beggers wrote:
Been off the grid for a few days. Lovely, 3 pts! Didn't get to see the match, any chance of a brief rundown of the game, player performances etc?
You can all stop rushing about, found one.
Vinny's Stoke Report
Vinny 03 May 2009
Stoke City 0 West Ham United 1
A superb free kick from Diego Tristan was enough to give West Ham all three points at the Britannia Stadium as our campaign for the Europa League continues to progress.
This was a really top performance from our boys as we dug in and played our way out of trouble many times. Playing a team like Stoke City can be a real eye opener to the many aspects of playing football and how other teams and other set of supporters find a different way of playing the game in such a contrasting way to ourselves.
Stoke and West Ham appear to be opposites on everything football related and this shone throughout the game. Stoke could not play any type of passing football and when they attempted to do so it often fell apart which led to them pressing the long ball and of course the long throw game.
Even when the ball came into the area there was no clever flick header towards goal but just brute force like a Rugby team edging their scrum as far forward as possible. Whilst we dug in and our defence was fantastic, I felt the most wonderful thing about our performance is that we didn’t stop trying to play passing football.
Our football club are built on these traditions and although this may become tiresome to hear for some fans (maybe even our own), we must keep this tradition as long as we can for turning into a side like Stoke would surely lose the soul of what West Ham are.
This brings me to the Premiership’s bottom club West Bromwich Albion. Now although this may be drifting slightly off topic in talking about a team who had nothing to do with this game I think every team who attempt to play passing football should feel a certain amount of sympathy with the Baggies because this is what they have tried to do. Yes, they are bottom of the league are going down, but they have never attempted to play anything else but proper football.
Gianfranco Zola made just one change to the side which were beaten by Chelsea last weekend at Upton Park. In centre midfield Kieron Dyer was out injured once again and replaced by Radoslav Kovac.
The substitutes bench saw the welcome return of Jack Collison who has been out with an injury picked up in our last away victory at Wigan. Savio was missing from the bench so young striker Zavon Hines was in his place.
This was my first visit to the Britannia Stadium and it was a little different to what I had expected. I had (for some reason) imagined it to be a replica of all the other new age stadiums such as the Riverside, Ricoh Arena and the Madjeski but it had a little more uniqueness to it than that.
This is not to say that it was a nice looking stadium with the stand to the left of where we were situated being so far away from the pitch.
The first ten minutes flew by and we struggled to get involved in the game. Stoke had possession of the ball but got to a point near the half way line that they would have to knock the ball long. There only other outlet was former hammer of the year Matthew Etherington (who had received a good reception from the visiting support) but Lucas Neill even in those early stages looked to have the better of the inconsistent winger.
The atmosphere was electrifying inside the stadium and we have all had a moan this season about how quiet home support are and even though I had heard than Stoke were loud I was still surprised at the noise inside the Britannia.
Around the ten minute mark Stoke appeared to have taken the lead when a long throw from Rory Delap (be prepared to read this phrase a number of times) found Fuller who seemed to get there before Green and as the ball fell down the striker who had been sent off at Upton Park earlier in the season bundled the ball home with his knee only for referee Peter Walton to rule the goal out for a foul on Robert Green.
The Stoke fans were incensed and boo’s rang around the ground although as time passed it seemed that the boo’s and the whistling were not aimed at the ref but were aimed at our players for simply having possession of the ball much like they do on the continent.
With the amount of possession we would go on to have this faded out and Stoke were nearly silenced completely when we too had the ball in the back of the net only for the ref to rule it out.
I have seen this incident again and what confuses me is that it was either a goal or a penalty. The ball was played into Tristan by Lucas Neill and the Spaniard attempted to chest the ball through to Di Michele who shot past Sorenson from close range.
The ref ruled the goal out for a handball by Tristan but replays to me show quite clearly he was pushed in the process which should have seen the ref play advantage or give us a penalty. This for some reason has been picked up by no one but if you do get the chance, watch the replay again.
Despite Stoke’s attempted bombardment of our area we started to settle and get the ball out to the wingers Boa Morte and Stanislas with the former finding a lot of room and the apparent beating of his marker.
Trouble seemed to break out on the segregation between both sets of supporters and many police raced over to stop whatever was going on. I was sitting at the other side of the West Ham support so did not see what really went on.
As things started to heat up with the support we picked the perfect time to take the lead. A strong run from Noble saw a pass through which was intercepted by Faye but his touch was heavy and Di Michele took possession only to be chopped down by Faye and free kick from just outside the area was awarded.
Many of our players looked like they wanted to take the kick but it was left to Diego Tristan to superbly curl the ball over the wall and into the top corner.
A second should have followed soon after when an excellent counter attack saw Di Michele shoot just over the bar after he had been played in by a Stanislas back heel.
Fuller might have done better when he was played in on goal but his first touch was poor and Green was out to bravely smother the ball.
Just before the half time whistle there was an incident which should have resulted in the dismissal of Rory Delap. A loose ball saw both Delap and Boa Morte go in hard for the ball with Boa Morte catching Delap with his studs. It was a poor challenge from Boa Morte and he deserved to go into the book, but Delap in front of the ref kicked out at Boa Morte. Delap was only yellow carded when the laws of the game clearly state that it should have been a red.
The Stoke fans would be up in arms a few moments later when winger Liam Lawrence got the better of Upson and proceeded to go down in the area after a Kovac challenge. The Stoke fans cried for a penalty but the ref instead booked Lawrence for diving. Replays suggest that this was the correct decision.
The second half was a compelling affair as Stoke literally threw everything at us. We looked good on the counter attack but as the half wore on Stoke seemed to have that desire as we began to tire.
