Diego Tristan

Date of Birth : 5th January, 1976 Place of Birth : La Alpabay Signed : Loan (Livorno) Position : Forward Height : 6.1 Weight : 12.6 Appearances: 6 (8) Goals : 3 International Appearances : 14 (3)

KB: KUMB; HM Hammers Mad; ST Sunday Times; SE Sunday Express; SM Sunday Mirror; OB Observer;
DM Daily Mirror; GU Guardian; TM Times; HD Hammers Diary; SK Sky; DE Daily Express BC BBC

BBC Sport: A spectacular strike from Diego Tristan gave West Ham victory at Stoke. The former Deportivo la Coruna player struck just after the half-hour mark when he fired a 20-yard free-kick past keeper Thomas Sorensen. Stoke had chances to equalise, with Mark Noble clearing Abdoulaye Faye's header off the line and Robert Green blocking a Ricardo Fuller effort. The home side also had an appeal for a penalty turned down when Liam Lawrence fell to the ground in the first half... After the break, Lawrence had a goalbound shot blocked by Junior Stanislas, Noble cleared Faye's header off the line and Green saved at the feet of Fuller. Generally, however, the, West Ham defence, led by Matthew Upson, coped well with the danger from Stoke's set-pieces posed, in particular Delap's long throw-ins, which peppered the penalty area in the closing stages.

Sky Sports: Tony Pulis's side had an effort disallowed when striker Ricardo Fuller was adjudged to have fouled Robert Green before firing home. Minutes later David Di Michele netted at the other end, but it had already been disallowed due to a Tristan handball in the build-up. However West Ham made sure of the opener just after the half-hour when a foul from Abdoulaye Faye resulted in a freekick around 25 yards out. Tristan stepped up to convert as he curled his effort superbly into the top corner. Half-chances came and went for either side as late on Mark Noble headed Faye's looping effort off the line to ensure all three points stayed with the Hammers.

Hammers Mad: That was to prove a rare opportunity for the Hammers, whose blunt strike pairing of two, tiring 33-year-olds - in the shape of David Di Michele and Diego Tristan - failed to inflict any damage on John Terry and the rest of the visitors' defence... But, ironically, it was West Ham, who almost broke the deadlock, three minutes before the interval, when Tomkins nodded Noble's corner down for Tristan, whose weak goalbound prod was booted off the line by Mikel to keep it all-square at the break.

BBC Sport: Diego Tristan popped up five minutes from full-time to grab only his second goal in a West Ham shirt and snatch a barely deserved point at Aston Villa. Emile Heskey's early goal, bundled in after good work by James Milner, had looked like settling an absorbing tie. But Tristan flicked in Kieron Dyer's wayward shot late on to save West Ham.

Hammers Mad: They continued to create several good openings but the lack of real finishing power enabled West Ham to remain in contention... Villa's defence was at panic stations with only 12 minutes remaining as they failed dismally to clear their lines. Only another good save by Friedel from Luis Boa Morte kept their goal intact. But in the 84th minute Kieron Dyer's shot was instinctively headed home by Tristan to keep the storm clouds over Villa Park.

The Times: Chances had come and gone for both sides when Emile Heskey slid home his second goal for Villa from James Milner’s cross after ten minutes, so it was a surprise that a second goal did not arrive until five minutes from time when Diego Tristán, who had looked off the pace for 85 minutes, diverted in a shot by Kieron Dyer that was going wide. “He’s the only one who can play up there and has physical presence that can really occupy the attention of defenders,” Zola said. (Nick Szczepanik)

The Sunday Times: Zola’s priority for the future is in attack, where Diego Tristan is a shadow of his old self and David Di Michele insists on trying to do the hard thing when simplicity is the hallmark of the new West Ham.

BBC Sport: As a reward more for their defensive application than their adventurous spirit West Ham took the lead just before half-time. Noble ran 30 yards and fed Boa Morte, who replays later revealed to be offside, and the Portuguese in turn found Tristan in the box. The Spaniard's subsequent lay-off was curled expertly into the far bottom corner by the outside of Noble's right foot. (Phil Dawkes)

Hammers Mad: At the other end, West Ham wasted a two-on-one, as Tristan was also flagged offside, but the visitors didn't have to wait long for the opening goal. Noble started the move with a break down the right and, after Luis Boa Morte and Tristan had combined in the box, the ball was played back out to Noble, who stroked home his fifth of the season with the outside of his boot.