- Date:2009-03-16
- Kick-off:20:00
- Venue:Upton Park
- Attendance:30842
- Referee:Halsey, M
Live Commentary
90mins
It's ended goalless at Upton Park, a poor game with Martis' header off the bar the closest either side came to breaking the deadlock.
89mins
Filipe Teixeira comes on in place of Morrison as we head to full time. It looks like ending goalless
86mins
Robinson has to chest the ball behind for a corner as West Ham look for a late winner but the corner is poor
83mins
Olsson is booked
82mins
Mark Noble goes off for West Ham - Luis Boa Morte comes on for the final eight minutes
82mins
Di Michele tries a very ambitious effort from the left but he hooks it wide
80mins
Fortune is also substituted to make way for Luke Moore
80mins
Brunt goes off for Albion for Jay Simpson
79mins
Time running out for either side now with just over 10 minutes left
76mins
Di Michele's downward header is a few yards wide of the post. Finally a decent chance for the home side
75mins
Fortune's cross over is dangerous but no West Brom player attacks it
74mins
The home fans are getting very frustrated with this from the Hammers, who have barely troubled Carson in the whole game
71mins
Greening lifts his shot over the bar from a wide angle. Poor finish from a decent position, will the Baggies rue that miss?
70mins
Brunt makes a mess of his cross down the left to cheers of derision from the home fans
68mins
Savio is then replaced - Junior Stanislas comes on for his first-team debut for Gianfranco Zola's side
67mins
Savio is the first player to be booked for a rash challenge on Morrison
66mins
Neill does well to deny Fortune any space in the Hammers box
64mins
Nearly at the three-quarter mark of the game and, while it's improved slightly in the second half, the game desperately needs a goal to liven things up
60mins
Di Michele's through ball is too heavy for Sears
56mins
Brunt's free kick is straight into the wall - West Brom still the better side, it's been disappointing from the Hammers
55mins
Green looked a little groggy to say the least after being caught by Jonas Olsson's elbow in the build up to that chance. After about a three minute delay the game resumes and Green is OK to continue
51mins
Brunt's cross from the left is deflected behind for a corner from which he then crosses over again and Martis heads the ball onto the bar. It's the closest either side has come to a goal and Green got a whack in the process so needs treatment
50mins
A long ball over the top almost lets Fortune in but Green does well to come out of his goal and clear
47mins
West Ham didn't ask enough questions of Albion in the first half but they have started the second brighter as Di Michele screws a shot high and wide
45mins
The Hammers get the second period underway
45mins
The referee blows to end the first half. A couple of good openings for West Brom with Morrison wasting the clearest in what's been a quiet game so far.
45mins
It's almost half-time and we will be hoping for a better second half
41mins
It's been a quiet first half, punctuated by a couple of decent efforts at either end as Savio shoots straight at Carson
38mins
Scott Parker tries his luck from distance but he fails to keep his shot down and it sails over
36mins
Lucas Neill's free header from a corner is blocked as West Ham try to up their game
33mins
Sears' shot is blocked by Shelton Martis - West Ham's best moment of the game that before David Di Michele's shot is well off-target
32mins
Two dangerous balls in by Brunt are blocked by the Hammers' defence. West Brom are on top at the minute
30mins
Matt Upson has picked up an injury and is taken off - Jonathan Spector is on in his place
27mins
James Morrison breaks clear but, after a decent run, he then wastes the chance by shooting straight at Robert Green
24mins
Paul Robinson is felled in the box after West Ham fail to deal with an Albion corner but, again, it never looked like a pen
21mins
Fortune goes down on the edge of the box but it was never a free-kick, never mind a penalty
20mins
The Baggies are showing signs of improvement after what had been a poor start by them
17mins
Brunt fires over a decent cross from the left but it evades everyone but West Brom come back and Marc-Antoine Fortune drags a shot into the side-netting. The first real chance of the game
16mins
Robert Koren dives in to put the ball behind for a West Ham corner but Albion clear it initially. Mark Noble then breaks into the box but Scott Carson comes out to deny him
15mins
Chris Brunt does well to avoid a few challenges but he then overhits his pass down the left
13mins
Still a lack of goalmouth action in this game although the Hanmers have had more possession and are just shading what's been a dull start
10mins
Gianni Zuiverloon gets a bit of space down the right but then Herita Ilunga stops him in his tracks with a strong challenge. The Dutch defender goes down but he's up again
8mins
It's been a low-key start to the game with no early chances to report
5mins
West Brom, noted for their good football this season, have barely had a kick so far and they have the look of a team who are staring at relegation tonight
3mins
The home side enjoy most of the early possession as Savio tries to keep the ball in by the corner flag but he can't quite get there
1mins
Sears immediately charges down the ball as the striker looks to make a fast start
0mins
West Brom get the game underway at Upton Park
0mins
For West Ham Savio Nsereko and Freddie Sears both start in place of the suspended Carlton Cole and injured Jack Collison.
