SUNDERLAND v WEST HAM UNITED
BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
MONDAY 31 MARCH 2014
KICK-OFF: 8PM
REFEREE: HOWARD WEBB
FULL AUDIO COMMENTARY - WEST HAM TV
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Final score - Sunderland 1-2 West Ham United
95: Twenty seconds... Johnson heads and then clears with his foot, but Johnson has it. It's on his right foot, and he drags it wide. That's it! West Ham have won on the road and that's them up to 37 points. We welcome leaders Liverpool to the Boleyn on Sunday. The goals came early in each half - one emphatic header from Carroll and a deflected low shot from Diame. Sunderland set up a daunting last 20 minutes through Johnson's curler, and could have snatched a draw, but the Hammers held on. That's a MASSIVE result. It could have been better, too, with Downing coming close to adding a third and Carroll having a couple of half-chances. BIG, BIG win. We'll have all the exclusive reaction and more on West Ham TV and our other media platforms.
95: A minute or so to go. Johnson heads away but Sunderland come again. One last chance for the hosts, maybe?
94: Not long to go as Downing and Noble waste a few more valuable seconds down by the corner flag. Ninety seconds to go... Brilliant clearing header from James Tomkins! Come on you Irons! The away fans are starting to believe...
92: Johnson crosses and Scocco is there about ten yards out, but his lunging header flies over the top. Mr Webb books Adrian for time-wasting. I seriously don't think he took any longer than he has for any other goal kick he has taken all night long.
90: Another Sunderland corner as the shot hits Nocerino and spins wide. Mannone is up again. We'll have five added minutes. The initial corner is cleared but Mannone stays up! Armero blocks the cross and Sunderland have a throw on the far side. Downing heads the initial ball clear, then volleys the follow-up away.
89: Tomkins heads another dangerous cross behind for a corner at the far stick. The corner is taken short and, despite Mannone being up from the back, Bridcutt's delivery is too high and floats away for a goal kick. And breathe...
85: Johnson crosses and Taylor does well to head over his own crossbar under pressure from Wickham. Superb defending but West Ham have a corner to worry about. The delivery drops to Alonso 25 yards out and he fires narrowly over.
84: Adrian does well to hold a low, long-range shot from Borini in the middle of his goal.
83: A final change after Carroll has blasted Taylor's pass high and into the stand. It's Nolan, who is struggling with a spot of cramp, who is replaced by Antonio Nocerino.
81: Into the final ten minutes and Borini cuts inside Demel and shoots right-footed, but he slices it high and wide.
79: A change from both managers. Big Sam replaces Diame with Johnson and West Ham go five at the back. Sunderland bring on another forward in Scocco, who replaces Ki.
78: Johnson has three men trying to stop the cross, but the winger gets his delivery over to the far stick. Diame has tracked the run of Bardsley, who throws himself on the turf as the ball flies over his heads. Goal kick. Adrian smiles broadly as he rubs the head of Bardsley.
77: Tonight's attendance is 37,396, with about 1,000 supporting the Hammers. Those 1,000 will be biting their nails furiously!
75: The ball is allowed to bounce inside the centre circle and Wickham handles. Yellow card for the Sunderland striker, or was it Alonso for something else. The Sunderland Twitter feed claims the Spanish left-back was booked. I'm not sure.
73: Downing gets to the byline from Demel's pass. He clips the cross to the far post and Carroll, whose first-time volley hits Brown and spins behind for a corner. Mr Webb spots an infringement and awards a Sunderland free-kick inside the penalty area.
70: This is on a knife-edge. Diame curls a shot into the hands of Mannone, then moments later his pass for Taylor is too short. Sunderland have a man over on the left and it is Borini. He is in behind Demel, but drives his shot into the side netting. That was inches from the top corner!
68: Needless to say, West Ham need the ball. As it happens, Adrian is needed to make two fantastic saves in the space of a couple of seconds. First, he parries Ki's effort, the reacts quickly enough to smother the follow-up from Wickham!
67: The noise level has gone up here, as you might expect. Nolan flattens Gardner inside the Sunderland half, but escapes a yellow card.
65: Goal! Sunderland are back in it. Johnson. Armero is drawn to the ball and leaves Johnson free behind him. He takes a touch and curls the shot high into the top left-hand corner. How big is that Mannone save going to be?
64: Noble is penalised for a trip on Ki. Careful, Mark! He has been booked, has the No16.
63: Sunderland are still probing but it's a bit deliberate. This time Borini has the ball wide right and he shoots low but it eludes both Wickham and the far post. Goal kick. A third for West Ham would kill this game.
