29th 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

BBC Sport: Sunderland had the bit between their teeth right from the off and Michael Chopra came close after four minutes when he skidded the ball across the face of the goal. West Ham gradually made their presence felt and Dean Ashton came very close to scoring five minutes later. Scott Parker picked out Ashton, waiting to pounce 20 yards out, but his right-footed drive clattered the post and bounced away to safety. The Londoners did not have to wait long for the breakthrough after a moment of hesitation in the Sunderland defence. Cole teed up Ljungberg with a pass from the right and the Swede's strike weaved its way into the net thanks to a slight deflection from Nyron Nosworthy.

KUMB: We start brightly enough and with about ten on the clock Cole wins the ball in midfield and feeds Parker who finds Ashton on the left-hand side of the box. Ashton opens up his bodyshape and hits a curving dipping shot that bothers the metalwork. A few minutes later we go one up, a Ljungberg shot taking a deflection after a Cole pass sets the Swede up. The opposition haven’t got much in the way of tactics and Spector and Ferdinand seem to be coping ok with the aerial threat of Jones. So it’s a surprise that Jones scores with his feet from a couple of yards out. It looks offside but the linesman who has had a shocker all day is unlikely to give it even if it were 10 yards off. The lino is the bloke who gave the infamous “not across the line” goal up at Blackburn last season and he has spent most of the afternoon trying to make up for it, most often by awarding corners when goal kicks were actually due. We still look the better side and the lead is nearly restored when Cole cuts in on the left and aims a curler at the top corner, Gordon pulls off a fine save and we go into the interval all square. (Graham Thrower, 31st March, 2008)

Hammers Mad: The Hammers though must have thought they had done enough to earn a share of the spoils in the face of adversity - having gone down to 10 men for the last five minutes when Freddie Ljungberg was stretchered off the field with a hamstring injury - the Londoners having already used all three of their substitutes. But really they can have few complaints despite starting the game the brighter of the two sides. The Hammers took the game to the hosts early on and were rewarded when Ljungberg latched onto Carlton Cole's flick and fired in from the edge of the area. The ball appeared to take a deflection off Sunderland defender Nyron Nosworthy to leave keeper Craig Gordon wrong-footed.

The Observer: It had started promisingly for West Ham, though, when uncertain defending allowed gave Carlton Cole enough space to play the ball back to Ljungberg whose low shot deflected off Nyron Nosworthy on its way past Craig Gordon. It represented West Ham's reward for an enterprising start that disturbed Keane. He said: "I could have played against Sunderland in the first 25 to 30 minutes because we were stepping off people. You can't do it at this level." The turning point came when Sunderland equalised in the 29th minute through Jones's sixth goal of the season as he turned in Kieran Richardson's cross from close range while West Ham looked for an offside decision. Curbishley said: "We started brightly and got the goal, but stopped playing from that moment." West Ham did create one more opportunity when Cole's 39th-minute shot was brilliantly turned over by the goalkeeper Craig Gordon, but the second half was dominated by Keane's players after they experienced the sort of interval that concentrates minds. The manager said: "The players were reminded of the position we are in. They reacted very well to some strong words." (John Wardle, 30th March 2008)

Daily Telegraph: Dean Ashton had already hit a post when West Ham took an 18th-minute lead. While the deflection Freddie Ljungberg's drive took off Nyron Nosworthy was unfortunate, any sympathy was mitigated by the shambolic defending that allowed the Swede so much time to line up his shot. Even after Jones had equalised, following a superb passing move orchestrated by Reid, it took a fingertip save from Craig Gordon to keep out a Carlton Cole curler. The second half could hardly have been more different. Alan Curbishley blamed his side's capitulation on fatigue and "a chronic injury list" - to which were added yesterday Ljungberg and George McCartney with hamstring strains, John Paintsil with concussion and Cole with a foot injury - but, equally, Sunderland were far crisper in the pass and sharper on the tackle. They struggled to create chances, but under Keane Sunderland have a habit of scoring late goals and, as the five minutes of added time stretched to six, there was still, as Keane said, always the thought there would be "one more chance". Reid's calm finish took to 11 - out of 33 - the total points they have accumulated this season with goals in the last 10 minutes of games. (Jonathan Wilson, 31st March, 2008)

Daily Mirror: Roy Keane has watched Sunderland claim an amazing 11 extra points thanks to last-gasp goals this season. The Ireland legend preaches that he wants a team to be a reflection of his own character, and that means raging against results that are not up to scratch right until the final whistle... West Ham boss Alan Curbishley, who lost Ljungberg to a hamstring tear that added to his his injury worries said: "Sunderland do not give in. "Their never-say-die attitude is a reflection of their manager and it is also a reflection of the players." (Simon Bird, 31st March 2008)

The Times: Having conceded a soft goal to Fredrik Ljungberg, Sunderland’s recovery was gradual. Kenwyne Jones secured the equaliser with a tap-in, but Daryl Murphy spurned an open net in the 81st minute. It typified West Ham’s injury record that Reid’s winner should arrive when Ljungberg was off the field, but Alan Curbishley said that he “couldn’t begrudge” Sunderland their win. “They don’t give in,” the West Ham manager said. Keane was delighted with Reid. “Andy enjoys a few drinks and a singsong, but I knew that mentally he’d be fine in front of our crowds,” he said. “Sir Alex Ferguson was always asking whether players could perform in front of 50,000 people and not many can. Some are in the comfort zone. But Andy loves his football.” (31st March, 2008)

The Guardian: West Ham have a long tradition of youth development with Anton Ferdinand ranking among their brightest academy graduates. Here, though, Ferdinand was too often disappointingly slapdash, his display at centre-half, during which he was at fault for Reid's winner, contrasting markedly with that of Sunderland's equally elegant but defensively far meaner Jonny Evans whose game was encapsulated by a vital, impeccably timed, first-half tackle on Dean Ashton. If Reid has inspired Keane's side in the final third, the signings of Evans - on loan - and Phil Bardsley from Manchester United in January have provided resilience. Indeed, their goal apart, West Ham, who, having used all three substitutes, were reduced to 10 men in the 87th minute when Ljungberg was carried off on a stretcher with a hamstring injury, barely threatened Craig Gordon's goal. Maybe Curbishley should ask Keane for some tips on delivering rousing half-time speeches. (Louise Taylor, 31st March 2008)

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