BURNLEY v WEST HAM UNITED
npower CHAMPIONSHIP
SATURDAY 24 MARCH 2012
KICK-OFF: 3PM
FULL AUDIO COMMENTARY - WEST HAM TV
iPHONE APP I TWITTER I FACEBOOK I PODCAST
Final score - Burnley 2-2 West Ham United
95 mins - Noble gives the ball away to Wallace and Burnley have one last chance coming forward, but the cross is overhit and McCartney recovers to clear for a throw. Before it can be taken, the final whistle is blown. It is now ten games unbeaten for the Hammers, who go to Peterborough United on Tuesday. A win at London Road and a victory over Reading next Saturday and West Ham will be back in the automatic promotion places.
94 mins - Into the final minute and West Ham have five men in a line against the Burnley defence. O'Neil crosses from deep and Carew wins it, but the ball flies well wide off his head. That could well be that.
91 mins - Into the four minutes of added time. Paterson is replaced by Stanislas for the final few moments. West Ham have a throw inside the Burnley half. Nothing comes from it except another throw. That is better and the cross comes over, but Trippier's header clears for a throw.
90 mins - Oooh! This is so good to watch. Burnley break and the cross comes over. It eludes Collins and Austin heads goalwards but Green is there.
89 mins - I don't believe it! Maynard turns superbly and plays in Baldock. He shoots low and the ball clips the foot of Grant and spins just wide. Carew wins the header from the corner but it's straight at Grant again!
88 mins - There was the chance. McCartney does brilliantly to cut inside before Noble clips the ball in for Baldock. He chests forward for Carew 14 yards out, but the striker's shot is straight at Grant.
86 mins - We have a break in play while Ings is treated on the pitch. After two minutes, he gets up and is then replaced by McQuoid. McCartney hurls the throw over and Carew flicks on but again Burnley somehow clear the ball.
84 mins - McCartney picks out Carew and he heads the ball down brilliantly for Baldock. He is in but leans back and shoots way over the top. Argh!
82 mins - Collison is replaced by John Carew. No doubt about it, it's win or bust for the Hammers. Collison has worked his socks off this afternoon. Can the big Norwegian nick a winner?
80 mins - Wallace rolls the ball off the shins of Noble and behind for a corner. Before it can be taken, Bartley is replaced by Charlie Austin. A striker for a midfielder. Both teams going for broke. Austin meets the corner from Trippier but his header glances out for a throw.
78 mins - Burnley are a threat on the break still. Paterson is there to try and get on the end of a cross but O'Brien puts him off and just clears for a corner. It's a low one dummied at the near post, but the Hammers clear, just!
77 mins - That's a golden opportunity. Nolan points for where he wants the pass from Maynard and he would have been absolutely clear. Instead, Maynard's touch lets him down. Then he fouls Mee and is booked.
76 mins - More good attacking play ends with Noble finding O'Brien, but his cross is headed powerfully clear by Edgar. West Ham had at least four players in the box.
75 mins - McCartney and Collison combine. The No10 crosses and Maynard wins a corner. Noble crosses to the far post and Collins goes with his left foot and volleys wide. Had he gone with his weaker right, he might well have scored.
73 mins - So close! Baldock plays the ball to Maynard, who beats the offside trap. He crosses hard and low past Grant but Trippier somehow clears under pressure from Baldock and Nolan. O'Neil takes the corner but Collins cannot keep his header down.
72 mins - Burnley have a chance to hit back as Nolan is penalised for a foul wide on the Clarets right. Trippier takes and Nolan himself clears his lines.
71 mins - West Ham nearly complete an amazing three-minute turn-around as the cross comes in from the right. Baldock dives, but his header is blocked and Burnley somehow survive.
70 mins - GOAL! TOMKINS! Noble curls the free-kick in, Maynard flicks it on and Tomkins sidefoot volleys past Grant from ten yards. Super finish. Game definitely on!
70 mins - McCartney is felled by Wallace 30 yards out on the left. Noble...