61: What a chance for 3-0. Downing gets in behind Brown onto a diagonal ball over the top from Noble. He controls superbly into his stride and is clear, opens his body up and tries to curl the low shot into the far corner. Mannone gets the merest of touches and the ball goes a foot wide. Mr Webb gives a goal kick, despite Downing's protestations.
60: Sunderland replace captain O'Shea with Gardner. Another attacking switch.
58: Noble loses out after initially winning the ball back in midfield. Johnson carries it forward, but Tomkins forces his wide superbly by staying on his feet and the cross is grabbed by Adrian. Good defending.
56: West Ham counter. Noble finds Downing wide left. He cuts inside and shoots low and hard. Mannone hangs on and falls on the ball.
55: The home side have got to go for it and they win a corner. The ball is cleared as far as Alonso. His shot is half-blocked by Taylor. Adrian is there to grab on the line, but Carroll's leg gets in the way. The ball squirms away momentarily, but Adrian plunges on it.
53: Cattermole's race is run. He is replaced by Adam Johnson. I think Sunderland have gone 3-1-4-2 with Bridcutt sitting and Alonso and Bardsley playing wide in midfield.
53: The Sunderland fans are willing their side forward. Armero heads clear but Cattermole collects and his ball in is headed out as far as Alonso, who smashes his first-time shot a couple of yards wide of the far post.
50: GOAL! DIAME! Carroll heads down Tomkins' free-kick and Diame reacts quickest and shoots low. Vergini turns his back and the ball clips his leg and spins into the bottom left-hand corner. The West Ham fans away to my left - miles away to my left - celebrate wildly. Around us it is silent. The Sunderland fans are stunned.
50: Diame makes a good block on the edge of the box and finds Carroll, who is fouled on halfway...
49: The cross from Diame clears everyone but Carroll retrieves and finds Downing. He skips around Alonso and crosses for Nolan, but he's all alone and Mannone can catch that.
46: Noble and Diame get the game underway. Taylor immediately punts it str7aight to Brown. Sunderland attack, Tomkins slips over as he tries to clear and Wickham picks up possession. His first shot is blocked and second is dragged across the face of goal and wide.
Here come the two teams for the second half. Are the Hammers 45 minutes away from all but securing their Barclays Premier League future? If they are, Pablo Armero will help them do it, because the Colombian is on for George McCartney.
Half-time score - Sunderland 0-1 West Ham United
47: Sunderland are in possession as Mr Webb blows for half-time. There are some initial boos, but I think that's just frustration at the timing of the half-time whistle. Anyway, a good half for the Hammers comes to an end! Carroll's thumping early header put the visitors in the ascendancy and, while Sunderland have had more of the ball, it's the Hammers who have fashioned three attempts on target to the hosts' one from Cattermole.
46: We're into one added minute and Sunderland have a throw...
44: Carroll wins another header from a deep Demel cross. Again, it loops into the hands of Mannone. Moments earlier, he and Downing had combined but could not quite fashion a shooting chance.
42: That helps. Noble nicks the ball off Borini and is tripped by the Italian. Free-kick and a release of the pressure for now.
40: Sunderland are definitely in the ascendancy but the ball is not dropping to them in vital areas. McCartney loses the ball as he brings it clear, but Taylor fills in and deflects Cattermole's cross behind for a corner. Ki delivers and West Ham just about scramble the ball clear twice.
38: Sunderland win a corner as Alonso's shot is deflected wide by Taylor. The ball in drops to two Sunderland players on the edge of the box, but Nolan charges the ball down with his body. Handball shouts from the Sunderland players are ignored by Mr Webb. Replays suggest Nolan may well have handled that with his upper arm. Oh well.
37: Carroll rises high again, this time above Brown, to meet McCartney's cross. His header from 12 yards is on target, but this time Mannone can gather.
35: Ki holds the ball up on the edge of the box and Sunderland eventually work it to Bridcutt. He shoots, but it's too high. Adrian watches it carefully, but it's not threatening his top corner.
34: Borini goes down as he chases a through ball. He wants a foul against Tomkins, who raises both hands to the sky by way of pleading his innocence. Nothing is given by Mr Webb. Was there any contact there?
32: West Ham repel a threatening Sunderland attack and all of a sudden Nolan has a chance to play in Downing, but he cannot lift the ball over Brown and O'Shea. Sunderland break again and Bardsley cuts inside this time and crosses with his left foot. Demel is there at the far post. He could let the ball go, but instead clears low back across the face of the penalty area! West Ham escape.
31: Cattermole makes a thumping but fair challenge on Noble, but Mr Webb has blown for an earlier foul on Noble. The two former England U21 team-mates embrace. In fact, Noble might even have planted a kiss on Cattermole's cheek there!
