West Ham v Hull City: Premier League – as it happened
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http://www.theguardian.com/football/live/2015/jan/18/west-ham-v-hull-city-premier-league-live Version 0 of 1. 3.23pm GMT15:23 Full-time: West Ham United 3-0 Hull City “The archetypal game of two halves”, said no one, hopefully, but it was. And, in the end, the difference was the confidence and composure that comes with quality; West Ham had it, Hull did not. Thanks all for your company and comments - bye. Updated at 7.57pm GMT 3.22pm GMT15:22 90+3 min Hull’s end rouses itself by reminding itself that the football is but a constituent part of any footballing day out. I hope it works - it’s a long way home. 3.21pm GMT15:21 90 min There shall be three additional minutes of dull, searing pain for Hull City. 3.20pm GMT15:20 90 min Stewart Downing is Alan Smith’s man of the match. Fair enough, though I’d have gone for Song - and Valencia was good too. Allardyce, presumably, would have gone for Allardyce, and there’s merit there - he rearranged his team at half-time, and that, along with whatever additional guidance he offered, has worked beautifully. Updated at 3.23pm GMT 3.19pm GMT15:19 89 min “To be succinct, Bye Bye Brucie,” emails Robert Nease. I’m not sure - who’s around who’ll do a better job? Bruce has proved himself, bad season or not. 3.17pm GMT15:17 87 min Meyler catches Valencia off the ball, and is booked. This is not well received, and accordingly, he dispenses a medium portion of invective. 3.16pm GMT15:16 85 min Song has been excellent in the second half, and he sashays past a challenge just outside the box and pops off to Nolan, who flicks back into his stride. Rather than shoot immediately, he attempts another “take-on” - that’s a word, I believe, that people now use to describe something football-related - and the chance goes. But West Ham maintain pressure, and a ball is lifted over the top for Nolan, who does very well indeed to catch up with it before he runs out of pitch - McGregor certainly expected him to. But, from an acute angle close to the right by-line, he rams one onto the bar with his laces. 3.13pm GMT15:13 84 min A little passage from Hull, Elmohamady flicking into Livermore. He shoots from distance, low, and Adrian collects down by his near post. 3.11pm GMT15:11 82 min Sagbo pulls wide right and crosses to the back post, where Jenkinson hopes it’ll comes to him instead of challenging to make sure that it does. It does, just and he clears. 3.10pm GMT15:10 80 min West Ham are pressing for more, and Downing sends a ball into Amalfitano, who, back to goal, lays back and wide, for Jenkinson. Looking to whip a cross, he doesn’t catch enough of the ball, slicing it into the stand, and the crowd chortles good-naturedly into its collective, metaphorical Bovril. 3.08pm GMT15:08 79 min Steve Bruce looks exceedingly, exceptionally downcast, perhaps more so than anyone ever has ever before; it’s almost worth a sculpture. Updated at 3.09pm GMT 3.06pm GMT15:06 77 min Crumbs, West Ham could snatch another seventeen or eighteen here. Valencia, back on the left, shimmies inside and dinks a cross that only just evades Amalfitano and Carroll. Other opportunities appear imminent. 3.05pm GMT15:05 76 min Tomkins is replaced by O’Brien. 3.05pm GMT15:05 76 min Quinn tackles Tomkins late, and is booked. Thanks for coming, and all that. 3.03pm GMT15:03 75 min Hull are in mither. Updated at 3.20pm GMT 3.01pm GMT15:01 GOAL! West Ham 3-0 Hull (Downing, 72) Another lovely goal - despite defending of impeccable misery. Tomkins wins the ball just outside his own box, and, immediately, it’s whipped off his toes by Song, who, with a single instapass, sends Downing through on goal. Right of centre, he steadies himself, opens his body, looks towards the far corner, and sweeps powerfully into the near. Updated at 3.18pm GMT 3.00pm GMT15:00 72 min On comes Sagbo, Davies departing. Updated at 3.01pm GMT 2.58pm GMT14:58 GOAL! West Ham 2-0 Hull (Amalfitano, 69) And West Ham do finish it! This is a lovely bit of work. First, a ball into Valencia is very well controlled, on the half-turn, and a further touch snuggles it gently into his path. Spotting the run of Amalfitano, between centre- and left-back, he slides a ball for him to run onto, and, drawing McGregor, then sitting him down, he lifts a composed finish over him and into the net. Updated at 3.22pm GMT 2.57pm GMT14:57 67 min The ball slams into the side-netting, up go arms, down go arms; beautiful. Skylarking on the left edge of his own box, Dawson squares across his own box for Elmohamady. Except Valencia is between the two, and extends a foot, a maladroit touch taking him wide, so that he’s run out of angle when the time comes to shoot. A let-off, that. 2.55pm GMT14:55 66 min West Ham plan to finish this; Amalfitano replaces Noble. Nolan sniggers into his family tree. 2.54pm GMT14:54 65 min Noble forgets himself, caught in possession not far outside his own box, left side. Livermore raps into the challenge and earns his side a corner, which, naturally, comes to nothing. 