68 mins - GOAL! Out of next to nothing, the skipper strikes. O'Neil lofts the ball over the top and Duff is favourite, but he hesitates as Grant comes out and Nolan nips in to lob the goalkeeper and the ball lands in the net. Game on?
67 mins - As always happens when you are trailing, this half is flying by. Just over a quarter of the game remaining and West Ham have not worked Grant enough since the break.
64 mins - Duff cynically brings down Baldock as he breaks past the defender. The Northern Ireland man is booked and applauded by the home fans... Noble delivers towards Collins again, and for a second time the ball eludes everybody and bounces away for a goal kick.
62 mins - There is plenty of urgency in West Ham's play. Nolan tries to play in McCartney and the ball hits a defender and goes behind for a corner. Noble takes and Tomkins wins it. He heads down and the ball somehow goes through Nolan's legs, hits Mee and is collected by Grant. So frustrating...
59 mins - The home fans are making plenty of noise to encourage their side to hold on to their two-goal advantage. They've not offered much of an attacking threat since half-time, but then they don't really need to.
57 mins - McCartney does superbly down the left, collecting a pass from O'Neil and beating two men before shooting low with his right foot. Grant makes the save. Head in hands for the left-back.
55 mins - Collison is fouled inside the centre circle. Noble measures it up and does some pointing before lofting the ball into the penalty area. Collins goes for it, but doesn't make contact and the ball slides away for a goal kick.
54 mins - Maynard chases a pass down the right and Edgar doesn't see Baldock lurking when he passes back to Grant. The goalkeeper gets there just in time to hack clear for a throw.
53 mins - The delivery is too high and floats over the head of Collins and out for a throw on the near side.
52 mins - Nolan charges down a clearance and it drops to Maynard. He ignores the support and shoots. The ball hits Marney and spins a yard wide. Corner. O'Neil to take...
51 mins - Trippier sends in a cross from deep and it curls dangerously over Green's right hand and just eludes Paterson's balding head. Goal kick.
49 mins - A patient build-up down the right involving Noble, Tomkins and O'Brien before Baldock holds up play. Nolan tries to slip in Maynard, but it's just too strong and Grant collects. Burnley break and Paterson wins the duel with Tomkins, but his strike flies over the top.
47 mins - The Hammers need to gets some belief by scoring early in the half. For now, Burnley have a free-kick on halfway after a Maynard foul. Trippier takes and the home side keep possession on the far side. Wallace gets in behind and crosses for Edgar, who spins but slices his shot and the ball goes behind.
46 mins - Burnley kick-off the second half. McCartney belts the ball forward moments later and Maynard flicks on. Baldock tries to latch on to it, but Mee is there to clear. West Ham win possession back, but Collison's pass is over-hit and bounces away for a goal kick.
Cole and Taylor are the two men to be replaced at half-time, with Baldock and Maynard coming on.
Half-time score - Burnley 2-0 West Ham United
I think we might see a double change at the break. Baldock and Maynard are jogging back to the dressing room. This game is far from over. If West Ham can take their opportunities early in the second half, they will get right back into things.
48 mins - It's half-time. That was a rather dramatic opening 45 minutes.
47 mins - Another chance goes begging. The ball is allowed to bounce inside the Burnley area and Taylor and Nolan are there. Taylor shoots but the ball hits Duff in the legs and he then scrambles the ball away under pressure from Nolan.
46 mins - We're into two minutes of added time. Burnley come forward down their left. Wallace crosses left-footed and the ball eludes both centre-backs and Paterson before bouncing back off the post! West Ham escape. That would probably have that.
45 mins - Collison brings down Wallace from behind and is booked.
43 mins - Half-time is approaching and Big Sam must be thinking about making some changes at the break. Missed chances have again cost his team dear...so far.
40 mins - Weird moment. Collison challenges for a header. A clearance hits his arm and drops and he lashes in the shot from 35 yards that Grant tips over. The corner comes over and Grant helps it on to Taylor. He crosses and Tomkins is unmarked but directs his header over the top.
38 mins - Tomkins is booked for a sliding challenge on Ings in the centre of the pitch. I have rarely watched a more frustrating half of football than this. The resulting free-kick is smacked by Wallace from all of 30 yards. Green catches in front of his face.
