MIDDLESBROUGH v WEST HAM UNITED
npower CHAMPIONSHIP
TUESDAY 29 NOVEMBER 2011
KICK-OFF: 7.45PM
FULL AUDIO AND TEXT COMMENTARY - WEST HAM TV
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Introduction
• West Ham United travel to Middlesbrough in their 19th npower Championship fixture of 2011/12 after their fifth home league victory of the season in nine attempts was secured with a 3-1 defeat of Derby County on Saturday.
• The Hammers are two points behind leaders Southampton, who welcome Hull City on the same evening. A fourth successive away win coupled with a defeat for the Saints could take Sam Allardyce's men top of the table.
• The Hammers have taken 16 points from a possible 18 in their last six matches, winning five and drawing one. Sam Allardyce's side sit second in the npower Championship table, two points behind leaders Southampton and three points ahead of Cardiff City, on whom they have a game in hand. They are five ahead of tonight's opponents.
• Sam Allardyce's side are looking for a fourth consecutive league victory for the first time since winning four in a row at the end of the 2006/07 Premier League campaign against Everton, Wigan Athletic, Bolton Wanderers and Manchester United.
• West Ham United's defeat of Derby was the club's eleventh league victory of the season - four more than they managed in the whole of last season and two more than they achieved in 2009/10.
• West Ham United's 26 league goals have been shared between 14 different players.
• Julien Faubert and Kevin Nolan are both one yellow card away from a one-match suspension.
• The Hammers are enjoying their best start to a season since the 1990/91 second-tier campaign, when they did not lose in the first 21 matches. After 18 games, they had 40 points - three better than the current total.
• Middlesbrough have drawn eight times in the npower Championship this season, and have only lost two games in the league. No team has lost fewer.
• Both clubs have conceded just 15 goals in 18 matches, the best record in the division.
• Middlesbrough have yet to lose at home this season, and in fact have not lost in 16 matches at home. They have won seven and drawn nine since losing to Queens Park Rangers on 26 February this year.
Team news
West Ham United
• Guy Demel is ready for his first-team debut after recovering from a hamstring injury.
• Winston Reid (dislocated shoulder), Gary O'Neil (knee), Henri Lansbury (knee), Ruud Boffin (finger), David Bentley (knee) and Sam Baldock (hamstring) are definitely out, the latter after limping out of Saturday's match with Derby. Reid, Lansbury and Baldock are all hopeful of figuring again at some point in December.
• John Carew was a late withdrawal with a knee problem.
• Pablo Barrera and Jordan Spence are on season-long loans at Real Zaragoza and Bristol City respectively. Ahmed Abdulla (Swindon Town), Cristian Montano (Dagenham & Redbridge), Rob Hall (Oxford United), Herita Ilunga (Doncaster Rovers), Callum McNaughton (AFC Wimbledon) and Frank Nouble (Gillingham) are all out on temporary loans.
Middlesbrough
• Boro are concerned about midfielder Barry Robson (thigh).
• Tony Mowbray is also worried about the fitness of Marvin Emnes (calf) and Scott McDonald (illness). Kevin Thomas is already out with a hamstring problem.
