West Ham United v Hull City
Boleyn Ground
Barclays Premier League
Saturday 20 February 2010
Kick-off: 3pm
Referee: Martin Atkinson
WHUTV AUDIO COMMENTARY I LIVE LEAGUE TABLE
Final score - West Ham United 3-0 Hull City
96 mins - The final whistle is blown and is met by a loud cheer from all corners. A fine afternoon all-round, and we can all enjoy our Saturday evenings!
95 mins - This will be West Ham's biggest win of the season, and their fourth clean sheet in six matches - just the result the club needed ahead of Tuesday's trip to a wounded Manchester United.
93 mins - GOAL! Faubert breaks his duck for the club in some style, bringing the ball forward to about 25 yards from goal before letting fly with an unstoppable drive that flies past Myhill. His first competitive goal for the club, and it was a belter!
90 mins - We're going to have at least another five minutes. A lot of that is down to the injuries to Dawson and Gardner, I would suggest.
89 mins - Faubert fancies marking his 50th league game for the club with a goal, cutting inside Dawson before hammering a left-foot shot that clears the crossbar by a couple of yards.
87 mins - He may have just left the pitch, but Diamanti will be able to smile as he sits in the dugout as he is the Boostfine Ltd man of the match.
85 mins - Diamanti gets a good clap as he heads off to be replaced by Collison.
84 mins - Gardner receives a generous reception from the home fans as he is stretchered off.
82 mins - The stretcher is coming on for Gardner, who looks to be in some pain as he lies in the Hull penalty area. Replays suggest he turned his ankle in challenging Upson for the aforementioned header.
80 mins - Mido does well there and holds off Gardner to win a corner. Diamanti lofts the corner in and Upson heads goalwards, but Barmby clears. Gardner is lying injured, now. He doesn't look too good, there, as he is not really moving on the floor. It looks like his right leg.
79 mins - There will be no second goal for Cole, as he makes his way off to be replaced by Mido. Still, he has kept up his fine scoring run with a very neat finish.
78 mins - Mido, in bright blue boots, is waiting to enter the fray, but the ball just won't go out of play!
76 mins - We are going to see Mido. The Egyptian is going to replace Cole, I would suggest. Good news from elsewhere, as both Sunderland and Wolverhampton Wanderers are losing.
74 mins - Dawson is still receiving treatment when Altidore holds off Upson, but can only scoop his shot wide of the post. After a delay, Dawson is back on and Hull are up to ten again.
73 mins - Faubert wins a corner off Dawson, who is injured in the process. Hull are down to nine men and Diamanti nearly takes advantage, turning past Altidore before curling the ball over the top.
70 mins - Diamanti shows a bit of flair! He loses the ball before winning it back just inside the West Ham half. Then, he instantly shoots from 60-odd yards! Myhill is on the edge of his box and back-pedals desperately before palming the ball out for a corner. Replays show the ball was going wide, but the goalkeeper wasn't to know. That would have been outrageous.
68 mins - Ilan is playing behind Cole for the hosts, while Altidore has joined Vennegoor up top for Hull. Olofinjana and Barmby have taken over in central midfield for the Tigers. Diamanti flashes a first-time cross across the six-yard box, but it is just too far in front of Ilan.
65 mins - Here come the Hull cavalry! Altidore on for Cairney, Barmby replaces Hunt and Olofinjana is on for... trouble with the electronic number device!! At last, the Nigerian replaces Zaki.
64 mins - Brown is going to make at least two changes here. Altidore and Seyi Olofinjana are definitely coming on, as is Nick Barmby.
63 mins - Cole is desperate to score twice in a game for the first time in his career. He picks the ball up 30 yards from goal, but screws his shot wide. Ilan replaces Franco, who gets a very decent reception from his team-mates on the way off, and pats his badge as he applauds the crowd.
62 mins - Ilan is going to be the first substitute sent on by Zola. He is receiving some instruction from the manager. Meanwhile, Phil Brown is making a few points to assistant Brian Horton.
59 mins - GOAL! Absolutely brilliant. Faubert slips an inch-perfect through ball around Gardner to Cole, who, coolly as you like, slots it past Myhill. Faubert's second assist for Cole in the space of two matches - and the Frenchman gets a standing ovation from his team-mates, as well as manager Gianfranco Zola and the backroom staff.
58 mins - Faubert wins a corner off Dawson. Diamanti gets a nice reception as he trots across to curl the ball in. The corner is deep and, although Tomkins wins the initial header, it bounces away from goal and Hull are able to clear.
55 mins - Parker is booked for bringing down Zaki. He complains, but after the yellow card he just showed Fagan, referee Atkinson had little choice.
54 mins - Collison goes out to warm up again and gets a high-five from Mido and Stanislas, as well as a loud cheer from the home crowd.
