WEST HAM UNITED v BURNLEY
npower CHAMPIONSHIP
SATURDAY 3 DECEMBER 2011
KICK-OFF: 3PM
FULL AUDIO COVERAGE - WEST HAM TV
iPHONE APP I TWITTER I FACEBOOK I PODCAST
Final score - West Ham United 1-2 Burnley
95 mins - That's that. West Ham's seven-match unbeaten run is ended by a determined Burnley side. A hugely frustrating afternoon all-round, but the Hammers conceded two goals from set pieces and did not take advantage of their superior possession and the large number of changes they did create. The consolation is that Southampton are losing at Doncaster Rovers, so Big Sam's men have not lost anything in terms of points on the Saints. Highlights and post-match reaction will appear on West Ham TV.
94 mins - Burnley have a throw level with the edge of the West Ham box. Time is almost up… Vokes is then penalised for obstruction and kicks the ball away. He is booked. The free-kick is right by the corner flag, a long way from the Burnley goal…
92 mins - Burnley keep possession for about 30 seconds, which is not good news. A long ball forward is collected by Green, but McCartney then gifts the ball back to Burnley. Green has it again, but then belts the ball straight down the pitch and out for a goal kick.
91 mins - We're into the first of four added minutes…
90 mins - It's been rather frustrating, has this. To illustrate the point, Nolan gets free inside the box but his cross is charged down and bounces through to Grant.
87 mins - Faubert beats Mee and slams a low cross into the box, but Grant shows fine handling to make the save low down. Next up, McCartney crosses but Cole is not able to get on the end of it. Time is fast running out…
86 mins - West Ham are in complete control but just cannot get the ball in the net. McCartney launches a free-kick into the box from halfway, but despite Cole winning the initial header, the visitors are again able to clear. Moments later, Cole reaches Piquionne's header, but his shot on the turn is blocked.
83 mins - I don't believe this. Cole collects the ball from Carew and runs at the Burnley defence. He has a go from 25 yards and hits virtually the same patch of post that Collison hit earlier on. Today's crowd is 26,274.
80 mins - Joey O'Brien is replaced by Carew. Final substitution from Big Sam.
79 mins - It doesn't look like being West Ham's day. McCartney's cross is superb and just needs a flicked header and it's 2-2. Instead, Faubert goes for power and gets it wrong heading the ball miles wide from all of eight yards.
75 mins - GOAL! Oh dear, oh dear. The corner comes over and Vokes loses his marker and plants an unstoppable header past Green from ten yards.
75 mins - Green does better this time, flying to his right to claw away a long-range effort from Rodriguez. Corner to Burnley.
73 mins - That would have been a tad embarrassing for Green. Tomkins plays the ball back to the goalkeeper and he clears the ball low down the pitch. Wallace connects superbly with a left-foot volley from near the halfway line that spins a couple of yards wide. I'm not sure Green would have got there.
71 mins - It's surely going to come. Nolan gets in behind the Burnley defence, looks up and picks out Collison. He hits the ball low and firm, but it takes a slight deflection and thuds of the base of the post and behind for a corner. The high ball in is headed down by Tomkins but falls to a defender's boot.
69 mins - Stanislas is replaced by Sam Vokes. A striker for a midfielder. Bold move from Burnley boss Howe.
68 mins - Twice in a minute Piquionne has a great chance to make a difference. First, he gets in behind on to Cole's pass, but his cross is not good enough. Next, he has a header from a right-wing cross, but nods the ball straight at Grant.
66 mins - There's not really an argument there as Duff is booked for clipping Cole on halfway. The striker had lost the Northern Ireland man with a neat turn and was cynically brought down.
63 mins - Aside from their goal, Burnley have created nothing at all. West Ham attack again and Collison crosses low. It's just behind three Hammers inside the box. Cole controls but by the time he has spun and shot, a defender is able to get across and block.
61 mins - That's another good chance. Piquionne is picked out by Noble and he can pick out Collison in the middle, but a defender gets a foot in. The ball goes behind for a corner, but West Ham make nothing of it.
58 mins - So close to West Ham going back in front as Faubert gets down the right and pings the ball into the centre. It takes a flick off a defender and lands in the path of Piquionne. His volley is fierce but hits Trippier and goes just over the top. The corner is won by Faye again, but he cannot keep his effort on target.