Last time out
Saturday 26 November October 2011
npower Championship
West Ham United 3-1 Derby County
West Ham United: Green, O'Brien, Tomkins, Faye, McCartney, Faubert (Taylor 82), Noble, Nolan, Collison, Baldock (Piquionne 21), Cole (Carew 76)
Subs not used: Stech, Demel
Goals: Cole 44, Nolan 64, Noble 74
Saturday 26 November 2011
npower Championship
Peterborough United 1-1 Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough: Steele, Bennett, Bates, McManus, Williams, McMahon, Bailey, Robson, Haroun, McDonald, Emnes (Nimely 75)
Subs not used: Hoyte, Zemmama, Arca, Ogbeche
Goals: Bates 54
Head to head
Last six meetings (Premier League unless stated)
24 May 2009 - West Ham 2-1 Middlesbrough
25 February 2009 - Middlesbrough 2-0 West Ham United (FA Cup)
14 February 2009 - West Ham United 1-1 Middlesbrough (FA Cup)
1 November 2008 - Middlesbrough 1-1 West Ham United
22 December 2007 - Middlesbrough 1-2 West Ham United
15 September 2007 - West Ham United 3-0 Middlesbrough
Overall record v Middlesbrough (all competitions) W 25 D 13 L 24
Ten-year records
West Ham United
2010/11 Premier League 20th (relegated to Championship)
2009/10 Premier League 17th
2008/09 Premier League 9th
2007/08 Premier League 10th
2006/07 Premier League 15th
2005/06 Premier League 9th
2004/05 Championship 6th (promoted to Premier League via Play-Offs)
2003/04 Division One 4th
2002/03 Premier League 18th (relegated to Championship)
2001/02 Premier League 7th
Middlesbrough
2010/11 Championship 11th
2009/10 Premier League 19th (relegated to Championship)
2008/09 Premier League 13th
2007/08 Premier League 12th
2006/07 Premier League 14th
2005/06 Premier League 7th
2004/05 Premier League 11th
2003/04 Premier League 11th
2002/03 Premier League 12th
2001/02 Premier League 9th
Referee
• Tuesday's referee is MIke Dean, who took charge of six Hammers matches last season - notably the 3-2 defeat by Wigan Athletic on 15 May that confirmed the club's relegation.
• Dean was also the man-in-the-middle for the 3-0 opening-day defeat at Aston Villa, the 2-2 home draw with West Bromwich Albion, the 1-1 draw at Blackburn Rovers, the 5-0 defeat at Newcastle United and the goalless draw at Tottenham Hotspur.
• Dean began refereeing in 1985, starting out his career in senior football in the Northern Premier League.
• In 2004, Dean took charge of his first international match, a friendly between the Netherlands and Republic of Ireland at Amsterdam Arena. That same year, he took control of the FA Community Shield between Arsenal and Manchester United.
• In May 2006, he refereed the Championship play-off final between Leeds United and Watford at the Millennium Stadium. In 2008, he was the man-in-the-middle for the FA Cup final between Portsmouth and Cardiff City at Wembley Stadium.
Us and them
• Gary O'Neil played for Middlesbrough between August 2007 and January 2011, when he signed for the Hammers. He scored seven goals in 119 appearances for Boro in all competitions.
• Among the other players who have represented both clubs are Jeremie Aliadiere, Brian Deane, James Dow, Paul Ince, Frank Piercy, Luke 'Lou' Raisbeck, George 'Geordie' Reid, Robbie Stockdale and Robert Young.
• The last time the teams met, Middlesbrough were relegated from the Barclays Premier League on Sunday 24 May 2009 - losing 2-1 at the Boleyn Ground on the final day of the season.
• This is the 57th league meeting between the two sides. West Ham won 23 times and Boro 22 times, while there have been eleven draws.
• The teams' last meeting at the Riverside Stadium came in an FA Cup fifth-round replay at the Riverside on Wednesday 25 February 2009. Boro secured a 2-0 victory thanks to first-half goals from Stewart Downing and Tuncay Sanli.
The lineups were:
Middlesbrough: Jones, Hoyte, Wheater, Huth, Pogatetz, O'Neil, Bates, Arca (Walker 88), Downing, Sanli (A.Johnson 81), Aliadiere (Emnes 67)
Subs not used: Turnbull, Taylor, Alves, McMahon
West Ham United: Green, Neill, Tomkins, Upson, Ilunga, Behrami, Parker, Noble (Collison 56), Kovac (Tristan 69), Cole, Sears (Di Michele 57)
Subs not used Lastuvka, Spector, Lopez, Savio
• Middlesbrough's biggest home win against West Ham is a 6-0 success on 30 October 1954
• The Hammers best victory at Middlesbrough was a 3-1 triumph on 26 April 1958, and it was truly a cause for celebration as it marked their first promotion to English football's top flight on the last day of the season.
Up next
• West Ham United welcome Burnley to the Boleyn Ground on Saturday. Middlesbrough travel to in-form Bristol City in the late game on Saturday evening.
General information
• Tuesday's weather forecast is for a chilly evening, with temperatures at kick-off thought to be around 6C.