30: Sunderland have had more possession, but it's four goal attempts each. The only shot on target was Carroll's header.
28: Vergini shoots from long range, but the ball flies wide of Adrian's left-hand post for a goal kick.
26: Nolan cuts out a dangerous cross and Noble tries to send Downing away into space. He claims the ball out of defence has been handled, but Mr Webb gives nothing and points to his chest. Sunderland play on and win a corner off Demel. The delivery flashes across goal and flies out for a corner on the near side. The second corner from Ki is headed away by Taylor, but Diame loses it. Sunderland still on the attack...
24: It's 9/10 completed passes from Nolan so far. Keep that up, Nobby son.
22: I have to say Kevin Nolan has been really good so far. He is heavily involved in the game. This time he gets the ball in the centre of the park, plays a one-two on the right, then switches play to the left. Diame cuts inside Bardsley and shoots low, but it's a routine catch for Mannone. Good, efficient build-up from West Ham.
19: That would have warmed Big Sam up! Nolan and Downing battle for possession wide right and the ball spins infield. Nolan finds Downing, then Demel takes over and finds Noble. West Ham have a man over in Taylor. Noble's pass is just a little strong and Taylor has to stretch, but his shot on the slide is only a yard or so wide. Head in hands from the No14. If the pass had been just a little shorter, he might even have had time for a touch and shot from 20 yards there.
19: It must be cold tonight. Even Big Sam has a training top on under his suit jacket!
17: Good defending twice by McCartney, once to concede a throw with a header in front of his man, then to usher the ball out for a goal kick after the pass for Borini was overhit.
15: More action at the other end this time. Carroll holds the ball up from Nolan's pass, then sweeps it wide right for Downing. He teases Brown before crossing left-footed for Carroll, but it's just too high for the No9 and bounces wide of the far post. Decent delivery from Downing, that. Carroll's movement was also good, as he had lost his man inside the box.
14: Reid is penalised for a foul on Borini wide right, but it's a soft one. The Italian went to ground very easily. Carroll heads the free-kick clear and Cattermole fouls Downing on halfway. That helps.
12: Big chance for Sunderland. Cattermole is all alone in the box from Ki's cross, which flicks off the heel of Borini into his path. He takes a touch, but Adrian saves with his legs. The follow-up from the Sunderland midfielder flies over the bar and out for a goal kick. West Ham need to concentrate. They have lost too many points from winning positions this season already.
11: There are already some murmurs of discontent among the home fans. Away to my left, I can hear the Claret and Blue Army singing away.
9: GOAL! CARROLL! Noble's corner is a good one, right to the edge of the six-yard box. Carroll wants it more than marker O'Shea and Brown and gets above both to power the header into the net! Mannone got a hand to it, but could not keep the ball out. Carroll celebrates in front of the travelling Hammers supporters high in the stand behind that goal. Elsewhere, there is a stunned silence for a moment among the home fans.
9: Corner to the Irons. Downing gets in behind and scoots onto Noble's pass, but Brown gets a toe in to poke the ball behind. Downing takes and Brown gets above Carroll to head behind again, this time on the near side. Noble to take...
7: Nolan wins the ball back and finds Carroll. Downing is in acres of space to his left, but the striker's through ball is charged down. If that had got through, Downing might well have been clean through from the halfway line. Unfortunate.
7: For Sunderland, the wing-backs will provide the width and need to get forward. So far, they are both doing just that to good effect. Alonso nearly gets past Downing out wide left, but the winger recovers and wins a throw.
5: Nolan is fouled inside the Sunderland half. The Noble free-kick is punches away by Mannone but back to Noble. The second ball in is headed into the heart of the area, where Carroll climbs highest and heads down towards Nolan. The ball eludes the captain's right boot and is gathered by Mannone.
3: Noble into the book already. Diame's cross from Nolan's sliced shot is headed clear by Alonso. Ki brings it away at pace and Noble pulls him back by the shoulder. No question that is a foul and Mr Webb brandishes the yellow card. Maybe a bit harsh as it is his first offence, but Sunderland were threatening a dangerous counter.
2: Sunderland have the first attack of note and it's Bardsley all the way. The former Manchester United man crosses from the byline, then retrieves the ball ahead of Diame when it is cleared back to him, despite being off the pitch. He cuts inside and the ball is cleared again. Sunderland work it back to Bardsley again and he drives another cross-shot in that swerves past Adrian and bends around the far post for a goal kick.
8pm - Sunderland will kick-off... Ki and Borini get the game underway bang on time.
7.57pm - Former Sunderland man George McCartney's name gets a nice cheer from the home fans. Former Newcastle stars Kevin Nolan and Andy Carroll's names don't get a nice cheer from the home fans!