We showed our gritty side and led by Lucas Neill we dug in and came out winners every time. Neill himself had wound up the Stoke fans by demanded one of the towels from the ball boys that Rory Delap seems to get given every time. Neill was enjoying taking the piss of the Stoke fans who see no problem with this act that Delap does whenever he takes a throw.
We should have made life comfortable for ourselves when a great run from Neill saw his cut back find Stanislas who wastefully blasted over the bar.
Stoke had their best chance of the game from a corner which found Faye at the back post but his goal bound header was cleared off the line by Noble who had saved a certain goal.
With just under ten minutes to go the tireless Boa Morte was replaced by Jack Collison and not long after a long ball forward saw Tristan cleverly turn his marker and nod the ball in front of him for a clear run at goal but his flick over the keeper when agonisingly wide.
Five minutes of injury time were awarded (where from I do not know) although this became around seven minutes due to an injury to Kovac.
Despite the home sides ugly airborne attacks we held strong and came away with all three points.
Player Reviews
Robert Green
Continues to put in consistent performances and this another one of those. Made some brave saves and again in the air he was largely faultless.
Lucas Neill
My man of the match as he put in one of those performances you want to see from your captain. Much like Parker’s performance at Wigan, Neill kept us going at times and Etherington struggled to beat him all day. Top stuff.
Matthew Upson
I thought he struggled a bit in the first half and seemed to mis judge the flight of the ball on many occasions. Better in the second and needed to be as most of Stokes attacks found their way into the six yard box but Upson was often there to keep things out.
James Tomkins
That loan spell at Derby obviously did him the world of good because he looks a much tougher player. He doesn’t look it but he can really dig in and did all those things a defender needs to do. Brilliant stuff from the youngster.
Herita Ilunga
Up again Liam Lawrence the Stoke winger failed to get around Ilunga and often had to play the ball back. When he tried to simply bludgeon his way through Ilunga just stayed strong and didn’t dive in.
Luis Boa Morte
Another wonderful effort from Boa Morte. You need players like him away from home and without a player such as Scott Parker you need a midfielder to dig in a make challenges other would not attempt.
Mark Noble
A number of mis placed passes put a bit of a downer on his performance but I thought he did well and at times showed some great pieces of skill to himself out of tight areas. What I also liked is when out full backs were under pressure Noble would run into space and make an option available.
Radoslav Kovac
Her certainly put in a shift and worked right up until the end. He has no great ability on the ball but stood strong time and time again and was often there to stop any Stoke counter attack.
Junior Stanislas
Very pleased at how comfortable he looks in the side. Showing more sides to his ability with every game that goes by. Should have scored in the second half but this doesn’t take away from another bright performance.
David Di Michele
Better than in recent games although this is down to the amount of time he had on the ball when he received it which was considerably more than in the last couple of games. Was unlucky to have a goal chalked off in the first half.
Diego Tristan
Scored his second goal in three games and although the goal was outstanding his performance was very encouraging. He kept the ball well and played the right passes and the right time. Good stuff.
Subs Used
Jack Collison (on for Boa Morte 82 mins)
Did well in his short time on the pitch, made a few good interceptions and started counter attacks. Great to see him back.
Walter Lopez (on for Noble 87 mins)
But his point Noble was obviously knackered and this is why Lopez found himself on the pitch. Not much time for him to see much of the ball.
Freddie Sears (on for Di Michele 89 mins)
Hardly saw the ball.
Subs Not Used: Lastuvka, Spector, Payne, Hines.
Overall
Every game from now to end of the season is vital if we want to make 7th place but winning this gives us the advantage as we are still the ones who occupy that place. This was one of those games that we had to win and we have done just that.
This game for me will epitomise exactly what we have to do from now till the end of the season which is dig in, create chances and make sure we are taking at least one of them.
Today was also a victory for real football and not the anti football that Stoke City like to play. I hope they are found out next season and go back to where they came from. Their supporters are excellent but their team and the football they play could turn me off football if I had to watch that week in week out.
Next up is Liverpool and at this point I don’t care who we are playing. We need to win it and if we can create a good atmosphere at the Boleyn and work as hard as we did in this one we could do it.
The Feelings of Franco
"It was great result, In the first half we played with quality and we played some good football. The goal was an example of that.
"In the second half, we knew they were coming back and I knew it would be more difficult for us because you can't pretend to play the same level throughout the game. So we knew we had to concede something to them but even in those moments we never gave up and came out with the three points."
"Defensively we are very good and this was another display of that but we have been like that for a long time. I am delighted." He also paid tribute to the squad with Radoslav Kovac coming back in for his first start in the absence of Kieron Dyer, with a hamstring problem, and Jack Collison back on the bench for the unwell Savio.
"There is a fantastic atmosphere right now at the club - so everybody who comes in is committed, really has the desire to achieve and what can I say. I am delighted. With these conditions you can really achieve many things.
"We always give the players a focus and they know we are fighting for Europe. We want to get to that position so everybody is very much committed to not giving anything away and it is as simple as that. It is about the desire of the players, and the willingness to be there and competitive is making the difference.
"We are going to be competing to the end. We might make it, we might not but we are going to give it our best shot."
"We knew what the task was so we have been working on that. I think it is more the awareness and the desire to win that was the difference. We knew the way we prepare we could handle these situations. We just had to have confidence."
"I realise [Europe could be] a big task but I know also that I have so many young players and to play in Europe would be a big thing for them. It would improve them very much. I go for that way, although I know it would be difficult. Obviously I was dreaming to do a good job [this season] but I wasn't expecting to be like this. It has gone very well."
