• Date: Sun 11 May 2008
  • Venue: Upton Park
  • Ref: Dean, M
  • Attendance: 34,969
West Ham United

West Ham United

Solano (8)

Ashton (88)

2 - 2
Aston Villa

Aston Villa

Young, A (14)

Barry (58)

West Ham United vs Aston Villa

Team Lineups

West Ham United

Robert Green
Anton Ferdinand
Lucas Neill
George McCartney (John Paintsil, 46)
James Tomkins
Scott Parker
Mark Noble (Freddie Sears, 80)
Nolberto Solano
Luis Boa Morte
Dean Ashton
Bobby Zamora (Carlton Cole, 73)

Aston Villa

Scott Carson
Martin Laursen
Olof Mellberg
Zat Knight
Wilfred Bouma
Gareth Barry
Nigel Reo-Coker
Stiliyan Petrov
John Carew (Marlon Harewood, 87)
Ashley Young, A
Gabriel Agbonlahor


Live Text Commentary
Full time
 

Thats it, the finall game of the season comes to an end and what a brilliant game to end it with the teams sharing the points thanks to Dean Ashton's late strike.

90

Barry swings in a corner from the right which Green punches away before Young flicks it back in and Mellberg turns it towards goal only for Solano to knock it off the line.

90

The fourth official indicates there will be three minutes of added on time, lets see if anyone can win this.

88
Goal
 

Ashton levels things up with a great goal, recieving the ball on the edge of the penalty area and drives it past Carson from the right of the penalty area with an arrow of a shot.

85
Substitution
 

John Carew heads off to be replaced by Marlon Harewood who gets a nice reception from the Hammers fans.

83

Young whips in the corner which is met by the head of Ferdinand who diverts it away from danger.

81

The ball breaks for Ashton after Sears caused the Villa defence a problem, Ashton takes the shot on and hits it into the side netting.

79
Substitution
 

Mark Noble heads off and on comes the youngster Freddie Sears.

77

Agbonlahor gets a good cross in which Carew can't reach and the ball comes back to Agbonlahor who smashes the ball towards goal from a tight angle, the ball hitting Green who had gone down injured under Carew's previous challenge.

72
Substitution
 

West Ham make their second change of the game with Carlton Cole coming on for Bobby Zamora.

70

Agbonlahor pulls the ball back across the face of goal for Carew who tries to back heel the ball past Green but the keeper reads it and saves easily.

68

Agbonlahor and Barry combine to set-up Mellberg who had pushed forward from the back to score on his final game but can only steer it into the side netting.

64

Parker creates a chance for Noble, who steals the ball from Parker and then tries to place it past Carson but it is easily saved by the Villa goalkeeper.

62

Parker steps past one Villa player and then another but makes a real mess of his shot, blasting it high over the crossbar.

60

Boa Morte whips in a cross whch Zamora does well to reach, heading it towards goal and it floats over Carson only for it to clip the crossbar and go behind.

59

Solano takes the corner which Ashton reaches and heads towards goal only for Petrov to head it off the line with a great clearance.

58
Goal
 

Barry puts Villa ahead with the simpliest of finishes after a flowing move from Villa lead to Reo-Coker going through on goal but his shot is well saved by Green only for Barry to arrive to tap the ball home.

56

Barry has another oppurtunity from just outside the penalty, he tries to curl on into the goal but it flies inches wide.

54

Young takes the corner and West Ham flicks it away from inside the box but only as far as Barry who strikes his shot seemingley into the hand of Tomkins but the referee says no.

54

Barry tries to curl on in from the left of the penalty area and Ferdinand has to get his header in the way to nod it behind for another corner.

53

Solano swings in a cross which Ashton chests down in the area but before the striker can pull the trigger Reo-Cokler steps in to smash it away.

52

Young floats in a cross which Carew flicks on towards goal and it is hacked off the line by Solano, frantic stuff from Villa.

50
Yellow Card
 

Petrov gets himself a booking after diving over Green, trying to win a penalty, no chance.

50

Barry slides a brilliant through ball for Agbonlahor who then cuts the ball back for Carew who looks certain to score but Green makes an outstanding save to deny Carew.

47

Boa Morte sprints away towards goal and nobody stops him so Boa Morte gets in a fierce shot which Carson has to get behind to save, first chance of the half.

45
Substitution
 

West Ham make a chance with George McCartney going off and John Paintsil being brought on.

