West Ham United 1 v 1 Wigan Athletic
Saturday 25th August 2007
Wigan Athletic travelled to East London, knowing that they had never lost a Premiership fixture at the Boleyn Ground, and by the final whistle that proud record was still intact.
However, unlike the total annihilation of Roy Keane's Sunderland the previous week, this game was hard fought and in truth, Chris Hutchings' men travelled back to Wigan thankful of the point that ensured that they finished the day in third place in the Premiership.
Both managers resisted the urge to make changes to their teams, this meant that Latics midfielder Michael Brown had to be content with a place on the bench for the second consecutive game as Hutchings is a manager loathe to tinker with his starting eleven. His opposite number, Alan Curbishley did bring back Lucas Neill in place of Jonathan Spector who dropped to the bench, despite starting the Hammers' two previous Premiership games.
The Hammers started the game at a sun drenched Boleyn Ground in the ascendancy and Keiron Dyer in particular was in sparkling form, giving Jason Koumas and Kevin Kilbane plenty of problems, but despite Dyer's good crosses into the danger area neither Craig Bellamy or Bobby Zamora were able to take the chances that he created. Bellamy did have the ball in the net on the quarter hour mark but it was disallowed as Latics employed a pretty useful offside trap, a tactic that frustrated the Hammers quite a few times as Latics played to their defensive strengths for the majority of the game.
There was a scare for Latics on the half hour mark as Antoine Sibierski pulled up with what looked like a knee injury and within a few minutes Nigerian international striker, Julius Aghahowa made his third substitutes appearance of the season. How much longer do we have to wait to see his spectacular goal scoring celebrations in a competitive game?
For the remainder of the first half the hosts peppered the Latics penalty area but the defence held firm and Latics nearly took an undeserved lead when Koumas let fly with a thunderous 25 yard shot that cannoned of the West Ham post with Green totally beaten. Heskey then headed a Koumas cross over the bar and the half time whistle put a stop to the short spell of Latics pressure, much to the relief of the home supporters.
Neither manager decided to tinker with his side during the interval and Latics were thankful for their expertly crafted offside game when Dyer thought he had broken through just five minutes into the second period. Curbishley was as frustrated as the home fans as the game wore on and in the 60th minute he decided to bring on talisman striker Dean Ashton for Zamora just before Latics missed a glaring chance to take the lead. Just how Aghahowa and then Melchiot failed to score from almost point blank range is a mystery!
By now the Hammers were getting the jitters, despite their superiority with regards to possession and efforts on goal, you did sense that Latics did have a goal in them.
In the 78th minute it arrived, when Heskey flicked a Melchiot throw in to Scharner who reacted superbly, blasting the ball past Green courtesy of a beautiful over head kick, reminiscent of David Lowe's effort in the Freight Rover Trophy final in June 1985, and it was greeted by the Latics faithful congregated behind the opposite goal mouth with equally as much rapture.
The Boleyn Ground was silenced and if Latics could have hung on for five minutes the game was won, although in truth, they didn't deserve it. However, Hammers substitute Lee Bowyer, on the field for Hayden Mullins, latched on to a through ball by the other Hammers sub, Ashton, and gleefully equalised with a well struck shot into Kirkland's bottom corner.
From then on, the game swung from end to end and Bowyer in particular was unlucky with a well struck long range effort late in the game, and it wouldn't be West Ham if they didn't try to cheat, would it?
With just a minute of the game remaining Dyer tried to con the referee into thinking that Titus Bramble had brought him down in the box. Luckily Andy Marriner saw the attempted scam for what it was and he whistled for the corner kick and not the penalty.
Latics were more than happy to hear the final whistle and in truth, this point could be vital when it comes to Latics' points tally with regards to attaining at least a UEFA Cup qualifying position come May!
WEST HAM UNITED, Robert Green, Matthew Upson, Anton Ferdinand, Lucas Neill, George McCartney, Mark Noble, Matthew Etherington, Keiron Dyer, Hayden Mullins, (Lee Bowyer 65), Craig Bellamy, (Luis Boa Morte 75), Bobby Zamora, (Dean Ashton 61). Subs not used, James Walker, Jonathan Spector.
Goal scorer, Lee Bowyer 81 mins
Booked, Matthew Upson 64 mins
WIGAN ATHLETIC, Chris Kirkland, Mario Melchiot, Andreas Granqvist, Titus Bramble, Kevin Kilbane, Luis Antonio Valencia, (Michael Brown 77), Paul Scharner, Denny Landzaat, Jason Koumas, Emile Heskey, Antoine Sibierski, (Julius Aghahowa 38). Subs not used, Mike Pollitt, Fitz Hall, Caleb Folan
Goal scorer, Paul Scharner 78 mins
Booked, Denny Landzaat 54 mins, Michael Brown 88 mins
Referee, Andy Marriner (West Midlands)
Attendance, 33,793
Wigan Athletic travelled to East London, knowing that they had never lost a Premiership fixture at the Boleyn Ground, and by the final whistle that proud record was still intact.
