Ham are in a 3-5-2 formation again, as has been Alex Dyer's prefered system in recent weeks. Daprela and Lee are the wing-backs, with Spence, flanked by Brown and McNaughton in the centre of defence.
3 mins - Payne and Lee create space for McCarthy on the edge of the penalty area. The South African passes left to Daprela, but his cross is behind Abdulla, and Fulham escape again.
1 min - So nearly a magical start for the Hammers. Daprela and Stanislas combine well down the left before the latter finds McCarthy. His first touch is into the path of Abdulla, but a defender gets back in well to concede a corner. The ball is crossed into the box, but headed clear at the near post.
6.59pm - And here we go...
6.58pm - Captain Jordan Spence steps forward to go through the pre-match rituals with his opposite number Matthew Briggs. West Ham will attack the Sir Trevor Brooking Stand end of the stadium in the opening 45 minutes. Fulham will kick-off.
6.57pm - Here come the two teams. Must admit, there isn't what you'd call a massive crowd in the West Stand Lower this evening. Still, a few hundred hardy souls have turned out. Good on them, too.
6.55pm - Both teams are back in their respective dressing rooms ahead of what promises to be an entertaining climax to the reserve-team season. A host of scouts have turned out to catch what could be the likes of Josh Payne's final appearance in a West Ham United shirt. Southend United manager Steve Tilson is among those who have popped along to the Boleyn Ground on what is a glorious, warm and sunny evening.
Good evening and welcome to the Boleyn Ground
West Ham United complete their Barclays Premier Reserve League South season with the visit of a youthful Fulham side to east London. Benni McCarthy is the star turn in tonight's starting lineup, with Luis Boa Morte continuing his comeback from a long-term knee injury with another start.
Fabio Daprela, Junior Stanislas, Peter Kurucz and Josh Payne have all turned out at first-team level this season, while Academy youngsters Jordan Brown and Ahmed Abdulla will be eager to shine.
Victory could see the Hammers finish fifth in the nine-team table, providing Portsmouth fail to beat champions Aston Villa in their final match.
With their own first team in UEFA Europa League semi-final action against Hamburger SV on Thursday, Fulham manager Billy McKinlay has named a very young and inexperienced team.
West Ham United reserves: Kurucz, Lee, Daprela (A.Zola 88), McNaughton, Spence, Brown, Stanislas, Payne, Boa Morte (Edgar 46), Abdulla, McCarthy (Montano 46)
Subs: Stech, Modelski
Fulham reserves: Etheridge, Marsh-Brown, Briggs, Pierre (Peniket 88), Toure, Pritchard, Harris (Frei 80), Buchtman, Trotta, Payne (Kamau 88), Smith
Subs: Bettinelli