West Ham United 1-1 Middlesbrough FT

WEST HAM UNITED v MIDDLESBROUGH
npower CHAMPIONSHIP
TUESDAY 20 MARCH 2012
KICK-OFF: 7.45PM

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Final score - West Ham United 1-1 Middlesbrough

94 mins - Chance. The free-kick comes over from the West Ham left and Steele elects not to come. The ball loops into the air and Collins can't repeat his trick from the weekend, instead heading straight into the goalkeeper's arms. The ball is punted long and the game is over as Green collects.

92 mins - It's end to end stuff in added time. Both teams fancy their chances of winning this. McCartney crosses and Baldock heads on. The ball appears to hit Hines on the way over, but a goal kick is given, despite the protests.

90 mins - The Faye cross is cleared from the far post and Boro break. They have men over and Jutkiewicz shoots. Faye gets a toe to it and the ball clips the bar on the way over. The corner comes over and drops to Bailey, whose shot is cleared off the line by McCartney. We'll have four added minutes.

89 mins - Carew wins a header and the ball drops to Nolan 22 yards out. He volleys but it is straight at Steele, who collects.

88 mins - Bailey is down and needs the physio on. Faye is voted West Ham's Man of the Match by sponsors England Environmental Services.

87 mins - Collison is fouled. Sam Baldock replaces Noble.

86 mins - West Ham come forward again but the offside flag is raised. The home fans in the 27,250 inside the ground will not be impressed.

84 mins - GOAL! Out of nowhere, Ogbeche equalises. He collects the ball 25 yards out, turns and takes a touch before smashing the shot past Collins and it bangs in off the base of the left-hand post.

84 mins - Boro knock it around at the back and Carew charges down a clearance that skims out for a throw. Cheers from the home fans for the work-rate from the big Norwegian.

82 mins - Carew this time, turning and shooting from 22 yards, but the ball hits Taylor's foot and goes wide. Goal kick.

81 mins - Great chance to wrap it up goes begging. Zemmama's pass is wayward and Taylor has a chance to beat Steele, but his clip floats wide.

80 mins - Two more changes from Tony Mowbray. Martin and Ogbeche on for Smallwood and Thomson.

79 mins - West Ham break down the right channel through Carew. He holds off Bates and finds Collison, but his clipped cross is easy for Steele to claim.

78 mins - Noble tries a turn and loses possession in midfield and Boro have a man over. It's worked to Hammill and he has space to shoot from the corner of the box. Thankfully, it's just too high. Big Sam had his head in his hands there after the No16 had been robbed in midfield.

76 mins - Tomkins wins the header from Noble's corner, but Collins volleys over the top. Boro replace Emnes with Zemmama.

75 mins - Outstanding save by Steele. Carew wins the free-kick. Noble curls over and Tomkins powers in the header that England Under-21 team-mate Steele tips against the bar. Hoyte heads behind. Tomkins gives Steele a pat on the head. That was some save.

73 mins - Noble gets a toe to a pass and it drops to Emnes. He shoots and the ball deflects wide. Hammill takes and Taylor heads miles clear for a throw.

72 mins - Both subs involved straight away - as always! Carew holds the ball up and Collison does well down the right to control on his chest and win a corner off Bennett. Taylor takes but a West Ham player is whistled for a foul inside the six-yard box.

71 mins - A double change from Big Sam. Carew and Collison on for Cole and Maynard. The ten on the pitch have still all scored.

70 mins - If that is Faye's goal, that means every one of the ten outfield players on the pitch have scored this season.

67 mins - GOAL! At last! The cross comes over from McCartney again and Faye has stayed forward from the corner. He tries to head back across goal but the ball hits Bennett and spins high and over Steele and into the net! Faye's brother is sat two seats to my left and he jumps into the air! Why not!?

67 mins - Collins is alert and wins the ball on halfway. Taylor's cross takes a deflection and bounces behind. Taylor's corner is whipped in and Bailey clears with his head.

65 mins - Noble and Taylor work some space from a free-kick on the right before the latter shoots. It is blocked out for a throw.

64 mins - Another cross from the left and this time Bates heads high into the air. Cole challenges Steele but the goalkeeper can punch clear. Seconds later, Maynard escapes Bennett and crosses, but it's blocked and Hammill can loft the ball forward.

63 mins - This is frustrating. A deep cross from the left is kept in and drops to Nolan. He tries to drive it across for Cole, but the ball hits a defender and spins to the edge of the box. There is only a black Boro shirt there and the visitors escape.

57 mins - Boro win a corner. Collins heads clear but Boro work it back to Hammill, whose deep cross is headed goalwards by Hines but hits Tomkins and bounces wide.

56 mins - Cole has two half-chances in the space of a minute. The first sees Tomkins' cross just clear him. Then, he gets on to Maynard's pass but is tackled by a sliding Hines.

55 mins - The game has opened up a bit as Maynard is crowded out inside the centre circle. A shot comes in from Emnes but it's over the top again.

