BRISTOL CITY v WEST HAM UNITED
npower CHAMPIONSHIP
TUESDAY 17 APRIL 2012
KICK-OFF: 7.45PM
FULL AUDIO COMMENTARY - WEST HAM TV
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Final score - Bristol City 1-1 West Ham United
95 mins - The final whistle is blown and the home fans celebrate. To be fair to them, that point has probably kept them up. For West Ham, only a very strange sequence of results will prevent them finishing third. Indeed, Southampton need just two points from two matches to seal promotion. Reading are up to the Premier League. West Ham TV will have highlights and exclusive post-match reaction soon.
94 mins - That is probably the last chance gone. Collison dribbles forward and finds Nolan. He pokes the ball into the area and Carew slides in with Gerken. The brave goalkeeper holds on.
92 mins - Frantic stuff as Lansbury's cross nearly drops to Carew and then Taylor, but City clear. Adomah threatens to break clear down the right until Noble slides in to concede a throw.
91 mins - Bristol City have settled for a draw that all but keeps them up. They have a throw inside their own half and are taking all the time in the world over it.
90 mins - The board shows we will have four minutes of added time, at least.
89 mins - Collison collects from Reid and tries to play in Faubert, but Woolford cuts it out. The next clearance hits Nolan and nearly breaks to Carew, but he loses his footing.
88 mins - Stead is replaced by Carey. Striker off. Defender on.
87 mins - Agonising. Faubert latches on to a pass from Nolan and fires the ball across. Carew slides in, but the defender gets a touch. Lansbury hurls in the throw and Carew controls at the near post, spins and shoots into the side-netting.
85 mins - Collison shows good purpose to drive down the inside-right channel. He crosses low and hard, but the ball eludes both Vaz Te and Carew inside the box. Time is running out...
83 mins - West Ham attack down the left and Taylor wins a throw. The ball drops to Collison and he finds Nolan, whose cross lands on the head of Carew, but Gerken is in the right place to catch. Bristol City break and the ball is headed down by Wood to Stead. He is leaning back and shoots over the top from 16 yards.
80 mins - The time is running out but both teams are going all-out for a winner. Vaz Te has been relatively quiet, but this time he runs down the right, crosses and wins a corner. Taylor crosses from the right but nobody can get on the end of it. Carew seemed to leave that, for some reason.
74 mins - Double change as Demel and Maynard are replaced by Collison and Faubert. Play restarts with a free-kick and Taylor whips it in and Carew's header flashes a yard over. Good chance for the Norwegian.
73 mins - Well it's real end-to-end stuff here. First Carew twists and turns before firing straight at Gerken. Then at the other end, Chris Wood latches on to the end of a cross from the right to force a smart save from Green. West Ham break immediately and Carew is there again, but cannot get on the end of a cross into the six-yard box.
70 mins - Two changes for Bristol City as Bolasie and Cisse are replaced by Woolford and Adomah.
66 mins - Amougou is penalised for fouling Carew. The No33 doesn't agree with the decision. The fact he is also booked doesn't exactly improve his mood.
64 mins - It's a tactical change too, with Taylor going to left-back and Carew playing up front. Maynard is in behind him and Vaz Te. Very attacking formation.
63 mins - Taylor is fouled this time, but outside the box. Noble to take... The delivery isn't great and the ball flicks over to Demel. He loses out before Maynard concedes a free-kick. Before the game restarts, Carew is on for Collins.
61 mins - So close! Lansbury latches on to a pass from Vaz Te and stings the palms of Gerken. The midfielder recovers and crosses to the far post for Taylor, who might be pushed over by Cisse. Nothing given by the referee and Bristol City clear.
58 mins - Collins follows Reid into the book for a fairly cynical pull on Bolasie. The ball is curled over and Tomkins heads away for a throw. Southampton are 3-0 up at Peterborough.
56 mins - Noble's free-kick is won by Tomkins again but Reid cannot quite scamble the ball in from eight yards.
53 mins - Lansbury slips as he tries to control a pass and McGivern shoots from 25 yards. He drags it miles wide. The Hammers fans sing 'That's why you're going down!'. A bit harsh, that.
51 mins - Better. Maynard finds Lansbury to his right about 20 yards out. He shoots from the right edge of the penalty area and the ball clips the top of the crossbar on its way over the top. A foot away from 2-1 West Ham.
50 mins - Noble slaloms past two players before slotting wide left for Taylor. He crosses first-time, but it is too strong. Goal kick. The attendance is announced as 16,669, with 1,866 from West Ham.
49 mins - Taylor's pass is charged down and Bolasie is off to the races again. Reid comes across and brings him down. Yellow card for the No2. Bolasie himself takes and Collins slices the ball out for a throw.