53 mins - West Ham's task has got a bit easier as Fagan is sent off for a second yellow card. He loses possession to Diamanti before tugging the Italian back. He doesn't like the decision, does Fagan, but he's got to go. Collison puts his tracksuit back on again!
51 mins - We're going to see Jack Collison. He is getting his tracksuit off on the bench. Most of the 33,971 inside the stadium will be keen to see what the young Welshman can do.
50 mins - Both sides are trying to find some fluency in their passing, here. It's all a little bit disjointed out there.
48 mins - Franco flicks on for Cole to chase. He gets there first and runs at Gardner, only to lose the ball to the giant centre-back before bringing him down.
46 mins - We are back underway here, with West Ham kicking towards the Bobby Moore Stand.
Half-time score - West Ham United 1-0 Hull City
47 mins - After 75 seconds of added time, the referee blows for half-time.
45 mins - West Ham just can't clear their lines here. Boateng loses Upson and hammers a left-foot shot goalwards, which Green does superbly to tip over the top. Cairney crosses and Zaki heads on goal. Cole clears off the line, but it would not have counted. The Egyptian had already been penalised for a foul.
44 mins- Hunt crosses and Green punches well clear. Boxer Mitchell will no doubt have approved of that.
43 mins - Faubert is harshly adjudged to have fouled Hunt wide on the left. The Irishman is going to place the ball for Dawson, who smashes the free-kick straight at Parker's head and behind for a corner.
42 mins - We're approaching half-time now and things are spicing up a bit, with a series of niggly fouls from both sets of players. Zaki and Behrami have a little disagreement on the touchline. Handbags, I think they call it.
38 mins - Diamanti receives the ball short from Spector and drifts a cross in from deep. Upson wins the header, but it bounces harmlessly into the arms of Myhill.
37 mins - Mido and Ilan are out for a warm-up on the touchline.
35 mins - Cairney wins possession in midfield and shoots from 25 yards, but Tomkins makes a sound block. Seconds later, McShane crosses low, but the Hull youngster can only divert the ball wide of the near post with his weaker right foot.
33 mins - Zola has sat down next to Steve Clarke in the dugout for a well-earned rest. The pair are deep in conversation, but I'd imagine they'd be pretty pleased with how things are going so far.
30 mins - Arsenal are 1-0 up at home to Sunderland. That means West Ham sit 13th in the table as things stand. We'd be alone on 27 points as things stand.
28 mins - Behrami could have had a hat-trick here! Diamanti teases McShane before crossing to the back stick. The Swiss rises high, but his header is palmed aside by Myhill. Replays suggest that was a fantastic save. Myhill twisted in mid-air to keep that one out with his right hand.
27 mins - Cole shoots low, but his effort bobbles through harmlessly to Myhill. Zola has sent Noble, Collison and Stanislas out for a jog along the touchline. The three Academy graduates must be enjoying this.
26 mins - Fagan is the first man booked for a rather needless challenge on Parker wide on the Hull right.
25 mins - West Ham have woken up again. Franco finds Diamanti, but his cross is too strong for Franco. Behrami recovers possession but his low cross is too close to Myhill, who gathers.
23 mins - Behrami almost doubles his tally, winning the ball from a dithering Dawson before stinging Myhill's palms with a powerful shot from the edge of the penalty area.
22 mins - Franco does superbly in midfield before spreading the play wide left to Diamanti. The Italian takes a touch before drilling a shot over the top from 25 yards.
21 mins - Faubert sends a high cross to the back post. Diamanti elects to volley first-time from a difficult angle, and the ball flies into the crowd.
20 mins - Spector finally takes the throw-in and McShane is penalised for holding down the Mexican.
19 mins - A little altercation between Franco and McShane while the pair jostle to receive Spector's throw-in. Referee Atkinson tells both of them to count to ten and get on with the game.
16 mins - Upson is penalised for holding down the giant Dutchman. Dawson drifts the free-kick in, Vennegoor wins it and Green dives to his left to make a routine catch. A warning sign, though, for the Hammers.
15 mins - The visitors are having their best period of the game here. Fagan has switched to the left flank and drives the ball across for Zaki and Vennegoor of Hesselink, but it is too high and Green again catches above his head.
14 mins - Hull win a free-kick about 30 yards from goal as Kovac is penalised for a challenge on Boateng. This is dangerous. Stephen Hunt's left foot curls the ball over and Green rises high and claims the ball. Good, confident goalkeeping.
11 mins - Diamanti takes the corner short to Parker, who controls and fizzes a left-foot half-volley at goal, but it is straight at Myhill.
9 mins - Cole fires a volley well wide after Behrami had won the ball back on the edge of the Hull penalty area. Moments later, Cole forces Mouyokolo into conceding yet another corner. Diamanti delivers and it is headed clear at the near post.
