West Ham United v Stoke City
Barclays Premier League
Saturday 27 March 2010
Kick-off: 3pm
Referee: Andre Marriner
MATCH PREVIEW I LIVE LEAGUE TABLE I WHUTV AUDIO COMMENTARY
FInal score - West Ham United 0-1 Stoke City
94 mins - The game is over.
93 mins - The free-kick hits the wall. Diamanti is then penalised for a foul and Sorensen takes an age before belting the free-kick upfield.
92 mins - Parker wins a free-kick from Collins about 25 yards out. Time for Diamanti to make himself a hero...
91 mins - Parker, who is the man of the match, just does not give up. He wins the ball from Delap, who is then booed for hauling him back. Faubert launches it long and West Ham win a throw. Parker stabs the ball into the box, where it bounces around for a while before being hacked clear.
90 mins - Spector crosses from the left and it hits Cole on the head and flies about two yards wide. We're going to have at least four added minutes...
89 mins - Aaargh.... McCartney turns away from Huth, but Higginbotham gets in just in time to stab the ball out for a corner. Diamanti curls the ball in and it flies up into the air. Da Costa challenges Sorensen and is penalised for a foul. Frustrating is not the word...
88 mins - Ilan clips the ball over the Stoke back four, but it's too strong for Cole and Sorensen gathers again.
87 mins - Stoke win a corner off Da Costa.
85 mins - Spector wins another corner. Diamanti crosses and Da Costa wins it, but it bounces harmlessly through to Sorensen. Five minutes to go...
84 mins - Zola plays his final card, replacing Mido with McCarthy.
83 mins - West Ham win another corner when Diamanti's cross flicks off the head of Lawrence. The Italian takes and the ball is headed clear to Spector, who controls before beating one defender and driving his shot well wide from 25 yards.
79 mins - Collins blocks Faubert's cross out for a corner. He then takes the ball short from Diamanti, crosses, Cole flicks on and Ilan cannot wrap his foot around the ball at the far post. Goal kick.
77 mins - So nearly 2-0. Tuncay is allowed the time and space to shoot from 25 yards. Green pushes the ball out into the six-yard box, but thankfully no Stoke player can apply a finish.
76 mins - A second change for the hosts, with Ilan on for Noble.
75 mins - Faubert crosses from deep and Sorensen claims the ball unchallenged. Stoke break and Fuller tries to finish from an acute angle. His momentum takes him into the stand, where he receives a few pats on the back from the West Ham fans. Good to see they have not lost their sense of humour, and Fuller appreciates it with a smile.
74 mins - The ball is at the wrong end of the pitch, as far as West Ham are concerned. Wilkinson wins a corner. Lawrence crosses and the ball goes out. Lucky, as it ended up in the net.
72 mins - Stoke come forward again, before the ball is half-cleared to Huth, who belts his volley into the upper tier of the Sir Trevor Brooking Stand.
71 mins - Cole tries to bring the home side level immediately, but his low stabbed cross is straight through to Sorensen.
69 mins - GOAL! Fuller makes a hell of an entrance, beating Da Costa and Upson before firing past Green from eight yards. Disaster for the Hammers.
67 mins - A change for Stoke, and it's a positive one. Etherington is replaced by striker Ricardo Fuller.
66 mins - West Ham build up slowly before Diamanti spreads the ball wide left to Spector, but his cross is too high and easily claimed by Sorensen.
65 mins - Da Costa launches the ball forward and Mido flicks it on. Sorensen gathers.
64 mins - Delap hurls the ball in and Sidibe flicks it on. It is going wide, but Green grabs it and carries it out for a corner... Lawrence crosses and Delap cannot divert the ball on target. Goal kick.
63 mins - Behrami picks the ball up on the halfway line and runs 50 yards with it before poking a cross out at the near post. A bit of a waste, that was.
60 mins - Diamanti pumps the free-kick miles over the top. West Ham regain possession and Behrami is sent clear down the left. His cross deflects into the path of Noble, who slices his half-volley into the stand.
59 mins - Cole gets out of a tight situation with a super turn away from Whelan, who hauls him to the ground. Yellow card for the Irishman.
58 mins - Stoke are on top here. A deep cross from Wilkinson is put back into the danger zone by Etherington on the volley, but Green is able to claim.