47 mins - Maynard is caught offside from Noble's poke forward. Bradley Allen is doing the BBC London commentary to my right and he thinks West Ham should 'just go for it as they have nothing to lose'. I'm inclined to agree with him.
46 mins - West Ham kick-off the second half. The ball is hit long into the Robins box, but Vaz Te cannot benefit and the ball rolls out.
Half-time score - Bristol City 1-1 West Ham United
47 mins - The half-time whistle is blown.
46 mins - Into the one minute of added time and Tomkins' pass is cut out. Bolasie races forward and crosses but it's too strong.
44 mins - Taylor lifts the free-kick in and Bristol City make a hash of clearing it. Noble wins it back on the edge of the box and his low cross-shot falls to either Maynard or Reid on the edge of the six-yard box. Gerken is also in there bravely and the referee blows for a foul.
43 mins - That's better. Noble and Lansbury are involved before the latter is fouled.
42 mins - It really is amazing the change in Bristol City since that goal. They are finding space that just didn't exist before the goal. Despite having five men in midfield when they are defending, the Robins are keeping it well in the main.
41 mins - The lights in the stand in front of me have been turned back on. That means that half-time is approaching. Big Sam will want his team in to have a word as they have lost their way slightly in recent moments.
39 mins - The away support to my right are also in good voice with a chant of 'We are West Ham's claret and blue army'. On the pitch, the Hammers have lost some of their early tempo.
33 mins - West Ham just need to keep doing what they were doing before that equaliser. Unfortunately, the difference is that the home crowd have now come alive and the home team are visibly lifted. Before the goal, they had hardly had a kick.
31 mins - That goal out of nowhere has got the home team and crowd going. Now they have a corner. It is lifted to the far post where Pearson collects. He crosses left-footed, but it is too high and goes out for a goal kick.
30 mins - GOAL! Green should save that, I think. The header by Reid drops in midfield and Skuse beats Noble to the ball. It bounces and Skuse smacks it and the ball bounces just in front of the goalkeeper, who cannot keep it out.
29 mins - That goal is no more than West Ham deserve for their near total dominance so far.
27 mins - West Ham have another free-kick on halfway. Again it is aimed for Tomkins, but the hosts clear this time. That was Tomkins' fourth of the season.
25 mins - GOAL! Amougou fouls Maynard. After a delay while the referee speaks to the defender, Noble curls the free-kick over and Tomkins has all the space he needs to head powerfully back past Gerken and into the net. Cue massive celebrations!
24 mins - Fontaine heads out. Lansbury has a long throw, but instead hurls it to the feet of Demel in space. His cross is a bit deep. Taylor gets there first, but his right-foot shot is miles over the top.
23 mins - Stead and his team-mates are unhappy with a strong challenge by Tomkins. To be honest, Stead just stood there as Tomkins tried to win the header. It is a contact sport, after all.
21 mins - Noble finds Maynard and he releases Vaz Te amid the boos. The in-form No12 cuts inside, stumbles slightly on the ball and then drags his left-foot shot wide from just inside the penalty area.
20 mins - A long-range effort from Skuse after Nolan had over-run the ball in midfield. It dribbles well wide.
19 mins - Good tackle from Tomkins in midfield and he is able to get to his feet and bring the ball forward. Unfortunately, Vaz Te and Maynard's runs were not at the right angles and the No5's pass is cut out by McGivern and passed back to Gerken.
17 mins - Tomkins is penalised for trying to head the ball away from in front of Stead. That was a very soft one. Pearson takes it and Reid glances the header clear. The ball comes in again and and West Ham scramble the ball away through Vaz Te and then Demel.
16 mins - Tomkins half-volleys the ball down the right. Vaz Te gets there first and crosses, but the hanging ball is easy for Gerken to claim.
15 mins - Nolan controls a long ball out of defence from Reid and handles. He continues and crosses low for Vaz Te, who finishes superbly with his right foot. Unfortunately, Mr Pawson the referee had spotted the infringement and the West Ham celebrations quickly die down.
14 mins - The good news is that Reading aren't winning. Saying that, they haven't kicked-off yet.
12 mins - Bad news from Peterborough, where Southampton are 2-0 up already. Back here, Nolan's shot clips Fontaine and goes just wide. Noble's corner falls to Maynard about ten yards out. He spins and shoots, just too high.
10 mins - City have their first chance as Bolasie gets down the right and wins a corner. The initial delivery is cleared to McGivern. He crossed left-footed and Green makes a brave punch clear under pressure.
8 mins - West Ham are all over City. Another cross from the right from Taylor is headed away to halfway. Tomkins heads back to Reid, whose long punt forward looks like it might bounce off the wet turf and over Gerken, but the former Colchester goalkeeper recovers well.
