TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR v WEST HAM UNITED
BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
SATURDAY 19 MARCH 2011
KICK-OFF: 12.45PM
FULL AUDIO COVERAGE - WEST HAM TV
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Final score - Tottenham Hotspur 0-0 West Ham United
94 mins - The full-time whistle blows. That is a hard-earned but deserved point. Sure, West Ham rode their luck a bit at times, but they can be proud of their efforts. Ahead of the weekend's other fixtures, the Hammers are up to 15th in the table. Three of Blackpool, West Bromwich Albion, Birmingham City and Wolverhampton Wanderers need to pick up points to put Avram Grant's side back in the bottom three.
94 mins - Only 60 seconds to go now as Modric fires a right-foot shot a few yards over the top. The travelling fans respond with a rousing chorus of 'Bubbles'.
93 mins - We've got two minutes to go...
91 mins - We're into the first of at least four added minutes. Hutton crosses low and Upson clears. Tottenham come again but Pavlyuchenko's shot is low and well wide of the left-hand post.
90 mins - Wayne Bridge has been immense today and he saves what could be a goal for Defoe by getting in a strong challenge on the No18 as he shoots from 12 yards. The ball trickles into Green's arms.
89 mins - Not a lot of time left, but it's real edge-of-the-seat stuff here. As if to illustrate the fact, Defoe streaks forward before shooting a yard over the top with his left foot.
86 mins - What a save by Robert Green! Bale curls the free-kick over the wall and Green flings himself to his left to divert the ball on to the crossbar. Jacobsen reacts quickest and hacks the ball into the air before it is scrambled behind. The corner is headed into the air by Upson and Green claims.
84 mins - The Hammers are rocking a bit. A deep cross is headed by Bridge straight to Lennon. He crosses low and Upson blocks behind. The corner is cleared, but Spurs come again and Upson is penalised for a lunge on Modric about 25 yards out.
83 mins - West Ham break free down their right again. Jacobsen crosses and Obinna looks to lose Hutton with a neat flick, but Dawson is there.
81 mins - Spurs are upping the ante again. Twice, Pavlyuchenko works Green with well-struck shots from 25 yards. Both times, the goalkeeper is equal to them.
80 mins - Parker shows his commitment by tracking Bale's run and conceding a throw. As he does, he loses his balance and clatters into the advertising board. After a quick once-over, he's back on.
78 mins - Corluka is replaced by Hutton, while Cole has his place taken by Obinna.
77 mins - Nice movement down the right from O'Neil, who finds Cole. He plays an angled ball into the box for Ba, but the No21's touch lets him down and Gallas is able to get himself in a good position. Gomes collects.
76 mins - It looks very much like Victor Obinna is going to be in the game shortly. Tottenham are also going to make a second chance, with Alan Hutton preparing for action.
73 mins - The Russian is immediately into the action, but his header from Corluka's cross loops straight into Green's arms.
72 mins - Oh my goodness! Ba comes forward and finds Cole in space. He rolls the ball across the face of the box to Noble, who drops his shoulder and has time and space to pick his spot, but can only stab the ball well wide of the left-hand post. The break in play sees Pavlyuchenko replace Van der Vaart.
70 mins - Great defending from Da Costa. Bale and Modric combine to find Defoe one-on-one with the defender, but he stands his ground and forces the striker wide before coming clear with the ball.
68 mins - Upson is the fourth West Ham player booked for bringing down Defoe on halfway. Spurs are readying Roman Pavlyuchenko.
67 mins - Three-quarters of the game gone and Tottenham still controlling possession. Modric and Van der Vaart work a shooting chance for Sandro 25 yards out, but the Brazilian's effort is wayward and flies wide of the top right-hand corner.
64 mins - Action at both ends. First, Modric cannot muster the power to test Green. From his clearance, West Ham break and Ba turns his marker before slapping a shot that Gomes has to palm around the post. The corner comes over and Upson rises with the goalkeeper, who drops it. Referee Dean gives a foul against the Hammers captain.
63 mins - Van der Vaart picks out Bale with a superb pass. The Welshman cuts inside O'Neil but his cross-shot is blocked by Parker.
61 mins - West Ham have ridden out the storm for now and are enjoying some pressure down their right until Assou-Ekotto clears. Defoe and Modric keep possession before Bale flashes a right-foot cross high across the penalty area and out for a throw-in.
