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  • Kick-off: 15:00
  • Venue: Upton Park
  • Attendance: 35000
  • Referee: Webb, H

Live Commentary

90mins

BOBBY ZAMORA scores twice and debutant CARLTON COLE comes off the bench to secure a 3-1 win for West Ham over Charlton, who had Djimi Traore sent off in the first-half for two bookable offences.

90mins

CARLTON COLE beats the offside trap and pokes the ball past Carson for a debut goal.

90mins

Carlton Cole comes on for Harweood.

89mins

Reid's floating free-kick sails high over Carroll and over the bar in the last telling chance for Charlton to sneak an equaliser as the referee instructs four minutes of extra-time.

85mins

Hreidarsson is again on hand to clear the danger as Konchesky gets in another delivery.

84mins

Benayoun attempts to add some craft and guile in the final minutes but his cross is cleared by Hreidarsson.

83mins

Konchesky breaks down the left but his cross is gathered well by Carson.

83mins

Sheringham almost gets in on the act but Benayoun's wasted cross clears the striker.

82mins

Teddy Sheringham replaces two-goal hero Zamora as Pardew looks for the veteran striker to hold the ball for West Ham.

77mins

Nigel Reo-Coker is robbed of possession as the Hammers surprisingly take their foot off the gas instead of killing the contest.

74mins

Mullins races forward for West Ham and his cross almost finds Harewood but El Karkouri's clearence rebounds back off the West Ham striker for a goal-kick.

72mins

Bowyer caps a fine move with a stunning curling effort from long range which smacks the post.

71mins

Andy Reid comes on for Hughes in a tactical change for Charlton.

68mins

Shots by Benayoun and Harewood both fail to find the target as West Ham look to put the contest beyond Charlton.

66mins

ZAMORA elects to shoot from an acute angle and his scrambled effort sneaks in off the post to hand the Hammers the lead.

64mins

Konchesky is shown a yellow card for a foul on Darren Bent.

61mins

Marcus Bent replaces Hasselbaink who looks tired from leading the line on his own.

60mins

Benayoun tries to pick out Bowyer with a clever reverse pass but Charlton sense the danger.

59mins

Wasted free-kick by Benayoun whose curling efforts drifts out of play without any danger.

56mins

Cross by Paintsil picks out Zamora but he is unable to steer his header past Carson.

53mins

Thunderous free-kick by El Karkouri from all of 35 yards is parried well by Carroll.

52mins

ZAMORA gets on the end of a Bowyer cross to tuck the ball past Carson from close range with a neat left-footed finish.

49mins

Hasselbaink is left to plough a lone furrow for Charlton as the visitors look to stun West Ham on the counter-attack.

47mins

Harewood tries to pick out the advancing Hayden Mullins but Charlton clear their lines.

46mins

Cross by Benayoun as West Ham again threaten but the ball clears its intended targets.

45mins

John Paintsil replaces the injured Mears.

45mins

West Ham get the second half underway with manager Alan Pardew ordering his men to make the most of Charlton's reduced numbers.

45mins

Darren Bent hands Charlton a 1-0 lead at half-time but the visitors have it all to do after Djimi Traore is sent off for two bookable offences.

44mins

Young is booked for dissent after a poor tackle on Paul Konchesky.

44mins

Mears crosses but the ball is behind the livewire Zamora and Charlton can take a breather.

41mins

Shot by Tyrone Mears but Carson watches the ball fly wide of the target.

40mins

Hreidarsson is on hand to prevent a Bowyer cross as West Ham again look to put the visitors on the back foot.

39mins

Another cross by Benayoun but this time Matt Holland gets back for the visitors and clears the danger.

36mins

Bowyer whips in another dangerous cross but Young is on hand to clear the danger as Charlton hang on.

35mins

Harewood is cautioned by referee Webb for unsporting behaviour as frustration gets the better of West Ham.

33mins

Zamora and Harewood both look lively as the Hammers look to square the game before half-time.

29mins

Darren Ambrose replaced by Gonzalo Sorondo for the visitors for tactical reasons.

28mins

Cross by Bowyer for Zamora but Carson again saves well as West Ham look to equalise.

26mins

Traore is handed a second yellow card and his marching orders for preventing a West Ham free-kick.

21mins

Djimi Traore is handed a yellow card after a horror lunge on Lee Bowyer.