55 mins - Parker wins the ball back for the umpteenth time and finds Cole, who turns away from his marker and shoots, but it is a comfortable save for Sorensen.
54 mins - Da Costa lumps the ball forward and Mido can only divert his header through to Sorensen.
52 mins - Delap hurls the ball in and Green claims. Cole returns to the action.
51 mins - Cole thunders into a challenge but hurts himself in the process. He is going to need some more repairs.
50 mins - Da Costa concedes a free-kick about 35 yards out. It looks like Huth is going to belt it... He does, but Parker blocks,
49 mins - Behrami gets forward down the left and finds Parker, who takes a touch before shooting from 30 yards. It's on target, but an easy catch for Sorensen.
48 mins - Tuncay is on...
47 mins - Kitson looks like he's in a bit of trouble here. He was nowhere near anyone when he suddenly started limping. It looks like Tuncay is going to replace him.
46 mins - West Ham kick-off the second half... Diamanti is playing wide on the right.
A half-time change for West Ham. Dyer is replaced by Diamanti.
Latest score - West Ham United 0-0 Stoke City
48 mins - Kitson picks up the ball inside the penalty area and cuts inside, but his shot is blocked by Da Costa. Seconds later the half-time whistle is blown.
46 mins - A corner late on for West Ham as Higginbotham blocks Dyer's shot behind. Stoke clear and Faubert makes a massive blunder by trying to turn on the halfway line. Etherington picks up possession and Stoke win a corner. Green punches the ball clear and finally claims it when it is lofted back into the box.
45 mins - We're going to have at least another three minutes of play.
43 mins - Upson wins another header against Sidibe. The captain has been excellent so far. He has won countless headers. Lawrence goes down under Parker's sliding challenge, but replays suggest the midfielders did not make any contact with one another.
41 mins - Parker is again the catalyst as he finds Behrami inside the box, but the Swiss midfielder screws his shot wide of the near post when a low cross might have been the better option.
40 mins - West Ham are on top now, but they need a goal to go with their pressure.
39 mins - Green smashes a free-kick up and Cole wins it, only for the ball to bounce too far in front of Mido and into the arms of the goalkeeper.
35 mins - Oh dear me. Cole shows superb strength to hold off his marker before fizzing in a shot from 25 yards that Sorensen cannot handle. The ball drops to Mido ten yards out, but he cannot control it and the chance goes begging. And what a chance it was.
33 mins - Half a chance for Cole. Parker stabs the ball through, but it's just too strong for Cole, whose toe-end hits Sorensen before being claimed by the Dane.
32 mins - West Ham are trying to get their passing game going, but it's not quite happening as yet.
28 mins - Delap hurls another missile into the box and Mido heads clear. Wilkinson and Cole battle for possession and Cole is penalised for a push. Stoke go forward down the right and win a corner. Etherington crosses and Higginbotham gets up, but can only head wide of the far post.
26 mins - Huth has moved into the centre and almost gifts Cole a chance straight away. His header is too short and Cole latches on to it, but he just can't get the ball under control and Stoke clear on the edge of their own penalty area.
25 mins - Faye is going off after all. He hands his captain's armband to Delap before, very slowly, making his way to the touchline. Wilkinson comes on.
24 mins - Dyer gets into the box again before forcing Delap into conceding a corner. Nothing comes from it.
23 mins - Da Costa is penalised for holding down Kitson a couple of yards outside the West Ham penalty area. Lawrence is going to swing the ball in. Cole heads clear.
22 mins - We're midway through the first half already and, to be honest, not a lot has happened.
20 mins - Cole is fouled wide on the left. Da Costa and Upson go forward. Noble lifts it into the box, but Stoke clear. Faubert regains possession and Dyer is sent clear down the right. He crosses, but Mido can't direct his header on target.
18 mins - Maybe Faye isn't going off. Wilkinson is putting his tracksuit back on again. After jogging up and down the touchline a couple of times, Faye rejoins the action.
17 mins - Faye is going to be replaced by Andy Wilkinson. He may have been injured fouling Cole a couple of minutes ago. Cole also receives some running repairs to his right ankle, but he seems to be OK.
