skip to content

  • Di Michele (7), Noble (60 pen), Cole (76)
  • Konchesky (22)
  • Date:2009-01-18
  • Kick-off:13:30
  • Venue:Upton Park
  • Attendance:31818
  • Referee:Dowd, P

Live Commentary

90mins

Full-Time: WEST HAM 3-1 FULHAM.

90mins

Dyer's shot is blocked by Hangeland as West Ham finish the match on a high.

90mins

Dyer breaks quickly and plays in Cole who links up well with Neill but Fulham are able to get the ball clear.

90mins

Fulham win a free-kick. Murphy sends it into the box but West Ham clear.

90mins

There are four minutes of added time. There really haven't been that many breaks in play but referee Dowd seems to take an age to allow play to start at corners and free-kicks.

88mins

Dempsey plays in Gera but his cross is frankly woeful and goes out for a West Ham goal kick.

87mins

Kieron Dyer replaces Di Michele for West Ham. Both sides have now used all three of their allocated substitutions.

84mins

Leon Andreasen replaces Dickson Etuhu for Fulham.

83mins

Gianfranco Zola decides to bring Hayden Mullins on for Collison.

80mins

Faubert sets up Cole but the striker's volley is narrowly wide of the Fulham goal.

79mins

Julien Faubert replaces Noble, who receives a standing ovation from the Hammers faithful.

78mins

Andrew Johnson gets three bites of the cherry but West Ham clear. However, the ball only goes as far as Gera who crosses back to Johnson but his headed effort is saved by Green.

77mins

Cole deserved that goal. He's been playing really well throughout the second half and West Ham are good value for their two-goal lead.

76mins

WEST HAM 3-1 FULHAM: Great break by West Ham. Di Michele turns provider for COLE who slams the ball past Schwarzer. Surely West Ham have all three points now.

75mins

Cole forces Hangeland to concede a corner. Noble takes it but Schwarzer gathers the ball well.

74mins

Zoltan Gera replaces Simon Davies for Fulham.

73mins

Fulham corner which Konchesky takes. In the resulting melee, Rob Green picks up a knock and referee Phil Dowd awards a free-kick to West Ham.

73mins

Erik Nevland replaces Bobby Zamora for Fulham.

72mins

Murphy finds Zamora who has a crack at goal from 30 yards out but it's way over the West Ham bar.

69mins

Chipped free-kick into the Fulham box from Noble. It falls to Di Michele but Schwarzer gathers easily.

66mins

Di Michele's shot goes out for a Fulham throw-in - rather embarrassing for the Italian striker!

65mins

Ball flighted in towards Cole who lays the ball off to Collison. He mis-controls though and Fulham clear the danger.

63mins

Ilunga sends a ball into the box for Collison but the youngster slips and Schwarzer gathers the ball in the Fulham goal.

61mins

Carlton Cole bursts through and strikes a sweet shot but it goes just wide of the Fulham goal.

60mins

WEST HAM 2-1 FULHAM: We had to wait a minute for the penalty to be taken but it didn't faze Mark NOBLE who sends Schwarzer the wrong way from the spot to restore the Hammers' lead.

58mins

Penalty as Konchesky brings Carlton Cole down. The Fulham man is booked for his troubles as well.

57mins

Pantsil crosses to Davies but his shot is blocked. Fulham are really taking control of this game now.

55mins

Fulham are in the ascendancy now. Parker clears the ball away for the Hammers after Murphy tried to leave the ball for Etuhu.

54mins

Fulham corner. Konchesky takes it but West Ham get the ball away. It comes back to Zamora from Davies but the former West Ham man mis-cues his shot and it goes way over the Hammers bar.

53mins

Behrami is booked for a foul on Clint Dempsey.

52mins

Davies is booked for stopping Lucas Neill taking a quick free-kick.

51mins

Great finish from Di Michele but he's just offside and the goal won't count, good decision from the linesman and he got that one right.

50mins

Ilunga drills it into the Fulham box and Noble manages to get a shot in but Schwarzer saves well for Fulham.

49mins

Nice ball into the Hammers' box from Murphy but Parker clears for West Ham, bright opening from both sides in these early stages on the second half.

47mins

Long throw into the Fulham pealty area from Lucas Neill but Pantsil clears for Fulham.

46mins

West Ham get the second half underway at Upton Park.

45mins

Half-Time: WEST HAM 1-1 FULHAM.

45mins

The free-kick brings a half-chance for Di Michele but his shot hits the side-netting. In truth it was a poor free-kick by Noble.

45mins

Pantsil brings Ilunga down just outside the penalty area and receives the game's first yellow card.