59 mins - A hint of a shooting chance for O'Neil. Parker releases Jacobsen down the right and the Dane cuts the ball back for the No32, but he is challenged well by Van der Vaart.
57 mins - Another booking for a West Ham player. This time it is Cole who is shown the yellow card for a late tackle on Sandro inside the Spurs half.
55 mins - Oooh! Bale bursts through the middle before feeding Defoe. He beats Da Costa but Parker is there with a fantastic challenge. West Ham break and O'Neil has space to cross. The ball hits Dawson and loops towards Noble. who sends an acrobatic overhead kick a couple of yards wide.
54 mins - It's all a bit hairy at the moment for the Hammers. Spurs are really pushing hard for an opening goal and Jacobsen has to be alert to flick the ball clear. West Ham need to have a spell of possession to remove some of the pressure they are under.
52 mins - Today's attendance is 36,010.
51 mins - Cole controls on his chest about 35 yards out and has time to assess his options. Instead, he shoots wildly from distance and the ball flies well off-target.
49 mins - Noble is booked for a tackle on Bale. I'm not sure there was much in that at all. Bale crossed from the left and, if anything, kicked Noble's foot. The free-kick is cleared, but Spurs come again. Defoe has a clear chance about eight yards out, but Green makes a superb block. Modric can't control his follow-up effort. That is another top-class stop.
47 mins - Some running repairs on both sides. Van der Vaart needs the physio on, while Noble is changing his boots. He is soon back in the thick of things.
46 mins - We're only about 30 seconds in as Cole turns Gallas and shoots right-footed, forcing a plunging save from Gomes. West Ham cross again through O'Neil on the right and Dawson heads clear. Bright start.
46 mins - Noble and Cole kick-off...
Dawson leads Tottenham out for the second half. No changes from the hosts. A minute or so later, Upson jogs back on to the pitch with his claret and blue team-mates. Cole is the last player out of the tunnel.
Half-time score - Tottenham Hotspur 0-0 West Ham United
46 mins - Spurs have time for one last attack and Modric does well to bring the ball across the pitch and find Van der Vaart. The Dutchman shoots with his weaker right foot and again it's straight at Green, who safely catches the ball to his midriff. Seconds later, Dean blows for half-time.
46 mins - Van der Vaart has a go from all of 30 yards from the free-kick and Green has time to move to his right and catch in front of his face.
45 mins - Into the final minute of the half and Parker becomes the first player book for a lunging challenge on Van der Vaart. It was just mis-timed. We'll have one added minute.
43 mins - Ba almost makes a shooting chance for himself, turning away from Sandro and beating Dawson, but he is closed down by Gallas. The Hammers come again and Parker forces Corluka to concede a corner. Noble delivers and Upson rises highest, but the ball is just behind him and Spurs clear.
42 mins - West Ham have also made a slight change. Cole has come to the left of the front three, with Ba now through the middle.
41 mins - Unbelievable. Lennon cuts inside Jacobsen and fires a shot that cannons back off the inside of the far post with Green beaten. The ball ricochets straight to Defoe six yards out, but he has no time to adjust his feet and the ball screws a yard wide of his left foot.
40 mins - Noble intercepts and runs at the Tottenham back four. He tries to find Ba, whose backheel is cleared. West Ham come again but Bridge's cross clears everybody.
38 mins - Bale has come to the right and Lennon has gone over to the left wing.
37 mins - O'Neil is brought down inside the Spurs half. Another chance for Hitzlsperger to deliver. The ball clears Cole and is headed away by Dawson. Upson concedes a free-kick as he runs back. Tottenham take it quickly and Bale shoots from all of 30 yards, but his daisy-cutter is off-target and easy for Green to collect.
33 mins - Modric is not renowned for his shooting, but he's got his boots on today. Defoe collects a pass from the Croatian before feeding him in space 20 yards out. He falls as he slams a right-foot shot at an angle and a yard or two wide of the far post.
32 mins - Lennon has had a few runs at Bridge, but the No36 has kept his eye on the ball and, so far, the England winger has had little joy against the left-back.
30 mins - Good football involving Bridge and Hitzlsperger down the left before Ba takes the ball and shoots from 25 yards. He tries to shape a curler into the far top corner, but gets too much on it and the ball flies into the stand.
