Reading 0 - 3 West Ham

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Saturday Sep 01 2007 03:00

West Ham's superb away form continued with this win at Reading and the Hammers have not dropped an away point since losing at Sheffield United on April 14 last season.

It was Reading's second successive heavy defeat without scoring themselves and worryingly their only scorers this season have been defender Andre Bikey and midfielder Stephen Hunt.

They even failed to score with a penalty 15 minutes from time with Robert Green saving Kevin Doyle's kick after the keeper had tripped substitute Dave Kitson.

West Ham's win was ample revenge for their 6-0 thrashing at Reading last season - the biggest winning margin in the Premier League during the campaign.

They could have won by more with Lee Bowyer and Matthew Etherington both failing to take great chances when the Hammers were already two ahead.

The Hammers started in determined fashion and took the lead after only seven minutes.

Bowyer robbed James Harper in midfield and his instant pass sent Craig Bellamy clear.

The Welshman used his pace to stay in front in a chase with Ivar Ingimarsson and fired a shot low into the far corner of the net.

West Ham were testing referee Howard Webb to the limit with some bustling tactics early on, but despite awarding a string of free-kicks against them, he kept his cards in his pocket at that stage.

Alan Curbishley's men were relying on a swift counter attacking game and it came close to paying off again with Mark Noble having a great chance to put them further ahead only to blaze wide.

Reading keeper Marcus Hahnemann had an anxious moment when he spilled George McCartney's cross, but Etherington prodded the loose ball just wide.

Reading's brightest spell was towards the end of the first half when they threatened to get back into the game and had chances to do so.

Three minutes before the interval they almost got the equaliser. Skipper Graeme Murty chipped the ball into the goalmouth, Brynjar Gunnarsson laid the ball back into the path of Hunt and his careful shot struck the crossbar.

Early in the second half it was all over. Bellamy and Etherington exchanged a smart one-two inside the Reading penalty area and the winger beat Hahnemann with a clinical finish.

To make things worse, the closing stages saw Doyle's penalty saved by Green and in injury time Etherington completed West Ham's day with the third and final goal.

