21st October, 2007

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

JS John Simkin BF Bishops Finger AY Andy BB Boleyn Boy GL Gary Loughran
BO Bobby HS Hambrosia Stu DU Dublin Iron PR Prophet

West Ham v Sunderland: Video Highlights

Sky Sports: West Ham replaced Noble and Etherington with Boa Morte and debut-making Solano in the 73rd minute and the pair combined for a goal four minutes later, an unlucky own goal for goalkeeper Gordon. Boa Morte's run down the left produced a deflected cross, with Solano, in acres of space at the far post moving in for the kill. The Peruvian's careful shot beat Gordon but came back off a post, hitting the keeper's legs before rolling in. Bellamy made sure for Hammers in injury time, finishing off another left-wing run by Boa Morte. (14th October, 2007)

BBC Sport: McCartney, facing his former club, was the architect of the first goal, chesting down a Hayden Mullins crossfield pass and sending in a teasing cross from the left flank. Cole had plenty to do, as the ball was behind him and angling away from goal, but he turned his body superbly to head into the top corner... But it was a substitution from Alan Curbishley that led to the winning goal, in the most unfortunate of circumstances for Sunderland. Solano replaced Noble and clinically pounced on a loose ball inside the area. As Gordon lay on the turf having seen the former Newcastle midfielder's cool effort come back off the woodwork, the ball connected with his outstretched right foot and rolled agonisingly into the net. Understandably the goal knocked the stuffing out of Sunderland and as they pressed in the dying moments, Luis Boa Morte broke down the left and crossed for Bellamy to flick home at the near post and give the scoreline an unfair reflection. (14th October, 2007)

Hammers Mad: Having gone off at the break trailing to just that solitary Cole goal, Roy Keane introduced both Chopra and Anthony Stokes for the restart, in a bid to get back into the contest. And within just six minutes, he saw his side get back on level terms, when Jones rose highest to meet Leadbitter's corner with a downward header that powered beyond the outstretched right hand of the sprawling Green. Incredibly, having got themselves on course for one point, Sunderland then went bravely looking for all three as they subjected West Ham to some tense exchanges. First Leadbitter let fly with a 20-yarder that Green brilliantly pushed onto his right-hand post and then the well-placed Noble hacked Etuhu's downward header off the line, before Jones nodded inches wide. With the Black Cats showing their claws, Curbishley made a double switch as Nobby Solano stepped from the bench make his debut alongside Luis Boa Morte. It proved an inspired choice. For on 77 minutes, the Eastenders enjoyed a huge slice of luck when those two fresh pairs of legs galvanised Hammers into a match-winning lead after Boa Morte's left-wing cross arrived at the feet of Solano, whose shot cannoned back off the base of Gordon's left-hand upright and back into the net off the grounded keeper's heel. That was tough on Sunderland, who endured further agony in stoppage time, when Bellamy drilled home Boa Morte's unselfish cut back to seal a welcome victory for West Ham. (14th October, 2007)

Daily Telegraph: A much-needed change of personnel brought a much-needed change of luck for West Ham United. When manager Alan Curbishley introduced substitutes Nolberto Solano and Luis Boa Morte for the last quarter of an hour, his decision was greeted by chants of 'you don't know what you're doing' by a section of the home support.... Enter Solano for his West Ham debut and Boa Morte, who has been out of favour since the opening day of the season. With less than 15 minutes to go, Craig Bellamy broke clear and fed Boa Morte on the left flank, and when the excellent Nyron Nosworthy failed to deal with his cut-back, Solano dispatched a crisp shot against the foot of a post. As the ball rebounded, it hit the trailing leg of the diving Gordon and found its way into the net. It was a heartbreaking, game-breaking moment for Sunderland. The goal settled West Ham players and supporters alike. Boa Morte combined smoothly with McCartney, and following their exchange of passes, the Frenchman crossed for Bellamy to poke in a flattering third goal. Boa Morte might even have added a fourth but for Gordon's defiance as West Ham clambered back into the top half of the Premier League table.

