West Ham United – Blackburn Rovers

1. West Ham take on Blackburn at Upton Park looking to arrest their worst run of defeats for over seventy years. Those seeking to blame their new Argentinian acquistions for this bizarre loss of form will have to search elsewhere for excuses today. Tevez misses out and Mascherano starts on the bench.

2. Their visitors are without popular man of the people Robbie Savage but, aside from last week's defeat to Bolton, Rovers have been on a strong run of form recently. They will fancy their chances today and will be looking to Benni McCarthy to add to his four Premiership goals.

3. Alan Pardew salutes the Upton Park faithful and he will be hoping they are as generous in their applause at the end of this game. West Ham get us underway.

4. A fine tackle from Spector concedes a corner in the first minute.

5. 1'

   Khizanishvili's header from the corner drifts harmlessly over.

6. 2'

   Reo-Coker's clever ball over the top is irrelevant because Etherington is offside.

7. 3'

   'I'm forever blowing bubbles' echoes around Upton Park. I'm forever blowing Premiership matches would be a more accurate description of the Hammers season so far.

8. 5'

   Etherington crosses in a ball but Blackburn are able to get it away. West Ham have looked feisty and sharp in the tackle so far and look as if they have a point to prove. Which they do.

9. 7'

   Benayoun attempts a through ball towards Zamora but over-hits the pass.

10. 8'

    McCartney wins a corner for West Ham and it will be taken by Benayoun. When it is, Zamora opts to head from a tight angle when he should have hit it back across goal.

11. 9'

    Good play from McCarthy and eventually West Ham are forced to concede a corner on the right. When the ball comes in from Blackburn it is cleared by the Hammers.

12. 10'

    McCarthy wins a free-kick twenty-five yards from the West Ham goal.

13. 11'

    When it is taken, McCarthy smashes the ball in to Anton Ferdinand before hitting the rebound well wide.

14. 12'

    Benayoun tracks back to cover Michael Gray whose cross from the left is blocked for a corner. The corner is wasted though and Blackburn now have to make do with a throw-in.

15. 14'

    Etherington delivers a great cross in to Zamora who again takes the wrong option with his head and can't find his man. Blackburn clear.

16. 15'

    Again Zamora mis-directs a header but the ball does break to Mullins whose shot is on target but straight at Friedel.

17. 16'

    Fantastic play from Sheringham to set up Etherington who is urged forward by the crowd. He floats an inviting cross in but there is no-one in claret to meet it.

18. 17'

    Blackburn put a bit of pressure on West Ham and Bentley is eventually crowded out by the Hammers defence.

19. 18'

    Zamora cuts a ball back to Sheringham who helps it on to Etherington. He can't get a shot in though and West Ham have a throw. From this, Reo-Coker has to check before hitting a shot from the edge of the box. It goes wide, but West Ham are looking good for a goal here.

20. 20'

    GOAL - A wonderful piece of team play from West Ham. Zamora gets it back to Benayoun after a big punt up the park from Green. Benayoun hits a delightful cross in from the right and it is flighted perfectly to meet the head of Teddy Sheringham. The veteran striker knows what to do in this situation and arrows home a header from ten yards. A deserved lead and Upton Park erupts.

21. 22'

    Robert Green comes to take a cross from Peter. Now West Ham counter-attack and they are looking to feed Etherington when they can.

22. 24'

    Mokoena hits an 'ambitious' effort well over the bar from thirty yards.

23. 25'

    Ferdinand does well to get back and sweep up the danger as a ball is played over the top of the West Ham defence.

24. 26'

    Great tackle from Spector on Roberts but the Blackburn man is suffering a bit after that. The physio comes on to have a look but the challenge seemed 'firm but fair'.

25. 27'

    Roberts has to come off and the well-travelled Francis Jeffers is now on.

26. 29'

    Good tackle from Neil as it looked like Etherington had escaped down the left wing.