57 mins - GOAL! West Ham give Stanislas far too much room to get a cross in from wide on the right. His centre is top-class and McCann gets above his marker to power a header into the roof of the net. Burnley make an immediate change, bringing on Ross Wallace for Treacy.
56 mins - Taylor has picked up an injury here. He is replaced by Piquionne. Taylor does not look happy and walks straight down the tunnel to get some treatment.
55 mins - Burnley are going to have to come out now and they do. Tomkins' loses the ball and it spins to a Clarets player. Trippier gets forward and crosses, but it's too high and goes over the crossbar. Goal kick.
52 mins - GOAL! Nolan's Boleyn Ground goals are like London buses! Green's clearance bounces over the Burnley defence and Nolan gambles. He gets there first and lobs a fantastic finish over Grant and into the net. That's better!
51 mins - Collison and Nolan combine in the box before the former wins a corner. Taylor takes this time and he picks out Faye, who is pretty much unmarked. The No15 cannot get a decent connection though and the ball flies over the crossbar.
48 mins - Taylor curls the ball over and it flicks off a Burnley head and behind for a corner. Collison takes and the ball drops to Faye. He spins and shoots and a game of penalty area pinball ensues before the Clarets clear their lines.
47 mins - Faubert pushes the ball past Mee before being unceremoniously blocked off by the full-back. Taylor will whip this one in left-footed from wide on the right.
46 mins - West Ham get the second half underway.
Apologies for the sporadic updates during the opening 45 minutes. We are dealing with some technical difficulties this afternoon. Hopefully things will work more smoothly during the second half!
Half-time score - West Ham United 0-0 Burnley
47 mins - West Ham win a throw but the half-time whistle is blown before Noble can deliver a cross from Taylor's throw.
46 mins - We will have at least one added minute.
42 mins - Fantastic work from Joey O'Brien, who picks up possession on halfway and drives through the Burnley defence. He slaloms past at least three challenges before crossing and winning a corner. Taylor's delivery is retrieved by Tomkins after clearing everybody, but Noble's cross is chipped straight into the arms of Grant.
39 mins - Taylor forces an error from Trippier and picks up possession inside the Burnley half. Collison takes the ball from his colleague and shoots low, but the ball skims a yard wide. Collison tugs at his own shorts in frustration. He feels he should have hit the target.
36 mins - Cole has a chance to break the Burnley offside trap but he goes a second too early and the flag goes up. All he had to do is stay in his own half and bend his run and he would have been away, but unfortunately he broke just too early.
35 mins - As if by magic, Burnley have their first shot. Treacy can hit them from distance and he has a go from more than 25 yards here, but the low effort skims the side netting and does not trouble Green.
33 mins - Burnley have not really had what you would call a spell in the game where they have put any sort of pressure on the Hammers. Robert Green has had a few kicks to take, but that's literally about it.
28 mins - How has he missed that? Collison takes advantage of a slip to poke the ball to Cole. He beats a man and has Nolan unmarked in the centre. The cross is low and Nolan gets his left foot to it, but his shot squirms a foot or two wide of the far post. He was literally eight yards out in the centre of the goal…
26 mins - Quality play again as O'Brien heads Tomkins' clearance to Faubert. He and Collison exchange passes twice before the Frenchman bursts into the penalty area and stands a cross up for Taylor. He attacks it, but the header loops harmlessly wide. Great build-up from the home side.
22 mins - Another half-chance as Faye lifts the ball into the box. Cole rises and the ball drops for Faubert to challenge. He sticks a boot in and the ball spins out to Nolan on the edge of the area. He controls on his thigh before volleying well wide.
20 mins - Taylor gets down the left and chases a pass from Cole to force another corner. Taylor takes himself and although Burnley initially clear their lines, Faye, O'Brien, Taylor and Nolan combine before the latter's cross is headed into the hands of Grant by Faye. It's one-way traffic…
19 mins - More incisive play as Faubert pings the ball wide left for Taylor, whose cross is deflected behind for another corner. Noble slips as he takes and Burnley easily clear at the near post.
17 mins - Surely the opening goal cannot be too far away as O'Brien and Nolan combine inside the penalty area. Nolan crosses and Faubert dives in to head the ball, but it's blocked before being hacked behind for another corner. Taylor's delivery is uncharacteristically short and headed away at the near post.