36 mins - GOAL! That is not good defending. Mee is given too much time to cross right-footed from the left. Paterson simply ambles in behind Collins and diverts the ball past Green with his thigh from eight yards.
32 mins - The Hammers have to get back on level terms. They have dominated at least 75 per cent of the game so far but have missed a host of chances. Burnley look far from secure at the back, too.
29 mins - I cannot believe this. Noble's free-kick is won by Collins and the ball loops over Grant. Cole tries to convert from a yard but doesn't make contact. The ball hits the base of the post. Nolan shoots and Grant has recovered to make the save on the line.
26 mins - West Ham think they have equalised straight away through Nolan's header. The No4 powered the ball in off the underside of the crossbar, but I think the referee has spotted a push in the back on Edgar. Nolan and two team-mates are off to celebrate, and it is some time before they realise the goal has been ruled out.
25 mins - GOAL! Unbelievable. Bartley collects the ball 30 yards out, eases past Collins and shoots low. Green gets a touch but the ball nestles into the net.
24 mins - Burnley have a throw level with the edge of the Hammers box. Edgar comes up from the back and wins the header, but it's not threatening the goal as Green collects unchallenged. The home side have found some belief and are now edging the possession.
22 mins - An aimless punt forward from Edgar leads to Tomkins mis-controlling the ball out for a needless corner. Marney will take it. He delivers low and the ball bounces past everybody and out to the far side. West Ham track well and force the Clarets back into their own half.
20 mins - A stoppage in play as Cole and Duff clash heads challenging for an aerial ball. The two are OK to continue after treatment. From the restart, Cole flicks on Green's punt and Taylor heads on for Nolan, but the skipper is just offside.
18 mins - A comedy moment as Burnley win a throw that Big Sam thinks should be a Hammers ball right in front of the Away dugout. The boss makes his feelings known and is greeted by a few songs about his size from the home fans.
16 mins - The home team are trying to get a foothold in the game, but so far they are being reduced to sporadic periods of possession by the Hammers. The Burnley fans are trying to urge their team forward, too. Big Sam will be pleased with how his players have controlled proceedings and passed the ball around patiently, but he'll want a goal for their efforts sooner rather than later.
14 mins - Another chance. O'Neil collects a fantastic crossfield pass on the right edge of the box. He waits for O'Brien to overlap and the Irishman crosses low. The ball flicks off a defender and into the path of Cole, who screws his right-foot shot high and wide. Again, he was slightly off-balance there.
12 mins - O'Brien comes forward again down the right but is faced by three defenders. He lays the ball back to O'Neil, who wins a corner. O'Neil himself takes and Burnley scramble the ball clear. West Ham have started very impressively here.
10 mins - Burnley come forward down their left again and full-back Mee has a pop from 25 yards, but it bounces well off-target. That was a golden opportunity for Cole. He did the first bit right by controlling and going around Grant, but maybe should have taken time and a touch to steady himself. There were covering defenders, so I assume he wanted to get the shot away early.
9 mins - What a chance! He collects a through ball and rounds Grant but is forced slightly wide and off-balance. He elects to shoot first-time with his left foot but can only screw the ball wide of the near post. The away fans try to gee the No9 up with a chorus of 'Gold'.
7 mins - Another half-chance. Collison goes in hard but fair to break up play in midfield before collecting the return pass from O'Neil. He lays the ball back to O'Brien, whose first-time cross hangs in the air long enough for Grant to catch.
5 mins - Four-and-a-half minutes into the game and Green gets his first touch. Moments later, Burnley have their first chance. A cross from Ings wide on the left clears Collins and finds Paterson. He heads first-time, but directs it a few yards wide of the target from 12 yards.
4 mins - Cole again, running into space on the left edge of the Burnley penalty area. He initially has loads of time and space, but doesn't seem to realise. He turns and crosses for Nolan, but the ball is cut out by a Clarets defender.
3 mins - A roar from the West Ham fans as O'Brien runs into space onto O'Neil's pass. His cross is deep and Taylor challenges. The ball drops to Nolan and he tries to flick it inside, but only diverts the ball behind for a goal kick.