0mins
West Ham host bottom club West Brom with the Baggies desperate for a win as they look to avoid the drop. Youngsters Graham Dorrans and Shelton Martis are handed their first Premier League starts for the visitors.
Match Preview
West Ham United can add to rock-bottom West Bromwich Albion's woes when the two sides meet at Upton Park on Monday evening.
While the Baggies look doomed to an immediate return to the Championship, the Hammers have long since banished their own drop fears and are now in the hunt for a possible UEFA Cup spot.
Gianfranco Zola's side have won their last two league games 1-0, seeing off mid-table rivals Manchester City and Wigan Athletic.
Much of the Irons' improvement in recent months can be put down to the superb form of striker Carlton Cole, but he will miss this game due to suspension, having been red-carded against the Latics.
Cole's absence will leave Zola with a headache in attack, with long-term absentee Dean Ashton not expected to feature again this season.
Defensive duo James Collins (calf) and Danny Gabbidon (groin) are also ruled out, while midfielder Valon Behrami misses the rest of the campaign due to a knee problem.
Jack Collison has also been ruled out after picking up a nasty knee injury against Wigan.
Albion travel to the capital six points adrift of safety, without a win in their last six games and with manager Tony Mowbray coming in for criticism for his reluctance to change tactics.
Mowbray is adamant that passing football is the way to go, while he has targeted home successes as the key to a miraculous escape from the drop.
He commented: "I'm not setting a points target in terms of what we'll need, because I don't know how the other teams are going to do around us.
"We've had some good days at home this year. We won three in a row in December and January - the first time we'd done that in the Premier League.
"We've got to find some more good days before the end of the season."
Albion may be boosted by the returns of Jonas Olsson (knee) and Roman Bednar (back), while Youssuf Mulumbu is in contention for a debut, having joined on loan from Paris St Germain in January.
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Match Report
West Bromwich Albion left Upton Park still six points adrift of safety, but this was a night when they did everything but score against a West Ham side who have certainly enjoyed better days.
After agreeing to pay out a reported £15million to settle their long-outstanding Carlos Tevez claim with Sheffield United, the Hammers then wasted a glorious opportunity to cement their claims for a UEFA Europa League spot.
Sitting handily in seventh spot, Gianfranco Zola's side had enjoyed back-to-back victories over Manchester City and Wigan Athletic before heading out to Spain for some warm-weather training.
But they returned to Upton Park looking like they still had their minds on that Spanish sun, sea and sangria as Albion, without a win in their last eight matches in all competitions, enjoyed the best of the evening's exchanges.
After winning at the JJB Stadium last time out, Zola had been forced to make two switches as pint-sized teenagers Savio Nsereko and Freddie Sears came in for Jack Collison (knee) and suspended top-scorer Carlton Cole.
And the absence of the Hammers' missing marksman was all too apparent as Sears, David Di Michele and the supporting Savio each found themselves out-muscled and out-witted by a dogged Albion defence.
Following the home defeat to Arsenal 13 days ago, Albion manager Tony Mowbray had made three changes as Graham Dorrans, Shelton Martis and Jonas Olsson came in for Abdoulaye Meite, Ryan Donk and substitute Luke Moore and there was certainly little to suggest that his Albion side were rock bottom of the Premier League.
Indeed, on 18 minutes, Marc-Antoine Fortune sent an angled shot ripping into the side-netting and, midway through the first half, Paul Robinson's vociferous cries for a penalty fell on the deaf ears of referee Mark Halsey.
As the half-hour mark approached, West Ham's stuttering start was compounded by the sight of Matthew Upson being stretchered away with a calf injury.
Although Sears saw a deflected effort loop inches over before Scott Parker shot high and wide from long range, it really was turning into a contest to forget for the 30,842 crowd.
Five minutes after the restart, the marauding Martis charged into the pack to meet Chris Brunt's deep cross with a powerful header that thumped down off the underside of Robert Green's crossbar.
At the other end, West Ham's shooting boots still deserted them as Savio sent a wayward shot towards the Barking Road, before finding himself booked for a rash slide into Morrison and then being replaced by Junior Stanislas.
With 20 minutes remaining, Jonathan Greening ghosted into the area but, with the whites of Green's eyes in his sights, clipped the ball over both the advancing keeper and the target.
In reply, Di Michele sent a downward header inches wide and both sides had be content with a solitary point.
West Ham United Team
West Bromwich Albion Team
West Ham United | West Bromwich Albion |
Corners
| 3 | 4 |
Fouls
| 10 | 10 |
Goal attempts
| 9 | 8 |
Shots off target
| 5 | 3 |
Offsides
| 6 | 0 |
90mins
Three minutes of injury time is signalled