30/12/06: West Ham 0 City 1Updated: October 3rd, 2007
Our first back-to-back wins for 14 months, the first victory at West Ham since 1991 and DaMarcus Beasley’s first ever goal in England.
Talk of formations becomes a bit irrelevant in games like these. This was ten men behind the ball and one up front - and it worked for the second game running.
The fact we’ve won 26 points with a strike-force who can’t score speaks volumes about our defence, and our ability to battle. But when your strikers aren’t scoring, narrow scrapping victories can soon turn to narrow defeats.
With the transfer window now open, a proven goal-poacher is an absolute must if we’re to secure a respectable finish.
~ Pearce’s post-match interview
~ Getty Images photos
~ Latest Premiership table
Match stats
The stats (below) are compiled from the live commentary and differ slightly from Sky’s stats:
Match reports
West Ham 0 Manchester City 1 (MEN)
Substitute DaMarcus Beasley fired in the only goal of the game with seven minutes remaining with a run and finish far superior to anything which happened before or after.
Beasley delivers late blow to stun wasteful Hammers (Sunday Times)
Each team might partly be excused for the mediocrity, the sheer lack of penetration and excitement on the grounds that several key players were missing.
Beasley breaks the Hammers’ hearts (Independent)
Pearce claimed that such were his limited resources that he had had an outfield shirt printed for one of his goalkeepers while Micah Richards, a target for Chelsea of course, showed his precocious versatility by being pushed into central midfield. He acquitted himself well but, in truth, was faced with opponents utterly devoid of confidence.
Beasley heaps more pressure on Hammers (Observer)
The good, the bad and the ugly is how Alan Curbishley described his first two weeks at West Ham. And this defeat at home to Manchester City made it just that bit uglier: the last time City won at Upton Park, in 1991, West Ham were relegated.
West Ham 0 Man City 1 (Sunday Mirror)
City’s five-man midfield - including England starlet Micah Richards - scrapped for their lives.
And delighted boss Pearce said: “We have found a steely resilience that has made all the difference in the last few games.
West Ham’s unhappy holiday continues with Beasley strike (Telegraph)
West Ham could do a lot worse than take a leaf out of City’s book in terms of fierce determination and an unquenchable spirit. Not pretty but effective. In other words, a classic Pearce attitude.
Season-on-season table
City pick up three points and move up one place in the the season-on-season table, which compares results to the corresponding fixtures from last year.
(Results against last season’s relegated clubs - Sunderland, West Brom and Birmingham - are compared to Sheff Utd, Watford and Reading respectively)
Here are the next three league fixtures with the results from last season:
(H) Mon Jan 1: Everton (won 2-0)
(A) Sat Jan 13: Bolton (lost 2-0)
(H) Sat Jan 20: Blackburn (drew 0-0)
Player ratings
Ratings come from (in order): MEN, Sunday Times, Sunday Mirror, Sky and Sky Your Rating.
Weaver: 6, 6, 6, 8. 8.1 (av: 6.8)
Hardly troubled in the shot department and his handling in wet and windy conditions was exemplary. (MEN)
Onuoha: 7, 7, 6, 6, 6.9 (av: 6.6)
Back to back solid performances the youngster who has slotted back into the Premiership like a dream. (MEN)
Dunne: 7, 7, 6, 7, 7.8 (av: 7.0)
Solid as a rock with plenty of interceptions both in the air and on the ground. Led from the front. (MEN)
Distin: 7, 7, 6, 7, 7.4 (av: 6.9)
Switch back into defence didn’t bother him one jot in what was another mature, disciplined display. (MEN)
Jordan: 6, 6, 5, 6, 6.3 (av: 5.9)
ine return for the defender who dealt manfully with what the Hammers could muster on the right. (MEN)
Trabelsi: 6, 6, 6, 6, 7.1 (av: 6.2)
Best effort for a couple of weeks from the former Ajax man who was busy in attack and defence. (MEN)
Ireland (Beasley 65): 6, 5, 5, 5, 6.6 (av: 5.5)
Looked classy again in the first half before being sacrificed in second half tactical change. (MEN)
Dabo: 7, 6, 6, 6, 7.2 (av: 6.4)
Sometimes prone to giving ball away in dangerous areas but plusses easily outweighed the negatives. (MEN)
Richards: 6, 6, 6, 7, 8.0 (av: 6.6)
Not his best position by a long way but needs must and he played his part in vital win.
Vassell (Miller 87): 6, 6, 7, 6, 7.3 (av: 6.5)
Worked so hard defending from the front that he was shattered when taken off near end. (MEN)
Corradi (Samaras 70): 5, 5, 4, 5, 5.8 (av: 5.0)
Better than he was at Bramall Lane but still failing to fire and taken off in second half. (MEN)
Subs:
Beasley (Ireland 65): 7, 7, 7, 7, 9.0 (av: 7.4)
Cracking solo goal showed his potential. (MEN)
Samaras (Corradi 70 ): 6, 6, 5, 6, 6.5 (av: 5.9)
Put himself about harassing defenders. (MEN)
Miller (Vassell 87):
Subs not used:
Isaksson, Thatcher, Miller