Daily Mirror: Inevitably, the swag was filched from under the Black Cats' whiskers by sub Nobby Solano, whose first touch as a West Ham player since his defection from Tyneside led to the own goal which put Hammers 2-1 up, criminally against the run of play. And when Craig Bellamy, another former resident of the Geordie Republic, sealed Sunderland's fate in injury time it lifted the Eastenders undeservedly into the top half of the Premier League. But Hammers boss Alan Curbishley's Icelandic paymasters are unlikely to be appeased by mid-table consolidation, and he was grateful for the reassurance of Carlton Cole's first goal since January. Former Sunderland defender George McCartney's deep cross, from near the left corner flag, took a deflection and Cole headed firmly beyond Craig Gordon after just eight minutes.... West Ham's back four were adrift in their own post code again when Leadbitter's rising left foot shot was brilliantly tipped against the woodwork by Robert Green. Both managers highlighted Green's save as a turning point, with Keane conceding: "Sometimes you can be critical of your own strikers when they miss chances, but you have to take your hat off the to keeper, it was an unbelievable save." West Ham were baled out again by Mark Noble's goal-line clearance from Dickson Etuhu's header, and the natives' simmering disquiet turned to open revolt when Curbishley replaced Noble and Matt Etherington in a double substitution with 16 minutes left. A refrain of that well-known Cockney hymn, You Don't Know What You're Doing, did the rounds - only for Curbishley's reshuffle to be vindicated by a spectacular fluke within four minutes. Sub Luis Boa Morte's low cross was allowed to reach Solano and his shot cannoned off a post, onto Gordon's heel and back into the net.... And in the first minute of stoppage time came the final twist of the knife, McCartney and Boa Morte combining for Bellamy to settle all arguments at the near post. What a rip-off. (Mike Walters, 15th October, 2007)

The Times: The same is not generally said about Carlton Cole but he had a good first half and softly headed in George McCartney’s deflected cross after nine minutes. But West Ham did not extend their lead and Sunderland were brighter after the break. Jones was a constant menace to the home defence and equalised early in the second half, heading in Grant Leadbitter’s corner. It was the cue for a long spell of Sunderland dominance and only a superb save from Robert Green, tipping a Leadbitter shot on to the post, prevented them from taking the lead. “A fantastic, unbelievable save,” Keane said. West Ham toiled. “Mark Noble had pie and mash before the game,” Alan Curbishley, the West Ham manager, said, referring to an interview last week that focused on the midfield player’s East End roots. “Perhaps he had two or three pies. He looked a bit leggy.” Curbishley did not shake up his side until the final 15 minutes, but it proved crucial. Nolberto Solano was signed in August but Curbishley had not deployed him until yesterday. It was a memorable debut. With 12 minutes left, Nyron Nosworthy failed to clear, the ball broke to the former Newcastle United winger on the right side of the area and his low drive evaded Craig Gordon’s dive, pinged off the post and out. But only as far as the prone body of Gordon. The ball rebounded off his foot and returned to the goal. “He’s been at the club for five weeks but four have been international breaks, he’s only trained five times,” Curbishley said. “He’s got a great first touch, he brings people into the game.” Great first touch is right: the shot that hit the post was the Peruvian’s first sight of the ball in West Ham colours. In injury time, as Sunderland left gaps, Luis Boa Morte pulled the ball back from the byline and Craig Bellamy nipped between two defenders to finish off the pass. There was still time for Gordon to make a fine save from Boa Morte when the substitute was clean through. Then the final whistle and warm applause from the home fans, a section of whom had chanted “you don’t know what you’re doing” at Curbishley 20 minutes earlier. The manager was entitled to a rueful smile about that afterwards. With his substitutions, he had made his own luck. (Tom Dart, 15th October, 2007)

The Guardian: Keane, though, changed his approach in the second half, giving Jones a partner in Michael Chopra and going to a midfield four, and the tide turned abruptly. Jones reached Leadbitter's corner before Matthew Upson to head down and past Green and three times Sunderland went close to fashioning a deserved lead. Leadbitter collected a flick from Jones and lashed a left-foot half-volley on goal only for Green to reinforce his reputation as a shot-stopper. He went right, got fingertips to the blast and heard his upright shudder. "It was a match-winning save," said Alan Curbishley, the West Ham manager, but Sunderland were not finished. Dickson Etuhu had a header from a corner hacked to safety by Mark Noble on the line and Jones was narrowly off target from Greg Halford's whipped centre. Sunderland's first Premier League win in London since March 2001 looked on the cards. Curbishley made a double substitution, sending on Solano and Boa Morte to cries of 'You don't know what you're doing' from the home support but, within four minutes, there was vindication for him, as the substitutes combined, and heartbreak for Gordon and Sunderland. "I got a bit of stick but I had to shake it up," said Curbishley. "They were in the ascendancy. We were holding on." After Bellamy's goal Boa Morte could even have added a fourth, when one on one with Gordon. That, though, would have been too much..

.

.