7.56pm - Led by Messrs Nolan and O'Shea, here come the two teams to a wall of noise from the home fans. Atmosphere is good on a chilly evening here in the North East...
7.52pm - There are plenty of empty red seats around the Stadium of Light tonight, which is a shame. However, the game is live on TV on a Monday evening. Despite that, more than 1,000 West Ham fans have made the journey to Sunderland for tonight's game. Great support from the Claret and Blue Army as always. Just as I type that, a chorus of Bubbles emerges through the light mist covering the stadium! I should point out that I cannot actually see the away fans from where I am sat...
7.45pm - Sunderland will want three points tonight. Their next four fixtures? Tottenham away, Everton at home, Manchester City away, Chelsea away... Sunderland do have games in hand on the teams above them, but that is of course no guarantee that they will win them.
7.40pm - The two teams are out warming up on the pitch down below. We are right at the very top of the stand here and I must confess the players are mere specks in the distance. I will do my best to keep you posted during the game as to who is on the ball etc but it won't be easy!
7.30pm - Joe Cole has been talking to Sky Sports on his arrival at the Stadium of Light. He thinks a point would be an acceptable return for the Hammers, but will of course be aiming to take all three. You can watch his pre-match interview for free by clicking on the YouTube link above.
Cole said: "I think it will probably be a little bit less than 40 points this year [to stay up], because the top six have taken a lot of points, so 38 might be enough. We'll try to get to 40 as that seems to be the benchmark over the years.
"I think where we finish at the end of the year will be an accurate reflection of where we are as a team, but we have picked up points recently. We have got some players on good form at the moment - the goalie Adrian has been a revelation - so we're picking up points and that's good.
"It's a big game for us but I think it's a massive game for them. I think we could leave here with a point and be happy with things, but anything less for a win for them will be disappointing. We can go into the game with the mentality that we want to win the game, but we know that a point wouldn't be too bad for us."
7.10pm - One change from Big Sam, with Winston Reid coming in for James Collins. Sunderland go with three centre-backs, with Ki and Borini coming in for Giaccherini and Altidore.
West Ham United: Adrian, Demel, McCartney, Reid, Tomkins, Noble, Taylor, Nolan, Downing, Diame, Carroll
Subs: Jaaskelainen, Armero, Johnson, J.Cole, C.Cole, Jarvis, Nocerino
Sunderland: Mannone, Bardsley, O'Shea (c), Brown, Vergini, Alonso, Cattermole, Ki, Bridcutt, Borini, Wickham
Subs: Ustari, Scocco, Cuellar, Altidore, Colback, Gardner, Johnson
Good evening and welcome to the Stadium of Light for tonight's Barclays Premier League fixture between Sunderland and West Ham United.
The Hammers - taking part in their first Monday Night Football game since the thrilling 3-2 home defeat by Tottenham Hotspur in February 2013 - are seeking a victory that will go a huge way towards securing their future in the top flight for another season.
First off, if you live in the North East, there are tickets available at the Stadium of Light tonight. Cash turnstile No74 is the place to head if you fancy popping along to cheer on the lads! Tickets are priced at £29 Adults, £19 Over-65s and £10 Under-16s.
West Ham will be buoyed by their 2-1 home victory over Hull City last Wednesday, which ended a run of three consecutive league defeats, while Sunderland come into the game off the back of a narrow 2-1 defeat at title-chasing Liverpool on the same night.
Sam Allardyce's side will need to improve their away form, having lost at Everton and Stoke City in recent weeks, but the manager will be confident of doing so with a near fully fit squad to pick from. Winston Reid (illness) and Matt Jarvis (thigh) are both back in action, while James Tomkins has recovered from a knock and should take his place in the starting XI.
For Sunderland, star forward Steven Fletcher has been struggling with injury, while back-up goalkeeper Kieren Westwood is out for the season. On a plus side for home boss Gus Poyet, on-loan attacker Fabio Borini is available again after missing the midweek trip to his parent club.
Poyet admits West Ham present a 'huge challenge' and are 'much better placed than us in the league table'. Let's hope he is right!
One player who will certainly be relishing this evening's game will be former Newcastle United captain Kevin Nolan, as the Hammers skipper has scored five goals in his last four appearances against the Black Cats, including a hat-trick for the Magpies at the Stadium of Light and a last-gasp equaliser in the home 1-1 draw last season.
Other players with links to tonight's opponents are George McCartney, who captained Sunderland to promotion from the Championship in 2005, and Stewart Downing, who enjoyed a loan spell at the Stadium of Light from his first club Sunderland in 2003.
Prior to kick-off, please enter our online social media competitions #WHULINEUP and #WHUGOAL by following us on Twitter @whufc_official.