Live Commentary

  • 90
    The Hammers went some way to erasing the memory of last season's 6-0 drubbing with a convincing display to deservedly take all three points.
  • 90
    West Ham wrap up the three points with another excellent finish. Cole slips the ball through to Etherington to carve open Reading again and he makes no mistake.
  • 90
    Reading still look to come forward and Convey works a nice one two to create space but Green makes a superb save to deny Cisse.
  • 89
    Alan Curbishley opts to waste a bit of time by replacing the superb Bellamy, who of course set the Hammers on the way with a clinical strike, with Luis Boa Morte.
  • 87
    Cole does well to work some space and sends a lovely cross into the middle but Spector heads straight into the arms of Hahnemann.
  • 85
    The Hammers are looking lively up front but Carlton Cole's effort on the turn is turned away by the legs of Marcus Hahnemann.
  • 83
    Readign are throwing everything at West Ham as time runs out but if it is not Ferdinand, it is Upson who is stopping the Royals from breaking through.
  • 81
    Alan Curbishley decides to protect what he has got and takes off Lee Bowyer for defender Jonathan Spector.
  • 78
    Robert Green makes amends and saves Kevin Doyle's penalty to keep the lead intact and the way Reading's luck has been in this game, it almost came as no surprise.
  • 77
    Reading work the ball through nicely to Dave Kitson who gets there in front of Robert Green, who brings him down and referee Howard Webb has no hesitation in pointing to the spot.
  • 75
    Reading make their final throw of the dice as they replace Leroy Lita with Bobby Convey.
  • 73
    Kitson, under pressure from Ferdinand, does well to feed the ball into the centre but Lita wastes the golden chance to get his side back into the game as he stabs wide.
  • 70
    Steve Coppell decides to make his second change as he looks to stem the Hammers tide and brings on Kalifa Cisse for Brynjar Gunnarsson.
  • 69
    The Hammers cut through Reading again to set Etherington through one on one with the keeper but Hahnemann makes a great save to keep the score at 2-0.
  • 67
    Alan Curbishley decides to give Ashton, who is clearly struggling for fitness on his return to the side, a break and replaces him with Carlton Cole.
  • 66
    There has been barely a sniff in front of goal for Lita or Doyle as Ferdinand and Upson continue to dominate at the back for West Ham.
  • 63
    West Ham continue to look menacing when they attack but this time Bowyer sliced his shot wide after some good build-up play from the away side.
  • 61
    Reading decide to make their first change and bring on striker Dave Kitson for Emerse Fae.
  • 58
    Steve Coppell's men are seeing a lot of the ball at the moment but they are struggling to break down the Hammers, led superbly at the back by Anton Ferdinand.
  • 55
    Robert Green is the first to go into the book as he gets a yellow card for time-wasting. He is furious with Dean Ashton who was taking his time putting his boots back on following a clash with Duberry.
  • 54
    Reading win another corner and Duberry again gets on the end of Hunt's delivery only to head wide.
  • 52
    Alan Curbishley will be delighted at the way his side has started the second half after missing a number of chances in the first half and they look good to add to their tally
  • 49
    Etherington worked a lovely one-two with Craig Bellamy to get clear and he gave the keeper no chance by smashing the ball into the roof of the net for his first goal of the season.
  • 46
    There are no changes at the break and Reading get the game restarted.
  • 45
    West Ham perhaps deserve to be in front as they look a threat every time they go forward but Reading started to dominate towards the end of the half and saw one effort hit the bar.
  • 43
    Reading win a corner down the left. It is taken quickly to Doyle and his lay-off is met perfectly by Hunt but he sees his curling shot hit the crossbar and go over.
  • 41
    West Ham break forward and free Bowyer down the middle but his shot from 25 yards is always rising and the chance goes.
  • 39
    Reading win a corner down the left and the cross is met by Duberry, but he is always stretching for the ball and can't keep his header down.
  • 38
    Alan Curbishley's game plan is working to perfection at the moment as they are frustrating the home side and keeping chances at an absolute minimum.
  • 35
    The Royals are beginning to get on top and are pegging the Hammers back but they just can't find that final ball to fashion an equaliser.
  • 32
    Reading earn a free kick down the left after a clumsy foul by Lucas Neill and the ball ricochets around in the Hammers box before bouncing wide for a goal-kick.
  • 29
    The home side have a good shout for a penalty after Lita let the ball run across him and was seemingly fouled by Ferdinand but the referee waves away the appeals.
  • 26
    The Royals earn a free kick down the right and it is whipped in by Nicky Shorey but Lita's glancing header is wide of the target.
  • 25
    Anton Ferdinand and Matthew Upson have kept both Leroy Lita and Kevin Doyle under wraps which is stopping Reading from exerting any consistent pressure.
  • 22
    Marcus Hahnemann breathes a huge sigh of relief after he fumbled a routine ball into the middle but Ashton's touch could only take the ball behind for a goal-kick.
  • 19
    The game certainly has come to life now with both teams looking to get forward at every opportunity but West Ham are just shading the play.
  • 16
    Etherington works his magic again down the left and crosses to Mark Noble in the middle, but his shot is blazed well over the bar.
  • 13
    The Hammers work the ball down the left for Matthew Etherington whose cross is met by Ashton but Marcus Hahnemann gathers his volley quite comfortably.
  • 11
    Reading work the ball nicely around to free James Harper but Matthew Upson comes out to make an important block and the shot bounces wide.
  • 9
    A clinical piece of forward play has been the difference in this game so far as there have been no other chances at all.
  • 6
    Sloppy play in the middle from Reading allowed Lee Bowyer to win the ball. He played a lovely ball through to Craig Bellamy in the box and the Welsh ace drilled his shot across Marcus Hahnemann into the far corner.
  • 4
    Reading create some space for Stephen Hunt down the left but his cross is too cclose to the keeper and Robert Green punches well clear.
  • 2
    Dean Ashton, making his first start since the 2006 Cup Final, is already involved in the thick of the action and looks set for a mighty tussle with Michael Duberry.
  • 0
    The referee Howard Webb blows his whistle and West Ham, level on points with Reading, get the game underway.
  • 0
    West Ham: Green, Neill, Ferdinand, Upson, McCartney, Bowyer, Noble, Mullins, Etherington, Ashton, Bellamy
  • 0
    Reading: Hahnemann, Murty, Ingimarsson, Duberry, Shorey, Fae, Harper, Gunnarsson, Hunt, Lita, Doyle
  • 0
    Dean Ashton comes straight back into the side to face the Royals but big names Kieron Dyer, Freddie Ljungberg and Scott Parker are all unavailable.
  • 0
    Reading welcome Graeme Murty and Nicky Shorey back into the side after their respective hamstring and knee problems, but Shane Long, John Oster and Glen Little are all out.

Statistics

Reading
Shots on target 3
Shots off target 5
Shots off bar/post 1
Fouls 10
Offsides 1
Corners 14

West Ham
Shots on target 11
Shots off target 4
Shots off bar/post 0
Fouls 12
Offsides 5
Corners 4

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