44mins

Looks like both sides are happy to take the draw into the break, they're just playing these final minutes out now.

43mins

Good work from Collison and Noble on the right, Behrami breaks with it and sends a pass towards Carlton Cole but Pantsil clears for a corner, which Andy Johnson clears.

41mins

Fulham free-kick on the halfway line. Hughes sends it in long but Lucas Neill clears for West Ham.

40mins

A desperate challenge from Pantsil takes the ball away from Cole but Noble wins it back for West Ham.

38mins

Lucas Neill finds Di Michele in space and his volley is high and wide, he had the time to take a touch but the Italian went for a Hollywood goal and paid the price.

36mins

Konchesky fires the free-kick low into the wall. The ball comes back to Murphy and he sends in a cross but Rob Green comes way out of his goal to punch clear.

35mins

Hammers in possession but Pantsil, one of three ex-Hammers in the Fulham team, wins it back and plays it forward. Fulham win a free-kick on the edge of the Hammers penalty area.

34mins

Free kick for West Ham just in from the touchline, basically a corner type kick, Noble takes but Fulham manage to clear with Cole back on and lurking at the back post.

33mins

Could be the end of the game for Carlton Cole, he's gone off the pitch injured but no substitution has been made just yet.

31mins

Simon Davies nearly gets a shot away for Fulham but Lucas Neill clears.

29mins

Again West Ham have a cluster of shots, culminating with Noble firing it high and wide, another Fulham let-off and I could be left to eat my words now.

28mins

Neill, Di Michele and finally Behrami all have attempts before Murphy clears for a West Ham corner. That was frantic and Fulham are lucky to survive.

27mins

Nice defensive work from Hangeland to take the ball off Neill. Fulham look a lot better after drawing level and they could go on and nick this.

26mins

Good build-up from Lucas Neill and Collison but Fulham win a free-kick after Neill fouls Konchesky.

24mins

That should change things! Fulham didn't really deserve that but it was a fabulous goal and Konchesky will be proud of that strike.

22mins

WEST HAM 1-1 FULHAM: Wonder goal from KONCHESKY! Murphy plays the ball to the former Hammers star who smashes it home from at least 30 yards out. The goal came completely out of the blue but Fulham are now right back in it.

21mins

Should have been a West Ham corner but the linesman gives a goal kick. It's another let-off for Fulham as Di Michele should have shot but took too much time over it.

20mins

Decent cross from Konchesky looking for Johnson but Collins clears for West Ham.

19mins

Nearing the 20-minute mark and, after that bright start by Fulham, West Ham are now dominating. Fulham do look a bit lightweight in midfield and they're struggling to keep possession.

17mins

Slow build-up from Fulham until Pantsil plays a poor ball and is then pulled up for a foul on Collison.

15mins

Decent ball through from the Hammers looking for Di Michele but Schwarzer is alert to it and gathers the ball for Fulham.

14mins

Dempsey has just put the ball out of play on the halfway line to halt the Hammers attack. I think there are plenty more goals in this encounter and West Ham are good value for their lead.

12mins

Zamora tees up Dempsey who volleys from 20 yards but it goes way over the crossbar. It's the first decent move from Fulham since they conceded.

10mins

Free-kick for West Ham after Etuhu brings down Parker. Noble has a crack but it goes straight into the Fulham wall.

9mins

Mark Noble hits a cracker towards the Fulham goal but it's just wide. After that bright start Fulham seem to be struggling now after that opener from Di Michele.

8mins

Another mistake, this time from Danny Murphy, could have gifted Di Michele another goal but he mis-controls it this time and Fulham clear.

7mins

WEST HAM 1-0 FULHAM: A mistake from Pantsil lets DI MICHELE in. His first touch is superb and he sets himself up for an easy strike past Schwarzer.

4mins

Carlton Cole heads the ball way off target for West Ham in the Hammers' first attack of the game.

2mins

Davies takes the corner for Fulham but it floats on to the top of the net.

2mins

Roy Hodgson said before the game he'd be happy with a goalless draw, that isn't how Fulham have started though and Johnson has just forced Upson to concede a corner.

1mins

Free-kick for Fulham in a dangerous place after Ilunga handles the ball, Konchesky takes it and Murphy gets the shot away but it's way too high, bright start from Fulham.

1mins

It's underway at Upton Park, ninth against tenth in the Premier League and East against West London.

0mins

Just a couple of minutes until kick off in this London derby, should be a good game. No sign of Bellamy for the Hammers so maybe he could be on his way out this week.