8 mins - The visitors have had the wind knocked out of their sails here. They are struggling to put together more than a couple of passes at present. West Ham need to keep on the front foot and put this game to bed early on.
6 mins - Kovac gets up well, but the ball is too high and flicks off his head and behind for a goal kick.
5 mins - Cole does well to force Andy Dawson into conceding a corner. Diamanti to take...
4 mins - That is Behrami's first goal since the FA Cup fourth-round win at Hartlepool United last season, and also his first goal at the Boleyn Ground.
3 mins - GOAL! What a start! Radoslav Kovac wins the ball in midfield and finds Valon Behrami. The Swiss plays the ball to Franco, whose touch is a bit heavy, but the ball bounces in to the path of Behrami, who confidently sidefoots past Myhill from 12 yards.
2 mins - Diamanti whips in a wicked, dipping free-kick that Myhill does brilliantly to keep out at his near post. Diamanti takes the corner short before receiving the ball back from Parker, The Italian crosses, but Franco's header is too close to the goalkeeper.
1 min - Hull are the first to show, but Craig Fagan's pass is too strong for Zaki and the ball rolls out for a goal kick. West Ham go up the other end, Franco wins a good header and Faubert is fouled wide on the right.
3.01pm - Hull will kick-off towards the Bobby Moore Stand end of the ground...
2.59pm - The referee calls the two captains together for the usual pre-match pleasantries. Matthew Upson beats Anthony Gardner to the centre-circle by some distance. Let's hope that's a portent of things to come.
2.58pm - And here come the two teams... The Hull fans, to be fair to them, are making a right din in the away end to my left. They've brought a good number down the A1 with them.
2.57pm - The melodic strains of 'Bubbles' fill the air here, and that can mean only one thing. The two teams are in the tunnel and the action is just moments away...
2.55pm - Carlton Cole tells the fans that their support will be vital this afternoon - and he's right. The home faithful played a big part in the win over Birmingham and can do so again this afternoon.
2.48pm - Geoff Pike is on the pitchside speaking to the crowd. He fancies we've got enough to beat Hull this afternoon. Good lad. Ray Winstone gives Geoff a clap when he finishes up.
2.45pm - Well, here we go for what should be another exciting afternoon at the Boleyn Ground. A number of famous faces have turned out to cheer on the Hammers. Film star Ray Winstone is here, as are WBO Inter-continental champion Kevin 'The Dagenham Destroyer' Mitchell, former West Ham midfielder Geoff Pike and Vic Keeble, who helped the Hammers to win the Division Two title 1957/58. I can report that all four are in fine fettle, although Mitchell is recovering from a chesty cough.
Good afternoon and welcome to the Boleyn Ground for this afternoon's Barclays Premier League fixture with Hull City.
West Ham United go into the game level on 24 points with their visitors, but two places above them in 15th due to their far superior goal difference - minus nine to minus 26. A victory for the hosts could lift the Hammers above Sunderland and Wigan Athletic into 13th.
Gianfranco Zola's side have been in good form since the turn of the year, losing just one of their five league matches played so far. Last time out, West Ham scored an impressive 2-0 victory over Birmingham City thanks to goals from Alessandro Diamanti and Carlton Cole.
Zola has made two changes to the team that beat the Blues, replacing back-injury victim Herita Ilunga with Jonathan Spector and Mido with the fit-again Guille Franco.
Hull, who have not won any of their previous 13 away league matches this term, drawing four and losing nine, make one change from their 1-0 defeat at Blackburn Rovers, with Amr Zaki coming in for American Jozy Altidore.
West Ham United: Green, Faubert, Tomkins, Upson, Spector, Behrami, Kovac, Parker, Diamanti, Franco, Cole
Subs: Stech, Da Costa, Noble, Collison, Stanislas, Ilan, Mido
Hull City: Myhill, McShane, Mouyokolo, Gardner, Dawson, Fagan, Boateng, Cairney, Hunt, Zaki ,Vennegoor of Hesselink
Subs: Duke, Zayatte, Kilbane, Olofinjana, Barmby, Garcia, Altidore
*Any supporters who would like to travel to Old Trafford for Tuesday evening's match at champions Manchester United should be aware that a limited number of tickets remain on sale priced at £42 for Adults and £23.50 for Over-65s and Under-16s. These will be available to purchase by telephone or in person at the West Stand ticket office during normal opening hours until 11am on Tuesday. To order online, simply click the above link. Please note that all coach travel to this fixture has now sold out.
On the subject of away matches, the upcoming trips to Merseyside have both been moved for live television coverage. The away game at Everton will now be played on Sunday 4 April at 4pm, while the visit to Liverpool will now take place on Monday 19 April, with kick-off at 8pm.