28 mins - I'm not sure that was a foul. Ba loses the ball inside the Spurs half and Modric breaks. Noble tracks him and appears to win the ball with a sliding tackle, but referee Dean thinks otherwise. Van der Vaart takes it short to Corluka, who tries to play in Lennon, but Bridge is there.
26 mins - West Ham play some nice football to get themselves out of a sticky situation before Noble holds off Sandro and is brought down. The free-kick comes to nothing and Spurs attack. Modric, Lennon and Corluka are all involved before Parker nips in, but is unable to prevent the corner. Van der Vaart takes, but Upson is there to head powerfully clear.
24 mins - Corluka is getting some joy down the right. First, he sends over a cross that Defoe meets, but scuffs a low shot that is easy for Green. Next, he has acres to pick out the run of Lennon, but over-hits his pass out for a goal kick.
22 mins - West Ham are growing into this game. Parker wins a towering header in midfield before Assou-Ekotto brings down Ba. Free-kick. Hitzlsperger curls the ball over and Da Costa is penalised for a push.
20 mins - If Cole's earlier chance was good, that was an amazing opportunity to open the scoring. The No9 beats the offside trap and is clean through, only to shoot tamely straight at Gomes. The striker holds his head in his hands in frustration.
19 mins - Upson concedes a corner and the ball is worked to Van der Vaart who smashes a half-volley a yard wide of the left-hand post.
16 mins - Spurs spread play wide right to Corluka, who swaps passes with Lennon and wins a corner off Ba. The set piece is taken short to Modric, who cuts on to his left foot and smashes a rising shot that flashes a yard past the top-left corner.
14 mins - That is a good chance for Cole. Bridge and Hitzlsperger combine after Parker has robbed Modric on halfway. Bridge lofts a superb ball over Gallas but Cole chooses to volley first-time instead of controlling and his effort lacks the pace or direction to trouble Gomes.
12 mins - Cole has the ball about 25 yards out and shoots, but it's straight at Gomes, who collects. Bale is waved back on.
11 mins - It looks like Bale might have a cut. He is being ordered off the pitch by referee Dean. OK, it is actually the colour of his cycling shorts that is the problem! The rules state that his undergarments must be the same colour as his playing kit, so a quick change on the touchline is in order.
10 mins - A long ball bounces up in the air and Corluka, whose header momentarily looks like it might clear Gomes, but the Brazilian is able to leap and catch above his head.
8 mins - Modric again, finding more space about 30 yards out. He dinks the ball to Lennon, who flashes a cross just behind Defoe. O'Neil's clearance falls to Sandro, whose shot flies behind off Da Costa. The corner comes over and drops to Lennon at the far post, but he can only lash his volley high and wide of the target.
7 mins - Modric is so elusive. He finds space again and plays in Bale, who beats Jacobsen to the ball and crosses low for Defoe, who flicks a low shot across the face of goal and out for a goal kick. Close.
5 mins - Noble collects a loose ball in midfield and tries to curl a ball around Dawson for Cole to chase, but it's too strong and Gomes has time to control before picking the ball up. Spurs break and Corluka finds Lennon, but Bridge stops him in his tracks.
3 mins - Bale has his first couple of runs down the left. O'Neil can't slow him down and commits a foul near the corner flag. The free-kick is cleared to halfway, but Gallas pumps it forward again and the ball is worked to Dawson. He takes a touch and curls a shot that kisses the top of the crossbar on its way over.
2 mins - Modric brings the ball forward over the halfway line, but Parker tracks him all the way before winning the ball with a neat sliding challenge. Cue 'Super Scotty Parker' chants from the away supporters.
1 min - The Hammers make a decent start, Parker winning one crunching tackle before O'Neil wins a throw inside the Spurs half. Noble tries to find Hitzlsperger, but Sandro cuts it out 25 yards from goal.
12.49pm - Van der Vaart and Defoe get us up and running...
12.47pm - The silence is, as ever, immaculately respected by both sets of supporters. Tottenham will kick-off, shooting towards the Park Lane end of White Hart Lane.
12.45pm - It looks like we're going to have a slight delay to the kick-off as referee Dean calls the two skippers to the centre spot. There, they meet West Ham's mascot for the day John Cullen. The two teams gather for the minute's silence around the edge of the centre circle.