Second half
 

The second half gets under in beautiful sunshine at Upton Park but these players haven't been on the beach so far and we can only hope for a repeat of the first half.

Half time
 

Great first half comes to a close with both sides having a bucket full of chances each, Young pegging back West Ham after Solano's opener.

44

Ashton slips Zamora the ball who, from outside the box, curls the ball towards goal and bends it only just wide of Carson's goal, great attempt.

41

Young takes the corner which Green does well to punch the cross away, but the ball finds its way back to Young who whips in another cross which Mellberg heads inches over the bar with Carson rooted to the spot.

41

Young clips a cross in from the left, curls it in looking for Knight but Ashton manages to knock it behind for a corner.

40

Solano is slipped the ball in a central position twenty five yards from goal but his powerful drive flies high over the crossbar.

37

Zamora does really well to chest a high ball down for Noble who snatches at his volley and manages to flashes it just wide of Carson's left hand post.

36

Barry lofts a high ball into the boxs and Carew is able to knock it down but not even Agbonlahor and Young are quick enough to reach that one as Green claims the ball.

35

Zamora fashions a chance for himself but his shot is blocked by a flying tackle from Bouma, heroic stuff from the Dutch defender

32

Solano with another corner for West Ham but it flies over the top of the Aston Villa crossbar and thats the first poor delivery from the former Villa man.

31
Yellow Card
 

Mellberg lunges in on Boa Morte, gets no where near the ball and is booked.

30

Young rolls the ball through the Hammers defence for Agbonlahor who runs onto the ball and takes the shot on first time, flashing it past Green's left hand post.

28

McCartney launches a long ball from a freekick up towards Zamora and the ball eventually finds its way to Ashton, who from the edge of the penalty area fires it towards goal but Mellberg gets the block in and clears it away.

23

Petrov breaks away from the Hammers defence down the right and slips a low cross in for Carew who gets in ahead of Tomkins but can only turn it around the post.

20

Solano drives in a freekick from the right and a head goes up to flick it away to launch another Villa counter-attack as Reo-Coker sprinted away towards goal but it's cut short by a decent tackle from Boa Morte.

18

Frantic game so far and the players appericate a break in play after Tomkins goes down with a head injury.

14
Goal
 

Ashley Young puts Villa level after some nice build-up play lead to Reo-Coker's low cross found Young who cooly slotted the ball past Green, composed finish.

12

Young whips in a corner from the left but Carson does really well to come off his line and claim the ball with a great catch.

10

Agbonlahor does brilliantly to take the bal to the edge of the penalty area and cut it back for Carew, but it's too much for Carew and West Ham can clear the ball.

9
Yellow Card
 

Neill goes into the referee's book after protresting a little too much over Parkers foul.

9
Yellow Card
 

Parker is booked for his foul on Young

6
Goal
 

Solano gives West Ham the lead with a delightful freekick from right on the edge of the penalty area, whipping it past Carson whose outstretched hand couldn't prevent the ball flashing into the net.

5

Solano takes West Ham's third corner which is swung in towards Carson's goal but Knight can head it clear under pressure.

2

Villa clear the corner and are at the other end of the pitch in moments, Agbonlahor sliding the ball through for Young whose first time effort clips the post and goes behind, great chnce for Villa.

2

Solando puts in the first corner of the game and Mellberg's header desn't clear the danger and he has to poke it behind for another corner.

Solano floats a cross into the box from West Ham's first attack and finds Zamora but he can only head the ball up and over the crossbar.

Kickoff
 

Mike Dean gets the game underway here at Upton Park with Villa still having something to play for in the shape of a Uefa Cup spot whilst the Hammers have only pride to play for.

Awaiting Kickoff
 

Aston Villa XI: Carson, Mellberg, Laursen, Knight, Bouma, Petrov, Reo-Coker, Barry, Young, Carew, Agbonlahor

Awaiting Kickoff
 

Aston Villa need a win and then hope for Newcastle to defeat Everton to climb into fifth place and take the Uefa Cup spot but a defeat an they could lose their grip on their Intertoto Cup spot. Olof Mellberg plays his last game for Villa.

Awaiting Kickoff
 

West Ham XI: Green, Neill, Tomkins, Ferdinand, McCartney, Solano, Noble, Parker, Boa Morte, Zamora, Ashton

Awaiting Kickoff
 

West Ham go into this game knowing that a win will seal a sixth top ten finish in nine years and are boosted by the return of Anton Ferdinand from injury who partners James Tomkins at the back as Matthew Upson is still unavailable.