52 mins - Maynard this time. He gets to the right edge of the box and crosses, but is slightly off-balance and can only lift his cross over the top of the goal with three men waiting at the far post.

51 mins - Nolan's pass is cut out and Emnes has a chance to run at the Boro back four. He shoots, but it's not well hit and Green collects easily.

50 mins - Good chance wasted. Maynard breaks into the box using his pace and lays off for Cole. He has options, but instead chips straight into the hands of Steele.

49 mins - Middlesbrough break down the right and win a corner. Hammill takes and Green fumbles out of his area. The visitors work it back to Bailey, who shoots from 30 yards straight into the arms of Green, who has recovered.

47 mins - Cole holds up Faye's diagonal pass and finds Nolan. He slides the ball right for the advancing O'Brien, whose cross is cut out for a throw.

46 mins - Boro kick the game off again. No changes from either manager at the break. Big news from Roots Hall, where Christian Dailly has signed for npower League Two club Southend United.

Half-time score - West Ham United 0-0 Middlesbrough

Frank McAvennie is introduced to the crowd, to loud cheers. The blond hair is still flowing and the smile is as broad as ever!

46 mins - Cole flicks on Green's clearance and the ball bounces through to Steele. The goalkeeper clears and the half-time whistle is blown.

45 mins - Great run by Noble down the inside-left channel. He holds up play for Taylor, who crosses low and into the six-yard box, but none of the three Hammers in the penalty area can take advantage, That was a superb cross. We'll have one added minute.

43 mins - Green's long ball forward eludes Cole and Bates, but bounces and Maynard is pushed over by Hines. Free-kick, 30-odd yards out. This one is taken by Taylor, but his shot thuds into the wall and is smashed upfield.

41 mins - A bit of hesitancy in midfield and Boro have the ball back. Hammill breaks down the right and is felled by the sliding challenge from Taylor. Hammill himself takes and Faye clears before being clipped. Free-kick.

39 mins - Tomkins nips in 35 yards out but his first touch is just too strong. McCartney is alert, though, and steals possession before cutting inside on to his weaker right foot and shooting low. It's too close to Steele.

36 mins - Another chance. Cole collects well on his chest and fronts up Hoyte before cutting on to his right boot and firing a yard over the top.

34 mins - Was that a penalty? O'Brien crosses and the ball is punched by Steele. Tomkins gets there first and his powerful header is going in until Bates sticks out his left shoulder, or was it his arm? Replays are inconclusive, but the officials might have got that correct. Boro break and a far-post cross is headed down and wide by Jutkiewicz. That was a chance.

31 mins - Faye is penalised and Boro have a free-kick wide right level with the edge of the penalty area. Hammill takes it and Tomkins heads clear while being fouled.

29 mins - Better O'Brien. Nolan slides the ball wide right and the full-back bursts through two Boro players and fizzes a low cross-shot in at the near post that Steele scrambles behind. Taylor's corner is punched clear by the goalkeeper to Maynard, who cushions into the path of Noble. He shoots and it's well-struck, but clears the crossbar by a yard or two. The home crowd are making [plenty of noise tonight and urging their team forward.

26 mins - Free-kick and a shooting chance as Bates is penalised for pushing down on Nolan about 28 yards from goal. It favours a right-footer. Noble takes it and the ball bounces wide of the wall and wide of the left-hand post.

25 mins - Some good pressing on halfway leads to Tomkins winning the ball back. West Ham come forward and Maynard has a go from 25 yards. It stings the palms of Steele, who pats the ball down before gathering at the second attempt.

22 mins - Cole loses out on halfway and Emnes collects before finding Jutkiewicz. His shot hits Faye and spins behind. The corner comes over and the same player wins the header, but he cannot direct it on target and the ball loops high over the crossbar.

20 mins - West Ham pushing. A low ball into the box has Cole backing in and holding off Bates. He lays off to Taylor but his cross is flicked away at the far post. Possession is recovered and the ball drops to Taylor, who chests and makes a yard before drilling a low cross-shot along the face of the six-yard box, but it's cleared.

16 mins - Strange one. Hines heads the ball into Cole's face and the No9 goes to ground. He needs some treatment as they appeared to hit him in the eye.

15 mins - Cole wins an aerial battle well before selling McCartney short with the pass. The left-back wins it back before being fouled by Emnes. The free-kick into the box from Noble leads to another corner. Noble sends the corner deep and it's over Steele. Faye claims another corner, but nothing is given except a goal kick.

12 mins - McCartney has been a real attacking threat this season and he's at it again, bursting past one challenge before crossing low. The ball flicks off a Boro player and just beyond the reach of Cole on the edge of the box.

9 mins - It's a lively start here as Hammill cuts in from the Boro left and attempts an audacious curler, but it bounces a few yards wide. Green is out quickly to warn his defenders not to allow the on-loan Wolves man so much space to shoot.

8 mins - Taylor's initial corner is cleared to Emnes. He is challenged by McCartney and the ball rolls back wide right to Taylor. He drills in the cross first-time but Steele is there to dive on the ball low to his right.