12.43pm - Here come the two teams, led by captains Michael Dawson and Matthew Upson... West Ham are wearing claret and blue shirts, light blue shorts and light blue socks. Spurs are in white shirts, dark blue shorts and white socks. Our referee today is Mike Dean.
12.42pm - We are going to have a minute of silence ahead of kick-off in memory of all of those who have lost their lives in the Japanese earthquake and tsunami.
12.41pm - An away win today would take West Ham up to 13th in the table ahead of the weekend's other fixtures. In fact, an eight-goal victory would take the Hammers above Stoke City into 12th, but I think that might be being a bit optimistic!
12.38pm - The pitch is now clear of players and coaches and the big screens are showing highlights of Tottenham's win over AC Milan in the UEFA Champions League. Let's hope Spurs' attentions are focused on European competition rather than domestic matters this afternoon. Immediately to my left, the Tottenham substitutes take their seats on the bench.
12.30pm - The Hammers head over to the corner that is occupied by the visiting fans for a spot of sprint work. The supporters respond with a rousing rendition of 'Bubbles'. I'm sure the atmosphere will be superb this afternoon, despite the relatively early kick-off time.
12.25pm - It really is a beautiful day here in north London. There is a chill in the air, but not a cloud in the sky. Both sets of players are out on the pitch going through their final preparations for today's game. The two managers have enjoyed a warm embrace and a cup of tea but their friendliness will be set to one side in about 20 minutes' time.
11.50am - Team news is in. West Ham will line-up in a 4-3-3 formation with Green in goal, a back four of Jacobsen, Da Costa, Upson and Bridge, a midfield of Noble, Parker and Hitzlsperger and a front three of O'Neil, Ba and Cole. Spurs have William Gallas and Gareth Bale back, while Jermain Defoe starts up front just ahead of Rafael van der Vaart. Full team news and substitutes can be found below.
Good morning and welcome to a bright and sunny White Hart Lane for today's lunch-time Barclays Premier League derby between Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United.
The Hammers arrive in north London on a run of two consecutive league victories and looking to extend that run to three matches for the first time since May 2007.
However, Avram Grant's side will not have it easy against a Spurs squad that sits fifth in the table and has won through to a UEFA Champions League quarter-final showdown with Spanish giants Real Madrid CF.
West Ham's chances of pulling off their first win at White Hart Lane in nearly 12 years have been boosted by the news that Spurs will be without important midfielders Wilson Palacios and Tom Huddlestone. However, reports suggest that French centre-back William Gallas could be fit to start after recovering from a hamstring injury.
Grant will be hoping that striker Demba Ba will be ready for action after missing last weekend's FA Cup Sponsored by EON sixth-round defeat at Stoke City. Ba has netted four times in four league appearances so far and would undoubtedly pose a real threat to the Tottenham back four.
Unfortunately, Robbie Keane is ineligible this afternoon due to the terms of his loan from parent club Tottenham.
The team news will be announced at around 11.45am and posted as soon as possible afterwards on whufc.com and the Hammers' official twitter feed here.
West Ham boss Grant and opposite number and old pal Harry Redknapp have enjoyed a number of battles over the past few seasons. Redknapp scored a Carling Cup final victory over Grant's Chelsea in 2008, but the Israeli got his own back when his Portsmouth side defeated Spurs in an FA Cup Sponsored by EON semi-final at Wembley last season. Grant, of course, also came out on top when the two sides met in the reverse Barclays Premier League fixture at the Boleyn Ground in September 2010.
The last time the Hammers won at White Hart Lane, Redknapp was West Ham manager as Ian Wright and Marc Keller scored in a 2-1 victory on 24 April 1999. Since then, West Ham have failed to win on ten trips to N17.
Tottenham Hotspur: Gomes, Corluka (Hutton 78), Gallas, Dawson, Assou-Ekotto, Sandro, Bale, Modric, Lennon, Van der Vaart (Pavlyuchenko 72), Defoe
Subs: Pletikosa, Bassong, Jenas, Kranjcar, Crouch
West Ham United: Green, Jacobsen, Da Costa, Upson, Bridge, Noble, Parker, Hitzlsperger, O'Neil, Ba, Cole (Obinna 78)
Subs: Boffin, Tomkins, Gabbidon, Boa Morte, Sears, Hines