18mins

Cross by Hughes for revitalised Charlton but Ferdinand clears well.

15mins

DARREN BENT opens the scoring for Charlton from the spot with a thunderous strike past the helpless Roy Carroll.

15mins

Penalty for Charlton after Danny Gabbidon handles a Bryan Hughes cross.

11mins

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink gets a sight on goal from 25 yards and drills a dangerous shot just over the crossbar.

9mins

West Ham still bossing the game and Nigel Reo-Coker spoons a left-footed close-range shot wide.

6mins

Luke Young surges forward for Charlton but Daniel Gabbidon intercepts well and clears the danger.

5mins

Marlon Harewood puts in another dangerous cross but Scott Carson gathers well.

3mins

West Ham on the charge again and Paul Konchesky crosses to Yossi Benayoun but he heads wide and over.

2mins

Bobby Zamora has the game's first telling effort with a dipping right-footed shot from long range.

0mins

The visitors get the game underway but immediately hand possession to West Ham.

0mins

The two teams make their entrance from the players' tunnel to a thunderous reception at Upton Park.

Match Report

The Upton Park PA announcer's over zealous confirmation that West Ham lie in a Champions League qualifying spot may well have been far too premature. But after seeing Bobby Zamora's destructive second half double and a late Carlton Cole effort wipe out Darren Bent's fifteenth minute penalty, Alan Pardew will sleep a lot easier than his Charlton counterpart Iain Dowie tonight.
Both managers were facing their former clubs and how the ex-Hammers striker would have liked to have kicked off his Charlton managerial career with an opening day victory at Upton Park. For fifty minutes, despite being down to ten men, Dowie still looked set to take three points back to the Valley thanks to that Bent spot kick, before the wheels well and truly fell off the Addicks wagon. The new Charlton boss fielded four fresh faces in his starting line-up, Djimi Traore, Amady Faye, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Scott Carson each made their debuts while Andy Reid was left on the bench.
Having hardly got the ball out of their own half in the opening quarter of an hour there appeared to be little danger when a rare Addicks attack saw Bryan Hughes float a hopeful cross towards no mans land but Danny Gabbidon carelessly handled as Hasselbaink ghosted towards the far post.
After consulting his assistant - who has somehow given a corner - referee Howard Webb pointed to the spot and Bent calmly blasted the penalty to the right of the so far redundant Roy Carroll to give Charlton an unlikely lead.
Midway through the half however, Dowie's delight turned to despair, when Traore was booked twice in three minutes for scything through Lee Bowyer, and then encroaching as the Hammers midfielder attempted to take another free kick.
Pardew's men had already kept Carson busy and as they went in search of a leveller, they thought they had got it on the half hour mark when Marlon Harewood bundled home after the on-loan Liverpool keeper had pawed Zamora's point blank header skywards.
But referee Webb ruled the effort out for Harewood's push and with debutant Tyrone Mears unluckily sending a 25-yard screamer just the wrong side of the post, Charlton still managed to make it to the interval with their noses in front.
Six minutes into the second half however, West Ham inevitably drew level when Bowyer whipped a low cross into the six-yard box for the industrious Zamora to tap home at the far post.
In reply, Talal El Karkouri saw Carroll forced into a double save as he beat out his thunderous 35-yard free kick and then saved Bent's follow-up, but, by now, Charlton were firmly on the back foot. And midway through the half, Bowyer and Zamora combined again to put Hammers deservedly ahead.
This time, the former Charlton, Leeds United and Newcastle United midfielder turned inside Bryan Hughes on the edge of the six-yard box and although Zamora could only scuff his shot goalwards, he still beat Hermann Hreidarsson, who saw the bobbling effort bounce agonisingly off Carson's left-hand post and then creep over the goal line.
Following his controversial summer return to Upton Park, man of the match Bowyer had already started to win over the sceptical Hammers fans left with sour memories of his dismal 11-game showing during the relegation bound 2002-2003 season.
And after hitting the base of Carson's left-hand post, the workaholic midfielder then went another step to mending those bridges with his third assist of the afternoon with only seconds remaining.
This time, moments after stepping off the bench, it was debutant Cole who was sent clear to slot past the helplessly exposed Carson and confirm a Hammers victory.

West Ham United

Charlton Athletic

Corners

60

Fouls

1414

Goal attempts

165

Shots off target

102

Offsides

02

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