2 mins - Cole collects on the left wing and plays a one-two with Taylor before turning infield and going to ground. Nothing given by referee Mr Haywood.
1 min - Nothing much to report in the opening 60 seconds but virtually all the visitors have had a touch.
3.02pm - The Hammers get the game underway. O'Brien pumps the ball forward and Cole challenges, but it skims off a Burnley head through to Grant.
3pm - Captains Nolan and McCann go through the coin toss and other pleasantries before the two teams switch ends. West Ham will shoot towards their own fans in the opening 45 minutes. Burnley have a huddle and we're nearly ready to go...
2.58pm - The ex-Bolton players in the Hammers lineup get a boo from the home fans! The two teams go through the pre-match handshakes before breaking away to their respective ends.
2.57pm - The travelling Hammers are making all the noise here at Turf Moor as the two teams emerge from the tunnel at the base of the David Fishwick Stand. West Ham are in white shirts, sky blue shorts and socks. Burnley are in claret and blue shirts, white shorts and socks.
2.55pm - Burnley are without their homegrown hero and England Under-21 striker Jay Rodriguez this afternoon, which could be a big miss. The 22-year-old has scored 21 goals in all competitions this season.
2.50pm - The view from the top of the stand here is immense. It's a lazy, sunny Saturday here in Lancashire, but neither side can afford to doze this afternoon. The two squads have headed back inside for some final instructions and the sprinklers have been turned on. The playing surface, as I said earlier, looks lovely and lush.
2.25pm - Nice words about the Hammers from Junior Stanislas in the matchday programme: "They helped me a lot. They were people I got on with and helped my game, so I am thankful to those people." Also, nice work from the current West Ham players, who have given their spare complimentary tickets away to travelling supporters outside the stadium!
2.05pm - Team news is in! West Ham make two changes to the side that drew 1-1 with Middlesbrough on Tuesday, replacing Abdoulaye Faye and Nicky Maynard with Gary O'Neil and Jack Collison. James Tomkins will revert to his preferred centre-back role. Former Hammer Junior Stanislas is on the bench for Burnley.
Burnley: Grant, Trippier, Duff, McCann, Wallace, Paterson, Ings, Marney, Edgar, Bartley, Mee
Subs: Jensen, Stanislas, McQuoid, Austin, Hewitt
West Ham United: Green, O'Brien, Tomkins, Collins, McCartney, Noble, O'Neil, Nolan, Collison, Taylor, Cole
Subs: Baldock, Maynard, Carew, Lansbury, Potts
1.50pm - An exclusive gallery of images from this afternoon's big match is available to view now on the club's official Facebook page! Simply 'like' the Hammers and join more than 250,000 fans to start viewing.
1.40pm - West Ham have arrived at Turf Moor, with Big Sam exclaiming "You didn't think it would be this warm up north, did you?!" as he got off the team coach! The players have been out for a walk on the fantastic playing surface here, with Henri Lansbury and Dan Potts stopping to have their photo taken with Hammers mascot Cayden Butler.
Good afternoon and welcome to sunny Lancashire for today's npower Championship fixture between Burnley and West Ham United.
It is a truly beautiful day here in the north west, with not a cloud in the sky and temperatures around the 20C (68F) mark. West Ham could celebrate the good weather by climbing back into the automatic promotion places with a victory, with second-place Reading hosting Play-Off hopefuls Blackpool this afternoon.
The Hammers arrive at Turf Moor having drawn their previous four league matches 1-1, but manager Sam Allardyce will be hopeful of improving on that result against a Clarets side that have not tasted victory in six matches stretching back to Valentine's Day.
Team news-wise, Big Sam has the same 19 players to choose from as were available for Tuesday's visit of Middlesbrough, but the manager may opt to shuffle his pack with another away fixture at Peterborough United to come on Tuesday evening. For Burnley, former West Ham winger Junior Stanislas is hopeful of being available to face his old club.
The starting XIs will be confirmed at 2pm and published first on the club's official twitter feed. We will then have exclusive live text updates here from kick-off at 3pm.