However, unlike the total annihilation of Roy Keane's Sunderland the previous week, this game was hard fought and in truth, Chris Hutchings' men travelled back to Wigan thankful of the point that ensured that they finished the day in third place in the Premiership.
Both managers resisted the urge to make changes to their teams, this meant that Latics midfielder Michael Brown had to be content with a place on the bench for the second consecutive game as Hutchings is a manager loathe to tinker with his starting eleven. His opposite number, Alan Curbishley did bring back Lucas Neill in place of Jonathan Spector who dropped to the bench, despite starting the Hammers' two previous Premiership games.
The Hammers started the game at a sun drenched Boleyn Ground in the ascendancy and Keiron Dyer in particular was in sparkling form, giving Jason Koumas and Kevin Kilbane plenty of problems, but despite Dyer's good crosses into the danger area neither Craig Bellamy or Bobby Zamora were able to take the chances that he created. Bellamy did have the ball in the net on the quarter hour mark but it was disallowed as Latics employed a pretty useful offside trap, a tactic that frustrated the Hammers quite a few times as Latics played to their defensive strengths for the majority of the game.
There was a scare for Latics on the half hour mark as Antoine Sibierski pulled up with what looked like a knee injury and within a few minutes Nigerian international striker, Julius Aghahowa made his third substitutes appearance of the season. How much longer do we have to wait to see his spectacular goal scoring celebrations in a competitive game?
For the remainder of the first half the hosts peppered the Latics penalty area but the defence held firm and Latics nearly took an undeserved lead when Koumas let fly with a thunderous 25 yard shot that cannoned of the West Ham post with Green totally beaten. Heskey then headed a Koumas cross over the bar and the half time whistle put a stop to the short spell of Latics pressure, much to the relief of the home supporters.
Neither manager decided to tinker with his side during the interval and Latics were thankful for their expertly crafted offside game when Dyer thought he had broken through just five minutes into the second period. Curbishley was as frustrated as the home fans as the game wore on and in the 60th minute he decided to bring on talisman striker Dean Ashton for Zamora just before Latics missed a glaring chance to take the lead. Just how Aghahowa and then Melchiot failed to score from almost point blank range is a mystery!
By now the Hammers were getting the jitters, despite their superiority with regards to possession and efforts on goal, you did sense that Latics did have a goal in them.
In the 78th minute it arrived, when Heskey flicked a Melchiot throw in to Scharner who reacted superbly, blasting the ball past Green courtesy of a beautiful over head kick, reminiscent of David Lowe's effort in the Freight Rover Trophy final in June 1985, and it was greeted by the Latics faithful congregated behind the opposite goal mouth with equally as much rapture.
The Boleyn Ground was silenced and if Latics could have hung on for five minutes the game was won, although in truth, they didn't deserve it. However, Hammers substitute Lee Bowyer, on the field for Hayden Mullins, latched on to a through ball by the other Hammers sub, Ashton, and gleefully equalised with a well struck shot into Kirkland's bottom corner.
From then on, the game swung from end to end and Bowyer in particular was unlucky with a well struck long range effort late in the game, and it wouldn't be West Ham if they didn't try to cheat, would it?
With just a minute of the game remaining Dyer tried to con the referee into thinking that Titus Bramble had brought him down in the box. Luckily Andy Marriner saw the attempted scam for what it was and he whistled for the corner kick and not the penalty.
Latics were more than happy to hear the final whistle and in truth, this point could be vital when it comes to Latics' points tally with regards to attaining at least a UEFA Cup qualifying position come May!
WEST HAM UNITED, Robert Green, Matthew Upson, Anton Ferdinand, Lucas Neill, George McCartney, Mark Noble, Matthew Etherington, Keiron Dyer, Hayden Mullins, (Lee Bowyer 65), Craig Bellamy, (Luis Boa Morte 75), Bobby Zamora, (Dean Ashton 61). Subs not used, James Walker, Jonathan Spector.
Goal scorer, Lee Bowyer 81 mins
Booked, Matthew Upson 64 mins
WIGAN ATHLETIC, Chris Kirkland, Mario Melchiot, Andreas Granqvist, Titus Bramble, Kevin Kilbane, Luis Antonio Valencia, (Michael Brown 77), Paul Scharner, Denny Landzaat, Jason Koumas, Emile Heskey, Antoine Sibierski, (Julius Aghahowa 38). Subs not used, Mike Pollitt, Fitz Hall, Caleb Folan
Goal scorer, Paul Scharner 78 mins
Booked, Denny Landzaat 54 mins, Michael Brown 88 mins
Referee, Andy Marriner (West Midlands)
Attendance, 33,793
Labels: West Ham vrs Wigan
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