27. 30'

    Sheringham wins a free-kick and it will be taken by Benayoun. He squares it to McCartney but a nervous West Ham then play it back to Green.

28. 31'

    Good run from Ooijer who finds McCarthy. He gets it out to Bentley but over-hits the pass and Bentley can not deliver a telling cross.

29. 33'

    Spector shows intelligent play to shepherd a ball back to Green when Gray was lurking behind him

30. 34'

    Benayoun shows great determination and skill battling for the ball. Now Zamora leads the charge but he is tackled firmly by Ooijer who then clatters in to Etherington.

31. 36'

    Good work between Mullins and McCartney who combine to win West Ham a corner.

32. 36'

    Friedel arrives to pluck the ball from the air when the corner comes over.

33. 37'

    Blackburn have a throw deep in Hammers territory. Bethnal Green way in fact. West Ham are able to get the ball away though and launch an attack of their own. Spector's ball in to the box is then headed away by Gray.

34. 39'

    Jeffers wins a free-kick about thirty-five yards from the West Ham goal. Green directs his wall in to place.

35. 39'

    Bentley goes for a curler but his attempt is way off target.

36. 40'

    Benayoun twists and turns looking for an opening. Blackburn defend well though and there is no way through for the Hammers. They come again with a ball over the top from Gabbidon but it goes back to Friedel.

37. 42'

    Sheringham and Zamora show great understanding to execute a one-two but the ex-Brighton man is just offside.

38. 42'

    McCartney's low ball in is cleared by Ooijer.

39. 43'

    Benayoun does brilliantly to find Reo-Coker and he is stopped only by a fine tackle from Mokoena when the West Ham man looked as if he wanted to pull the trigger.

40. 45'

    Bentley is brought down by McCartney on the edge of the West Ham penalty area.

41. 45'

    This time Peter takes it and goes for the top corner. Green looked as if he got a fingertip to it but the ref disagrees.

42. 47'

    Peter wins a corner but will they have time to take it?

43. 47'

    Yes - but it is poor and now the ref blows for...

44. 47'

    HALF TIME: West Ham are worthy of their lead and look in the mood. Etherington and Benayoun are constantly threatening on the flanks and with Zamora and Sheringham linking well they should really capatalise on their dominance. That they have not will only encourage a Blackburn team who have threatened in flashes and who are still very much in this.

45. 45'

    Blackburn re-start the game and the news on Jason Roberts is that he has been taken to hospital.

46. 46'

    Bentley and McCarthy work it well and the ball eventually finds Jeffers. He has to rush his shot though as he has three West Ham men on to him and they do enough to put him off.

47. 47'

    Good interception from Neill as Reo-Coker was looking to start a West Ham attack.

48. 48'

    Blackburn have a corner which is defended well by Ferdinand.

49. 48'

    Blackburn retain possessin very well but they are going nowhere. West Ham are back in numbers and their harangue Blackburn in to conceding the ball to them.

50. 51'

    Reo-Coker tried to find Sheringham with a through ball but it was deflected and ended up closer to Zamora who was not alive to the situation.

51. 52'

    Spector fails to keep a simple pass in play and Blackburn have the throw. From this Jeffers can only go backwards before the ball gets up to McCarthy. His shot is low and hard but too close to Green who claims it easily.

52. 53'

    Blackburn are having the better of things so far in this half and West Ham are having to chase. A great turn from McCarthy leads to Bentley firing in a cross. West Ham are forced to scamper back to clear the ball for a throw. The Hammers look a bit shaky.

53. 54'

    Neill does well to head back to Friedel when Etherington was poised to nip in.

54. 55'

    The West Ham crowd seem a bit restless and are quick to complain about any missed passes or mistakes. There was another one there when McCarthy was able to get away from Ferdinand as he slipped but the striker is judged to be offside.

55. 57'

    Peter and Spector are involved in bit of a tussle and Peter is somewhat harshly booked when he wins the ball.