7 mins - Cole wins a corner. It's taken short to Noble, whose cross is headed clear at the far post. West Ham keep possession and Tomkins nods down from McCartney's diagonal cross and the ball is scrambled behind again.

6 mins - Taylor picks up possession again before Maynard knocks the ball back to him. He tries to pick out Nolan with a curling pass, but it's too strong. Nolan recovers possession wide right, but he is tackled.

5 mins - West Ham starting to show as Taylor nips in and tries to pick out Maynard. Bennett tracks him and clears from the edge of the penalty area.

3 mins - A first chance for the Hammers as Noble helps the ball on for Cole. He has Maynard ahead of him and tries to pick out the No8's run, but it's just cut out by Bates.

1 min - The long ball forward from O'Brien is cleared. Tomkins misplaces his pass and Jutkiewicz has time and space to run at Faye. He shoots and the Senegal defender deflects it wide for a corner. The ball comes over and Tomkins and Taylor combine to head clear.

7.46pm - West Ham are going to kick-off through Noble and Nolan.

7.44pm - We're going to have a minute's applause ahead of kick-off for Fabrice Muamba and Eric Abidal. The two teams are lining up on halfway. The news from the London Chest Hospital is encouraging today, but Muamba's recovery is far from over. Both sets of players and fans stand to appreciate the Bolton midfielder, which is great to see and hear.

7.42pm - Here come the two teams...

7.35pm - Kriss Akabusi is here again to get the crowd going. The Olympic medallist is in typically excitable mood as he takes the microphone from the PA announcer.

7.30pm - It's like a Boys of 86 reunion here tonight! Geoff Pike is in the Press Box. Let's hope the presence of the heroes of 26 seasons ago can inspire the present-day Hammers to victory tonight. The Hammers are warming up tonight in T-shirts with get well soon messages for Fabrice Muamba and Barcelona defender Eric Abidal, who is to undergo a liver transplant.

6.50pm - The team news is in! James Tomkins and Abdoulaye Faye are both fit to start, while Carlton Cole returns to the starting XI in the only change from Saturday's draw at Leeds United, with Jack Collison dropping to the bench. John Carew and Henri Lansbury return to the matchday 16, while Ravel Morrison is also among the replacements. Fr Middlesbrough, Richard Smallwood and Marvin Emnes return to the starting XI, with Tony McMahon and Julio Arca dropping to the bench.

West Ham United: Green, O'Brien, McCartney, Faye, Collins, Tomkins, Nolan, Noble, Taylor, Cole, Maynard
Subs: Collison, Morrison, Lansbury, Baldock, Carew

Middlesbrough: Steele, Hoyte, Bennett, Bates, Hines, Smallwood, Bailey, Thomson, Hammill, Emnes, Jutkiewicz
Subs: Zemmama, Ogbeche, Arca, Martin, McMahon

6.35pm - There are huge savings to be made instore and online on 2011/12 official Macron trainingwear. Click here to make sure you don't miss out on the bargains!

6.20pm - A host of big Hammers names are at the Boleyn tonight, including Boys of '86 stars Phil Parkes, Alan Devonshire, Tony Cottee and Frank McAvennie, along with 1970s heroes Alan Taylor, Keith Robson and Kevin Lock. Cottee and McAvennie are pictured with former West Ham goalkeeper Allen McKnight.

Tony Cottee and Frank McAvennie

Good evening and welcome to the Boleyn Ground for tonight's npower Championship visit of Middlesbrough.

There is still time to get down to the stadium for a game between two promotion rivals! Academy members can grab HALF-PRICE tickets, while Youth Academy members can claim a FREE ticket from the Alpari Stand or Trinity Road Ticket Offices in the run up to kick-off. Hurry, though, as the queues are only going to grow!

For those non-members who prefer to pay by cash, turnstile 73 will be open from 6.15pm

West Ham United could return to the automatic promotion places should they pick up three points and Reading lose at Peterborough United. Leaders Southampton, who are five points clear of West Ham, are at Hull City.

Sam Allardyce's side are unbeaten in eight matches in the league and nine home games stretching back to the 3 December defeat by Burnley. Meanwhile, Middlesbrough travel to east London looking to bounce back from two defeats in a row at the hands of Leeds United and Birmingham City.

The reverse fixture between the two sides at The Riverside earlier this season in November saw West Ham gain a valuable three points with a 2-0 win courtesy of goals from Carlton Cole and Frederic Piquionne.

Prior to kick-off tonight, both teams will show their support for Bolton Wanderers midfielder Fabrice Muamba, who is being treated in a London hospital after collapsing on the pitch at Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday. A minute's applause will also be held before the game.

Team news-wise, West Ham are sweating on the fitness of James Tomkins and Abdoulaye Faye, with both being assessed in the run up to kick-off. Should they not be fit, Big Sam will have to reshuffle his pack, with the likes of Gary O'Neil, Dan Potts and Ravel Morrison pushing for a starting place.

The team news will be confirmed at 6,45pm and published first on the club's official twitter feed.