It's off to the Clyde Best Meze, where Nigel has leaked details of a meeting in Gavin Williamson style, only to fail to arrive as Matt and Michael discuss the recent Blancmange gig. Eventually a tardy Nigel arrives to order a bacon sandwich and surprisingly confess that he is not a fan of '80s synth duos.
Meanwhile Matt is flourishing his Women's FA Cup Final ticket and plans to leave the game early to get to Wem-ber-ley. His day gets off to a good start as we all fail his trivia test — unable to identify the former Hammers and England striker currently playing in Scotland. The rather obvious answer is Jermain Defoe. Matt also knows that Anton Ferdinand is playing for St Mirren reserves.
We head off to join Fraser, Alison and Scott at the London Stadium for the last time this season as a chill wind bites in Stratford. Anderson and Rice are unwell, but thankfully Southampton have rested Redmond and Ward-Prowse and play like a team grateful to have ensured survival.
Lemina gifts a pass straight to Noble, who plays a fine through ball to Arnautovic. The big Austrian slots home for his first goal since January, which should help continue his Hammers rehabilitation. The restored Fraser Forster has to make good stops to deny Lanzini and Antonio as West Ham dominate the half and the improved Masuaku causes problems with his runs.
CLARET AND BLUE ARNIE
But it's a changed game after break as Redmond comes on and immediately causes trouble with his runs behind the WHU defence. Fabianski has to make an acrobatic save to tip over Redmond's volley and a fair-ish shoulder charge in the box by Fredericks prevents another chance.
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| Celebrating Ryan Fredericks' goal |
For once West Ham are clinical though. On 69 minutes Fredericks overlaps and gets in a cross that is cleared out to the left. Arthur Masuaku powers into the space and Forster can only palm his cross into Arnautovic. The ball loops up in the air and Arnie heads home.
Three minutes later the Irons score a third. Sub Jack Wilshere plays a nice back heel into Fredericks who surges into the box and fires low into the net. A deserved goal for his better performances of late. Alison wonders if there's something wrong with the Matrix after two goals in three minutes.
Matt leaves for Wembley as Arnautovic looks motivated to get a hat-trick and is unlucky to curl an effort just wide after being set up by sub Perez. We even get to see Carlos Sanchez return. So it's two wins in a row and we're unbeaten since the carpet made its debut. It's been the most productive season at the London Stadium so far.
WE'RE ALL GOING ON A SUMMER HOLIDAY
There's a rather sparsely-attended lap of honour after the game, where we get to see Nobes with his mini-me son and even Andy Carroll. Nigel, Michael and myself head off to the Refreshment Rooms. There's a brief discussion of whether Nigel is a sexist dinosaur for failing to organise a women's FA Cup Final breakfast in Kew — though he's positively woke compared to the man at the bar whom Michael overhears saying, "a proper fan wouldn't miss today's game to watch the birds!"
We watch the match at Wembley on the pub TV with a pint of London Stout for myself (Blue Moon would be a hostage to fortune, points out Michael) and the Hammers give it a real go in the first half, with City keeper Karen Bardsley making a brilliant save from Jane Ross's header. Sadly a goalkeeping error from Anna Moorhouse results in City taking the lead with a deflected shot in the second half, and two late goals follow. But a Cup Final is still good progress for WHU's first professional season.
As for the men's game, it's been strange not to be involved in a relegation struggle, which is progress I guess. The season has had its memorable moments, most notably beating Man United and Arsenal and winning at Spurs. Plus some great goals from Anderson and a couple of thrillers against Burnley and Huddersfield, marred by many forgettable away defeats. Then again, big players like Lanzini and Yarmolenko have missed large chunks of the season and you just hope that with some clever signings West Ham might have a go at Europe next time. Come on you Irons!
PLAYER RATINGS: Fabianski 6; Fredericks 7, Diop 6, Balbuena 6, Masuaku 7; Diangana 5 (Wilshere 6), Noble 7 (Sanchez 5), Obiang 6, Lanzini 6 (Perez 5); Antonio 6, Arnautovic 8.
2 comments:
Lap of "appreciation" surely?! Nice to see Adrian wave a proper goodbye as well
Yes, Adrian has been a good servant and deserves to be first choice somewhere - though Fabianski has been a definite upgrade. Think we'll see a lot of players leave this summer.
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