56. 59'

    Spector is ruled to have fouled McCarthy and a free-kick is to be taken by Bentley. It is too high though and Green is able to take it easily.

57. 61'

    Some nice build-up play from the Hammers but when Etherington's ball comes in there are no strikers in the box to meet his pass.

58. 62'

    West Ham are kcocking the ball around with more confidence now but Sheringham, at first doing well to beat his man, is unable to find a West Ham man with his cutback.

59. 65'

    Jeffers loses out to Gabbidon and Rovers have a throw.

60. 66'

    Marlon Harewood is warming up and a change looks as it is imminent.

61. 66'

    Peter makes the best of a mis-placed pass from Tugay but his cross in to the West Ham six-yard box is cleared by the home team.

62. 67'

    Peter is being booed following his booking but he has won a corner.

63. 68'

    When it comes in, Khizanishvili is totally unmarked but unable to direct his header on target.

64. 69'

    Now West Ham have a corner. Benayoun takes it but, after a bit of a scramble, Blackburn can clear.

65. 70'

    Some good play down the right by Spector but he cannot follow up with a cross to match. Still, West Ham have a throw and are threatening...until Zamora's cross/shot/thing goes wide.

66. 72'

    Gray does well to win a couple of tackles and tries to get an attack going down the left. He can't and West Ham switch the ball out to the right before Tugay does well to break up their move.

67. 73'

    McCarhty stays onside and his cross is hit behind for a corner.

68. 73'

    From this, Greem makes a wonderful instictive save from a Neill effort from close range. The ball goes straight up the other end and Zamora, one-on-one with Friedel, can't put the ball away. Blackburn then come back up the field and have another corner. A breathless passage of play.

69. 74'

    Rovers corner is dealt with and they try to build again. Mullins does well to block their way.

70. 75'

    Reo-Coker is well challenged by Neill and now West Ham manage to break. Sheringham tries a shot but it is a tired effort and, indeed, is his last contribution today. Marlon Harewood replaces him.

71. 77'

    Bentley looks to be limping but play goes on. Green does well to deal with a dangerous ball in. At the other end, Harewood's ball to Zamora is not controlled by the West Ham man and they are lucky to get a corner.

72. 78'

    GOAL - From the corner Mullins has won the points for West Ham. The ball is hit in to the near post and, from four yards, Mullins blasts home his first Premiership goal. Bowyer immediately comes on for Benayoun. West Ham will shut up shop now.

73. 81'

    Mark Hughes does not look happy with the corner that led to the goal and he has every reason not to be.

74. 82'

    Bowyer, perhaps showing West Ham's intent, has hit a seventy yard pass-back.

75. 83'

    Harewood shows zest to win a ball and get the ball over to Etherington who wins a free-kick.

76. 84'

    At the other end Jeffers wins a corner from a deflected shot. West Ham head it away for a corner.

77. 86'

    Etherington hits a great cross in and Friedel does well to get a hand to it to get it away.

78. 87'

    Ethrington shows great pace at this stage of the game to get to a ball but Neill is wily enough to win the ball back once the West Ham player gets to it.

79. 88'

    A tame shot from Bentley bobbles into Green's waiting arms.

80. 89'

    McCartney comes off and Christian Dailly runs out for the last minute.

81. 90'

    Reo-Coker bursts from midfield but back-tracks. West Ham just need to keep possession now.

82. 90'

    GOAL - A wonderful turn and shot from McCarthy from outside the area is well saved from Green but he can't hold on to it and Bentley pounces to pull one back. Too little too late?

83. 90'

    Whistles are quite literally whistling around Upton Park but they nearly turn to groans as Jeffers header goes just over Green's crossbar.

84. 90'

    FULL-TIME - West Ham fans can breathe once more. They have the points and their first win since the opening day of the season. A deserved win but they made things hard for themselves. West Ham now move up to sixteenth place.

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