16 mins - Cole is felled by Faye about 35 yards out. Noble lofts the ball in and Mido wins it in the air, but it just won't fall to a West Ham player.
14 mins - Green does well twice, first to punch away Delap's throw, then to rise high and claim Lawrence's cross. West Ham break and Mido sees his shot blocked.
13 mins - Spector gets a lucky ricochet and gets into the box, but he delays his pass to Mido and is tackled. That was a good chance that went begging there.
12 mins - Kitson loses Da Costa on the right touchline and crosses low. The ball hits Upson and fortunately rolls to Green.
11 mins - Nice play down the left involving Spector and Behrami leads to Mido laying the ball into the path of Dyer, but his pass is just too strong and rolls behind.
10 mins - Parker tries an ambitious pass around Higginbotham for Cole to chase, but it skips through to Sorensen.
9 mins - Delap hurls another throw into the box and Da Costa heads out for a corner. Lawrence curls it in, Kitson flicks on and Faye tries to slot in at the far post, but it is blocked behind by Da Costa. Etherington curls the flag-kick in and Faye wins the header, but it flies wide of the far post.
8 mins - Spector lofts the ball beyond Collins for Dyer to chase. He gets the wrong side of the left-back and goes to ground, but the assistant referee flags for nothing more than a goal kick.
6 mins - That would have been controversial. Spector drills a clearance straight at Lawrence, who blocks with his hands before screwing his shot over the top from 18 yards. Spector and Upson are incensed. If that had gone in, they wouldn't have been the only ones.
5 mins - Mido slices the ball out and Delap hurls it into the box. Upson rises high to head the ball powerfully clear.
4 mins - Parker drives forward in typical style before feeding Dyer, who is challenged by Collins. The ball hits Dyer and goes behind for a goal kick.
3 mins - Upson is harshly penalised for impeding Kitson wide on the right. Etherington comes across to curl the ball in left-footed. Faye wins the header but it floats straight into the arms of Green.
1 min - Stoke concede an early free-kick midway inside the West Ham half. Upson pumps the ball forward but Cole can only flick it out for a goal kick.
3pm - Stoke kick-off towards the Bobby Moore Stand end. Glenn Whelan launches a high cross that clears the crossbar and drops to safety behind the goal.
2.59pm - The mascots line up for their traditional pre-match photos before peeling off and running to the touchline.
2.57pm - The home faithful appear to be right up for this. Robert Green gets a good round of applause as he runs to the Bobby Moore Stand goalmouth. A chorus of 'Come on you Irons' fills the east London air. Matty Etherington gets a decent reception as his name is announced.
2.55pm - The two teams are in the tunnel along with referee Andre Marriner and the two assistants. 'Bubbles' starts to play, the players appear and we're nearly ready to go...
2.50pm - There is a buzz around the stadium as we approach kick-off. Both sets of players have returned to their dressing rooms. Captain Matthew Upson is on the big screens telling the fans that the players are ready to make sure they put in a performance that is "up to scratch". Let's hope actions speak louder than words and the Hammers can produce a display to be proud of this afternoon.
West Ham United manager Gianfranco Zola has rung the changes for this afternoon's Barclays Premier League visit of Stoke City to the Boleyn Ground.
Out go the injured James Tomkins along with Fabio Daprela, Radoslav Kovac, Alessandro Diamanti and Benni McCarthy, and into their places come Manuel da Costa, Jonathan Spector, Kieron Dyer, Mark Noble and Mido. Zola will be hoping the sweeping alterations will halt a run of five straight defeats - a record that has left the Hammers just three points above the relegation zone.
Stoke manager Tony Pulis has made one enforced change to his starting lineup, bringing in Republic of Ireland winger Liam Lawrence for the suspended Dean Whitehead.
West Ham United: Green, Faubert, Da Costa, Upson, Spector, Dyer (Diamanti 46), Parker, Noble, Behrami, Mido, Cole
Subs: Kurucz, Daprela, Gabbidon, Kovac, Ilan, McCarthy
Stoke City: Sorensen, Huth, Higginbotham, Ab. Faye (Wilkinson 25), Collins, Whelan, Lawrence, Delap, Etherington (Fuller 67), Sidibe, Kitson (Tuncay 48)
Subs: Begovic, Am. Faye, Wilkinson, Moult, Pugh