There's flames and fireworks before kick-off, accompanied by Led Zeppelin's Kashmir as the pre-match entertainment hypes things up. Then on comes a walking Antonio to rousing applause, cut short by a premature playing of Bubbles as a giant Antonio flag is draped across the Bobby Moore Stand. A good moment. Micky will surely be back and having seen off Haller, Scamacca and Fullkrug will probably still be up front at 45. I'm joined by Nigel, Michael and Big Sam hoping we'll take goals to a weakened Newcastle, who have the League Cup Final to play on Sunday.
An unchanged West Ham start the game with a burst of energy, as Kudus crosses from the left, Livramento miscues and Soucek shoots over with a great chance. A loose ball picked up by Ward-Prowse and then Kudus sets up Bowen for a chance he passes straight to Pope. But Newcastle improve and start to look the stronger side. Areola has to react really quickly to save Barnes' flick and then has to parry the same player's header around the post.
Kudus fires a long-range effort straight at Pope and then hesitates and allows Trippier to tackle when through as an entertaining first half ends goalless.
Without the restraining influence of Lisa Matt has been mainlining statistics, producing a book of strange football facts at half time. He reveals that Aston Villa's Chris Nicholl once scored all four goals in a 2-2 draw with Leicester, two of them own goals. And that Joe Payne scored ten goals in a game for Luton against Bristol Rovers in 1936 but then only scored six in ten games with West Ham. Matt is particularly pleased with the information that the referee for the 1878 FA Cup was one Segar Bastard of Upton Park. We return comfortably numbed to our seats.
Kudus has a hopeful penalty shout turned down early in the second half. Newcastle look fully committed despite their cup final and start to look the more likely to score. Areola has to produce a brilliant tip over to prevent Kilman scoring a looping own goal.
WHEN PUSH COMES TO SHOVE
On 63 minutes Newcastle score. Barnes's cross is deflected straight back to him and he crosses into the box again. Isak has done a crafty push on Kilman making him miss the ball and Guimaraes gets ahead of Scarles to score. Despite the West Ham protests ref Michael Salisbury (no relation to Segar Bastard) allows it.
Potter brings on Paqueta, Soler and the Greek Bloke. The midfield of Ward-Prowse, Alvaraz and Soucek has worked hard but lacked imagination. Paqueta suddenly provides some spark as his dink over the defence plays in Bowen, who claims a penalty after he's pushed to the ground.
Pope goes down with an 'injury' as the Toon try to kill the game. On come Ferguson and Danny Ings as the crowd do their best to rally the team. To be the fair the Hammers give it a go although all we seem to do is pump balls at Schar and Burn.
"Slow it down lads, why don't you?" When Mavropanos plays a great crossfield ball into touch it's too much for Matt, who is already despairing at the efforts of Ferguson and Soler and the laboured build-up. At this point Nigel is messaging Lisa suggesting she book that couples wellness retreat in San Francisco.
Newcastle see out the game and it's a narrow home defeat, although at times we've looked half-decent against a quality side. At the end Nigel reveals that he's forgotten to eat his lucky banana, which might have been our problem.
It's not happening for Mo Kudus though and the time has probably come to ditch the five at the back and give Ferguson a game. Should Summerville and Fullkrug ever be fit that might help, though the season is petering out as we battle for 16th place.
We head to Stratford Broadway, trying a new pub, the Queen's Head. Bizarrely we're asked to produce proof of identity before entering as presumably we all look underage. There's Brixton Pale and it's not too bad if only they turned the music down. At 11 we're chucked out and Matt and Michael head off to the Goldengrove, named after a Gerald Manley Hopkins poem. Matt is moved to state that GMH was probably a Hammer writing, "And yet you will weep and know why."
All in all a professional performance from Newcastle and proof that Potter has some way to go to mould the side into top half contenders.
PLAYER RATINGS: Areola 8; Wan-Bissaka 6, Kilman 7, Todibo 6 (Mavropanos 6), Cresswell 6 (Ferguson 5), Scarles 6; Ward-Prowse 7 (Ings n/a), Alvarez 6 (Soler 5), Soucek 5 (Paqueta 5); Kudus 6, Bowen 6.
No comments:
Post a Comment