Grays Athletic v West Ham United
Pre-season match
Rush Green Stadium
Friday 20 July 2012
Kick-off: 7.45pm
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Full time
89 mins - Surely this will be the final change for the Hammers as Pope makes way Ryan Palmer.
88 mins - Larkins, who has hardly touched the ball this half, just manages to get his hand to the feet of Sweeney to claw the ball away. Good work from the Hammers No1.
87 mins - Another change as Ryan Kirby leaves the field for Dave East.
85 mins - Alex Cruickshank comes on for Carlos as we enter the final five minutes. Will the Hammers grab the second they have threatened
82 mins - The Hammers are still trying here but it is not their night. Wearen is pulled up for his second strong tackle in as many minutes and the referee asks him to calm it down a bit.
78 mins - Although they are well down on the score front, West Ham have kept on working hard. Wearen has just missed a great chance to grab the Hammers' second as he puts a good chance wide from six yards.
75 mins - The Hammers have the ball in the net but are denied a second goal by the assistant's flag on the far side. Hedon makes another change as Piquionne is replaced by Kieran Sadlier.
72 mins - Another change for the hosts as Jake Hall makes way for Brian Moses.
68 mins - You get the feeling this is not going to be Rob Hall's night as he once again fires in a decent effort that Johnson gets down well to palm away. Johnson used to be on the Hammers' books before arriving at the Blues this season.
65 mins - GOAL! The Hammers hit back as Bilal Moshni scrambles in a corner after Johnson cannot collect the ball cleanly. Can the Hammers come back?
64 mins - Double change for Grays as Marshall and Lalit make way for Ryan Maxwell and Tyrone Scarlett.
63 mins - Hall comes close with a curling effort from 25 yards that just flies past the far post. That is pr
61 mins - GOAL! Grays make it 4-0 as Craig Pope pops up to glance in Carlos' corner. I think that could be it for the Hammers now.
57 mins - Johnson has been superb for Grays tonight and he comes out quickly to smother the ball at the fee of Moncur, who looked certain to score. Moments later, Hall comes within a lick of paint of grabbing one back as his powerful drive from the angle bounces back off Johnson's near post.
56 mins - In better new, James Tomkins has started for Team GB against Brazil, although the latest score is 2-0 to the visitors.
52 mins - Ruddock makes way for Amos Nasha as Hendon makes his second change.
51 mins - If West Ham do go down here tonight as it looks like they might they will not have to wait long with three games tomorrow. The first team will be playing away at Colchester, the Development Squad will be facing Thurrock and the U18s will start their pre-season with a trip to Ipswich Town.
52 mins - Grays make the first change of the second half as lee Flynn makes way for Joe Sweeney.
48 mins - Piquionne heads the flag-kick over as the Hammers look to get back into the game.
47 mins - Well the floodlights at the new stadium are working well as the pitch seems to be a lot darker than the first half. Morrison tries to light it up with a strong burst forward but is stopped only by a last-ditch tackle.
46 mins - West Ham get us underway in the second half.
Half-time
43 mins - It's a long way back for the Development Squad now and I imagine Hendon is looking forward to getting his players back in the dressing room to prepare them for a second-half fightback.
40 mins - GOAL! But maybe I spoke too soon as Grays make it 3-0. Larkins comes for a cross from the left but does not make a clean connection and Carlos is left with the simple task of heading into an empty net, despite Wearen's best efforts to get to the ball on the line.
40 mins - Good spell this for the Hammers as Moncur's shot forces Johnson into another save.
39 mins - Anyway, back to the football and West Ham have won another corner as they look to get back into the game. Ruddock's shot deflects over the bar but Rob Hall's corner is gathered by Johnson.
38 mins - And apologies to you for the slight break in updates there as we were suffering slight technical problems.
33 mins - I owe an apology to Fanimo as I'm hearing that Grays' first goal actually came off Moshni before it went in the net. The Hammers make an early change as Driver makes way for Leo Chambers
32 mins - Moshni wins another header by the halfway line. The central defender, currently on trial from Southend, has shown he has a lot of power in the air.
28 mins - GOAL! Lee Flynn takes it and smashes the ball into the bottom corner. It was a great free-kick and the Hammers have a big job on their hands now.
27 mins - Free-kick to Grays just outside the Hammers' area after George Moncur was pulled up for a handball.
26 mins - Ravel Morrison and Piquionne combine well down the right and the latter forces a corner off a Grays defender. Hall takes it from the right and Moshni's header is palmed away by Johnson.
24 mins - Well played Ruddock. Grays were on the attack again but the former Boreham Wood midfielder took control of the situation and carried the ball calmly out of the area.
22 mins - Grays come forward once more and Luke Marshall is able to control the ball in the area. Wearern and Moshni both manage to get enough of a challenge in to put the midfielder off and his shot goes harmlessly wide.
19 mins - Free-kick to Grays just inside the West Ham half. From it, they build up an attack down the right but a well-timed sliding challenge from Hammers captain Wearen stops the attack dead.
17 mins - Seb Lletget fires in a shot from 20 yards but it is an easy one for Johnson to gather down low.
15 mins - It's a bit stop start here at Rush Green with a few niggly little fouls creeping in. Joao Carlos has looked like a threat down the left for Grays but Ruddock does well to ensure the winger does not get his cross in by seeing the ball out. Good defending.
9 mins - The Hammers nearly hit back straight away as a long ball from the back finds Piquionne, he beats the 'keeper to the ball but his touch isn't strong enough and Grays are able to clear off the line
7 mins - GOAL! Grays take the lead as Jake West runs down the right before crossing at the near post. It's a bit of a scramble and the ball ends up in the back of the net. It looks like the final touch may have been from a West Ham player, possibly Matthias Fanimo
4 mins - So close! Hall's free-kick is right in the corner but Lamar Johnson in the Grays' goal is equal to it and pushes it round the post. From the resulting corner Eoin Wearen heads just wide.
3 mins - Free-kick to West Ham right on the edge of the Grays' area after Piquionne is felled. It looks like it will be Hall to take it.
2 mins - It's a smashing night here in Essex and the sun has finally appeared. Grays have enjoyed the better of the opening exchanges but the ball is behind for a goal-kick to West Ham.
1 min - Grays get us underway and will be attacking Jake Larkins' goal away to my left in the first half.
7.45pm - Joint-Chairman David Sullivan have just cut the ribbon to open the new ground and we're about to get going.
7.40pm - Good evening and welcome to Rush Green for the opening of the new stadium that will be home to tonight's two teams this season. West Ham United Development Squad manager Ian Hendon has picked a young side with just three players included boasting competitive first-team experience - Ravel Morrison, Rob Hall and Freddie Piquionne.
The two teams line up as follows:
West Ham United: Larkins, Driver, Fanimo, Moncur, Moshni, Wearen, Ruddock, Lletget, Piquionne, Morrison, Hall
Subs: Guzman, Nasha, Turgott, Vose, Sadlier, Shaw, Hunt, Powell, Chambers
Grays Athletic: Johnson, Pope, Baker, Kirby, Flynn, Marshall, Lalite, Marshall, Lalite, Bunce, Hall, Carlos, West
Subs: Kamarusi, Stanley, Palmer, Maxwell, Bunn, Sweeney, East, Moses, Scarlett, Cruickshank