15 mins - Burnley cannot get a kick. Noble brings West Ham forward again before Cole holds the ball up and O'Brien's cross is cleared behind for a corner. Taylor whips the ball in and Tomkins wins it at the far post, but his header flies wide of the upright.
13 mins - West Ham are on top here. Noble spreads play wide right with a delightful pass. Faubert chases before leaving the ball for O'Brien. His cross finds Taylor, but it's deep in the penalty area and the No14's header is cleared away.
11 mins - Collison feeds the ball inside to Faye on halfway. He brings the ball forward and is urged to shoot by the crowd. The big defender listens and lets fly from 35 yards, but his effort is well off-target.
9 mins - Tomkins tries a long diagonal pass towards Faubert. Mee heads to O'Brien who flicks the ball over for Cole to head on. Faubert does not anticipate the header, but Nolan does, getting there just behind Grant, who collects.
5 mins - The first chance of the game and it's only a half-chance. Faubert crosses and Taylor challenges two Burnley defenders. The ball drops between Nolan and Grant, but the goalkeeper JUST gets there first. The ball spins away and right-back Trippier is able to clean up.
3 mins - It's been a fairly quiet start to the game, with both sides trying to pass the ball without creating too much.
1 min - It's 4-3-3 for Big Sam with Cole flanked by Faubert and Taylor. Collison is in the midfield three, as expected.
3pm - After an immaculately-observed minute's applause in memory of the late Wales manager Gary Speed, we're ready for kick-off. The teams have swapped ends, so West Ham will be attacking towards the Bobby Moore Stand in the opening 45 minutes.
2.10pm - For those who would rather listen to the game than read the live text updates, Julian Dicks is part of the BBC London commentary team here this afternoon.
2.08pm - Burnley manager Eddie Howe makes just one defensive change to his side, replacing Wales striker Sam Vokes with former England Under-21 midfielder Dean Marney. The change suggests the Clarets will employ a 4-5-1 or 4-4-1-1 formation, but we shall see for definite at 3pm.
2.06pm - So, Big Sam makes three changes to the starting XI that won 2-0 at Middlesbrough on Tuesday evening. Joey O'Brien replaces Guy Demel at right-back, Jack Collison comes into the midfield in place of Papa Bouba Diop, while Carlton Cole replaces Frederic Piquionne up front. John Carew is back among the substitutes, with Freddie Sears missing out.
2.03pm - The teams are in...
West Ham United: Green, O'Brien, Tomkins, Faye, McCartney, Noble, Nolan, Collison, Faubert, Taylor, Cole
Subs: Stech, Demel, Diop, Piquionne, Carew
Burnley: Grant, Trippier, Edgar, Duff, Mee, Treacy, McCann, Marney, Bartley, Stanislas, Rodriguez
Subs: Stewart, Easton, Wallace, Hines, Vokes
1.50pm - The team news will be available in about ten minutes. Junior Stanislas and Zavon Hines are back at the Boleyn this afternoon - it's a little strange to see them in Burnley tracksuits, I must say! Both will be eager to make a mark this afternoon, I'm sure.
Good afternoon and welcome to the Boleyn Ground for today's npower Championship fixture between West Ham United and Burnley.
First off, there is still time to get down to the Boleyn for the game, with tickets being sold from the Ticket Office and through cash turnstiles right up to kick-off at 3pm.
The Hammers are looking to record a fifth consecutive league victory for the first time since January/February 2006, and a win this afternoon could take Sam Allardyce's side top of the table should leaders Southampton lose at Doncaster Rovers.
Big Sam's team are in superb form, having beaten Hull City, Coventry City, Derby County and Middlesbrough in their previous four league fixtures. In all, West Ham are on a seven-match unbeaten run in the npower Championship, winning six of those games.
However, three points are not a given against a Burnley side that has won its previous two league matches, coming from 2-0 down to win 3-2 at Hull before dismissing the challenge of Ipswich Town 4-0 at Turf Moor on Tuesday.
Team news-wise, Big Sam is hoping to welcome John Carew back into the squad after the Norway international missed Tuesday's trip to the Riverside Stadium. Burnley boss Eddie Howe has Scotland winger Ross Wallace available again after a one-match ban.
The two starting lineups and substitutes will be announced at 2pm and published first on the club's official twitter feed.