0mins

Fulham starting XI: Schwarzer, Pantsil, Hughes, Hangeland, Konchensky, Dempsey, Murphy, Etuhu, Davies, Zamora, Johnson

0mins

West Ham starting XI: Green, Neill, Collins, Upson, Ilunga, Behrami, Parker, Noble, Collison, Cole, Di Michele

Match Preview

Much-improved West Ham United take on one of the Premier League's surprise packages in Fulham on Sunday.

The two sides are level on points heading into the game, although the Cottagers have played two games less than Gianfranco Zola's team.

The Hammers have enjoyed success against Fulham over recent years, with their last defeat against the west London side coming in February 2004.

Since then, West Ham have won five of the seven meetings between the sides, with two draws coming in the 2006-07 season.

The club's good record over Fulham continued earlier this term when they won 2-1 at Craven Cottage, thanks to goals by Carlton Cole and Matthew Etherington.

Irons manager Zola leads his team into the game on the back of a four-match unbeaten run. He has been buoyed by the form of Cole, who has scored in each of his last four games, while Craig Bellamy is also producing some terrific performances.

Zola has been pleased with his team's recent form, saying: "We are working hard, we are improving every week as a team and as individuals.

"We are getting to where we want but we can still do more."

West Ham have been able to welcome back several players from injury, with only a couple of players, Danny Gabbidon (pelvis) and Dean Ashton (ankle), currently on the sidelines.

Fulham midfielder Seol Ki-Hyeon has this week left the club on loan, while Diomansy Kamara remains on the sidelines with a knee injury.

Cottagers manager Roy Hodgson has seen his side remain unbeaten since the start of November, but they have only scored one league goal away from home all season.


advertisement

advertisment

Match Report

West Ham United moved above Fulham into eighth place in the Premier League table after comfortably beating Roy Hodgson's side 3-1 at Upton Park.

The happy Hammers fans left Upton Park chanting 'Who needs Craig Bellamy?' after Gianfranco Zola's side's straightforward derby victory.

Although former Hammer Paul Konchesky had wiped out David Di Michele's opener with a contender for Goal of the Season, Fulham were finally felled by Mark Noble's ice-cool penalty and top-scorer Carlton Cole's fifth goal in five games.

With want-away Bellamy reportedly returning home to Wales on Friday, instead of joining in a coaching session with his team-mates, the Hammers striker was nowhere to be seen at Upton Park.

That meant a recall for Di Michele as Zola made just one enforced change from the side that had drawn 2-2 at Newcastle United last Saturday.

With last weekend's match against Blackburn Rovers falling victim to the weather, Roy Hodgson made two changes to the team that knocked Sheffield Wednesday out of the FA Cup a fortnight ago, as John Paintsil and Simon Davies came in for Fredrik Stoor and Julian Gray.

With just seven minutes on the clock, ex-Hammer Paintsil was wishing that the turf on his old Upton Park stamping ground would open up and swallow him, when he recklessly chested Lucas Neill's cross straight into the path of the delighted Di Michele, who comfortably slotted his third goal of the campaign past the helplessly exposed Mark Schwarzer.

But midway through the half, there was better fortune for another West Ham United old boy.

This time, self-confessed Hammers fan Konchesky ran from halfway before simply letting fly with a 30-yard thunderbolt that flew beyond the reaches of Robert Green before almost taking the net off its hooks.

Just before the break, Paintsil was booked for tripping the escaping Herita Ilunga but, fortunately for the Ghan international, that was as far as the punishment went as Di Michele could only lash the free-kick into the side-netting from a tight angle to keep it all-square at the break.

Certainly, West Ham had only shown brief glimpses of inspiration during a below-par first half but they emerged for the restart looking far livelier as Noble tested Schwarzer with a low 15-yard effort and then Di Michele saw an effort ruled out by an offside flag.

On the hour, Zola's side regained the lead thanks to Noble's perfect penalty after Konchesky had lost possession to the breaking Cole before scything down the Hammers striker as he sprinted for goal.

Moments later, Cole chested down and volleyed just inches wide from the edge of the area, while in reply his old strike-partner Bobby Zamora sent two speculative shots into Row Z before being replaced by Erik Nevland to complete a miserable return to the Boleyn Ground for all three former Hammers.

With 14 minutes remaining, Jack Collison brilliantly played in the over-lapping Di Michele, who invited the in-form Cole to get in front of Aaron Hughes and prod home his ninth goal of the season from six yards and extinguish the Fulham flame.

West Ham United

Fulham

Corners

33

Fouls

1317

Goal attempts

129

Shots off target

45

Offsides

61

facebook twitter rss