6 mins - A chance for Demel to cross after good interplay down the right involving Vaz Te, but it's cut out. Noble crosses and it's headed away before Demel has another go and Gerken is forced to hurriedly punch away for a throw. It's all West Ham.
5 mins - West Ham have started really well. The Robins have hardly had a kick aside from a few hurried clearances. As I type, a long ball forward for Stead causes momentary panic until Reid gets his body in and clears for a throw.
3 mins - Another chance as Nolan is fouled about 30 yards out. Taylor takes it quickly again and Tomkins is alive and nods the ball back across goal, but there is nobody in a blue shirt to take advantage. The ball bounces and Gerken falls on it.
2 mins - West Ham have a free-kick inside the Bristol City half. It is taken too quickly and Vaz Te falls over inside the box. No matter, it'll be re-taken. Noble takes it and it's not a good one as City clear from the edge of their own box.
1 min - It doesn't take long for Maynard to get his welcome back from the home fans. He beats on player and shoots from 20 yards, amid boos from the home supporters, but his effort is blocked by Cisse.
7.47pm - It's going to be a late start. Bristol City will kick-off.
7.44pm - I'm a bit worried I won't be able to see the big moments here. The Press Box is behind glass at the back of the stand and the gantry in front is very low. There are also pillars and standing fans to complicate the situation. It's a saga!
7.40pm - The teams should be out of the tunnel very shortly. And here they are! West Ham are in all sky blue, while Bristol City are in red shirts, white shorts and red socks.
7.25pm - The sun was shining when the team arrived, but it is now raining. The pitch looks in great condition, so hopefully we're in for an exciting, fast-flowing game.
7.05pm - There is plenty of confidence in both camps ahead of tonight's game. The 1,800 travelling Hammers fans will no doubt be in full voice as their side seek an amazing 13th away league win of the campaign. Last time West Ham played on the road, they won 4-0 at Barnsley. A repeat of that result this evening would be more than welcome. In all, the Hammers are unbeaten in six away league matches stretching back to 31 January, scoring 15 goals in the process.
6.55pm - The team news is in...
West Ham United make two changes from Saturday's 6-0 home win over Brighton. Gary O'Neil and Carlton Cole miss out, with Danny Collins and Nicky Maynard replacing them. Julien Faubert and Papa Bouba Diop return to the matchday squad.
Bristol City: Gerken, Fontaine, Amougou, Skuse, Foster, Bolasie, McGivern, Cisse, Pearson, Wood, Stead
Subs: James, Woolford, Adomah, Carey, Kilkenny
West Ham United: Green, Demel, Reid, Tomkins, Collins, Lansbury, Noble, Nolan, Taylor, Vaz Te, Maynard
Subs: Henderson, Collison, Faubert, Diop, Carew
6.35pm - The Hammers are in town. The team coach has arrived at Ashton Gate and the players are in the Away Dressing Room. It's a bright and sunny evening here in the south west. To view an exclusive gallery of images from Bristol City on the club's official Facebook site, click here.
Good evening and welcome to a blustery Ashton Gate for tonight's potentially-vital npower Championship fixture between Bristol City and West Ham United.
The Hammers go into their 44th league match of the season hoping that results go their way this evening. With Reading hosting Nottingham Forest and Southampton at Peterborough United, Sam Allardyce's side know only victory will do if they are to maintain their hopes of automatic promotion.
Should everything go to plan, West Ham could overhaul the Saints and end the night in second place. For that to happen, Big Sam's side need to win, Southampton must lose and there be a three-goal swing - anything could happen!
West Ham are also pursuing a record-breaking 13th away league win of the 2011/12 season, having chalked up a record 12th victory on their travels at Barnsley on Easter Monday. The Hammers are in superb form in front of goal, having scored 15 times in their previous four matches.
The omens are good for an away win - West Ham have won 16 and lost just four of the 29 previous meetings between the two clubs and triumphed 5-1 on their most-recent visit to Ashton Gate back in September 1992.
Bristol City are also going well and are on a five-match unbeaten run themselves. The Robins have drawn with Middlesbrough, Derby County and Birmingham City and beaten Nottingham Forest and Coventry City in recent weeks - a record that has seen them rise four points clear of the relegation zone.
There are plenty of links between the two clubs. For West Ham, Nicky Maynard and Stephen Henderson could both feature against their old club. Bristol City goalkeeper David James enjoyed a fine spell at the Boleyn Ground, while winger Hogan Ephraim came through the ranks at the Academy of Football. Defender Jordan Spence is on loan at Ashton Gate but will not feature tonight.
The team news will be confirmed at 6.45pm and published first on the club's official twitter feed.