15th March, 2008

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

Sky Sports: Bentley spread the ball wide to Pedersen, who had plenty of room down the left flank. Santa Cruz was unmarked in the penalty area and headed past Green when Pedersen found him for his 16th of the season. The goal woke West Ham up and they tried for an immediate reply, with Friedel needed to tip an Ashton header around the post when Zamora found his strike partner with a cross from the left. Friedel also tipped over the crossbar from Nolberto Solano's 30-yard free-kick before the break. The hosts were then rewarded for their efforts six minute before the interval as Green helped set up the equaliser with a long free-kick. Zamora flicked on with his head, Ashton spun around Samba before lofting his finish over Friedel and in.

BBC Sport: Prior to the goal, the Hammers looked the more likely to score with Ashton guilty of fluffing up his lines on a couple of occasions. His first chance came from a wicked Nolberto Solano free-kick that he failed to connect with inside the six-yard area and the second from Bobby Zamora's right-wing delivery that was headed wide from close range. However five minutes before half-time Ashton cannily flicked the ball round a static Christopher Samba, before sidefooting his shot past the American Friedel from 10 yards. Upton Park has not been a happy hunting ground for Blackburn this century - they have lost their last seven matches at the Boleyn Ground. The visitors had a great chance to end their hoodoo but Pedersen fired wildly over after finding himself free, eight yards out. He and his team were left to rue the miss when club-prodigy Sears, who had been on for about five minutes, met Ashton's square ball and fired in a shot that Friedel could only push back into the path of the grateful striker. His celebration was almost as good as the youngster crossed his arms to symbolise the Hammers' badge. (Saj Chowdhury, 15th March, 2008)

Hammers Mad: Buoyed by their equaliser, West Ham emerged for the restart in determined mood and, after Zamora had unleashed a low, angled 15-yarder across the face of goal, Friedel denied Ashton a second with a full-length save. In reply, Pedersen wastefully launched the ball high over with the goal at his mercy before Hughes introduced Matt Derbyshire in place of Dunn. But with ten minutes remaining, it was Curbishley's double introduction of Mark Noble and Sears that was destined to have the more dramatic impact. Indeed, within just five frenetic minutes of his arrival, supporting super sub Sears entered East End legend, when he raced onto Ashton's clever back-heel and unleashed a low shot that Friedel could only palm skywards. And with the Rovers keeper groping the Upton Park turf, the diving teenager hurled himself at the looping ball to give West Ham victory with a dream debut goal.

Sunday Times: Freddie Sears, an 18-year-old home-grown striker, came off the bench to record the most glorious debut for West Ham, scoring the winning goal to bring to an end a sorry sequence of heavy defeats. The England Under-19 international was cheered to the rafters at the end of a week in which he signed a new deal, but his storybook contribution might not have mattered had Dean Ashton not performed such a pivotal role. With his team reacting nervously to going behind to a Roque Santa Cruz header, his 16th goal of the season, the 24-year-old West Ham striker became the focal point of their gritty come-back. His work ethic, physical presence and well-honed technique proved inspirational as he scored an impressive equalising goal six minutes before the interval, before setting up Sears with nine minutes remaining. Ashton held off Blackburn defender Zurab Khizanishvili and played a clever backheeled pass into the path of Sears whose youthful sense of destiny accounted for the rest. Brad Friedel, the Blackburn goalkeeper, dived to his right to save the teenager’s first-time shot but Sears followed in and headed home the rebound. The relief made for an intoxicating cocktail and the tedium which characterised much of the game was instantly forgotten. “Freddie’s just walking around the dressing room with a great big smile on his face, saying nothing, but he’s given everybody a lift,” said Alan Curbishley, the West Ham manager, who was under pressure after three consecutive 4-0 defeats... “I was 17 when I scored in my second game for West Ham, here against Newcastle,” Curbishley reminisced. “John Lyall, the manager, asked Frank Lampard Sr to drive me home because he didn’t want me to go home on the bus, which was how I came. Times have changed. No doubt Freddie will be going home in a Hummer.” (Brian Doogan, 16th March, 2008)

KUMB: Lucas Neill was playing a captain's role, with the crowd, encouraging his team mates to break down the centre, and joining the attack. However, his presence in the firing line left a gaping hole down the right channel, and coupled with the balance of the play, heavily in Blackburn's favour, it was no great surprise when Rovers took the lead through Santa Cruz from a Pedersen cross, on 18 minutes. Chants of 'we're gonna lose 4-0' were clearly audible in the home end. That goal seemed to shake the Irons up, and they started to push forward with real conviction this time. However, the killer pass was always somewhat lacking, and Ljungberg didn't seem to be posing any threat to the Blackburn rearguard. An over-zealous referee, often pulling up the play for incidents of minor contact, didn't really help either. Despite this, we kept pressing, gradually having more of the play, eventually getting our reward when Ashton was put through by Parker to round Friedel and slot home his sixth league goal of the season with five minutes to go till half time. For the first time since the January 29 defeat of Liverpool, the crowd didn't boo as the Hammers went in at half time. (Alex Shilling, 17th March, 2008)

Daily Mirror: Sears, who has scored 25 goals in 24 reserve and youthteam games this season, made the Premier League look easy. In a flat opening period, Roque Santa Cruz gave Blackburn a 19th-minute lead on a fine counter-attack to push West Ham a step closer to crisis after three crushing defeats. But Dean Ashton levelled before the break with his first goal in nine games - causing David Dunn to angrily confront Ashton's marker Christopher Samba. And the £7.5m striker looked back to his best in the final 15 minutes when Sears joined him up front. It was Ashton's back-heel six minutes later which sent Sears through on goal and after his first shot was saved by Brad Friedel, he nodded home the rebound. Nobody does home-grown heroes like West Ham, and Geoff Hurst and Trevor Brooking were at Upton Park to witness the latest. Hammers fans have become accustomed over the years to seeing the young jewels sold off to balance the books. But boss Alan Curbishley, who scored in his second game for West Ham back in 1975 after arriving at the ground on the bus, insisted times have changed. "I understand players have left here in the past but I think perhaps it was a different situation then," he said. "Last summer was the first time for a while that we have invested as opposed to letting players leave. It was a shift in policy. Suddenly, players weren't going out to pay for the players coming in. Since I've been here that hasn't been a threat and every indication I have is that we want to push forward." (Neil Mcleman, 17th March, 2008)

The Times: He’s only just started training with us, but he’s been scoring goals in the youth team and reserves,” Noble, the 20-year-old midfield player, said. “I hope he keeps his feet on the floor and keeps working hard. The future’s bright – we have just got to nurture him. His greatest asset is his goalscoring ability. He shoots from anywhere. Even with a half-chance he will shoot. I told him, ‘I’ve been exactly where you are now, mate, go out and enjoy it. Celebrate with your family or do whatever you do. But come ready for work on Monday.’ ” Anton Ferdinand said: “He is special. Even though it was his first game, there were no nerves. I’ve always said when home-grown players come on the pitch it lifts the crowd. He’s a grounded lad, born and bred in this area, and he has a lot to offer this club. I know what it is like to come through here. There is a lot of pressure on youngsters because everybody expects them to be a lot better than they actually might be.” (Tom Dart, 17th March, 2008).

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