2.53pm GMT14:53 63 min Valencia, who’s been much livelier this half, finds himself on the right, and, competing for the ball with Figueroa, loses out twice. First, Figueroa gets there first, second, when he’s volleyed in the follow-through. There is a pause while he recalibrates. 2.51pm GMT14:51 61 min Hull’s first bit of serious possession in time, Figueroa bending over a cross from the left that’s headed clear. But, most likely, West Ham are going to score again - they’re playing with rhythm and tempo now, like a team that knows exactly what it’s doing. 2.49pm GMT14:49 59 min Steve Bruce QC, on a brief break from his study into Caparo v Dickman, seems to have altered his formation. Harry McGuire is now up-front with Aluko, Elmohamady is at right-back, and Hull are playing 4-4-expletive-2. Updated at 2.50pm GMT 2.47pm GMT14:47 57 min Oooh, this a lovely ball from Song, collection possession just over halfway, to the right of the circle, and, espying the run of Valencia over from the left, arcing into his path. He easily outpaces Dawson, and looks in on goal, only for the flag to go up. It was very tight, that - looked fine to me. Updated at 2.59pm GMT 2.45pm GMT14:45 55 min “I read the Enner Valencia chant in the tempo of Karma Chameleon, with ‘He’s scoring goals’ as the next line rather than Batman,” tweets Seamus. Not surprised, terrace equivalent of clip art, that one. 2.43pm GMT14:43 54 min West Ham release Valencia down the right, his tame, low cross thunked away - but West Ham are first to the loose sphere, and set about Hull again. Updated at 2.55pm GMT 2.42pm GMT14:42 53 min And West Ham are pouring it on, now, Hull largely boxed in true Sunday league style. In particular, Ste-wart Dow-ning has found his way into the game, moving off the flank, and that’s giving Hull a significant problem. 2.41pm GMT14:41 53 min One senses that Hull are desperate to fall apart. 2.41pm GMT14:41 52 min Enner, Enner, Enner, Enner, Enner, Enner, Enner, Enner - Valencia! That isn’t a pre-existing terrace classic, I don’t suppose? Updated at 2.41pm GMT 2.40pm GMT14:40 50 min Reid replaces Collins. 2.38pm GMT14:38 GOAL! West Ham 1-0 Hull (Carroll, 48) Oh dear. West Ham have started the second half well, and after Hull don’t clear properly, Valencia picks up possession ourtside the box, left-hand side. He jinks along one and unleashes a pleasant low shot, but one that’s not on target. And yet, McGregor somehow contrives to divert it from outside his near post to back in front of goal, and Carroll is first to the loose ball, tapping home. “Food and drink”, insights Alan Smith. Updated at 3.01pm GMT 2.37pm GMT14:37 47 min Collins pulls up, but West Ham keep at things, Downing pacing down the right and clipping back a cross for Nolan on the edge of the box, dead centre. It bounces trickily, and and adjusts his body well, opening it to sidefoot only just over the bar. 2.35pm GMT14:35 46 min Bruce has a thigh injury apparently, Chester a shoulder one. 2.34pm GMT14:34 46 min West Ham beginagain. 2.34pm GMT14:34 Oh dear; another change for Hull. Bruce is going off, McGuire is coming on - and he looked a good player last season. 2.30pm GMT14:30 In case you missed it: Thierry Henry is on telly. 2.29pm GMT14:29 Laugh! Mark Noble vs Kevin Nolan in the first half. pic.twitter.com/aouYy6wCet 2.28pm GMT14:28 Ah, whatever. While we’re here, for interchannel balance. 2.24pm GMT14:24 Suggested teamtalk for Sam Allardyce: 2.23pm GMT14:23 Incidentally, there was minor booing at half-time. Boo! Boo! 2.21pm GMT14:21 Half-time escapism: West Ham’s first game of the 1930-31 season. 2.19pm GMT14:19 Half-time: West Ham United 0-0 Hull City West Ham have been nonsense, Hull have been excellent. West Ham are likely to improve, Hull are likely to deteriorate. Updated at 2.22pm GMT 2.19pm GMT14:19 45+2 min Chester, Hull’s top scorer with a princely, 2, is escorted from the pitch with his jersey operating as a makeshift sling. He’s replaced by Figueroa, and from the corner we’ve all been waiting for, Adrian comes and gets just enough of it to see the ball leared. Updated at 2.40pm GMT 2.17pm GMT14:17 45+2 min Chester is down in the West Ham box, while, beside me, Jacob Steinberg reckons Kevin Nolan needs coming off. It’s hard to argue. 2.16pm GMT14:16 45+1 min Or, put another way, 120 seconds until Sam Allardyce melds toecaps with buttocks. 2.15pm GMT14:15 45 min There shall be two additional minutes. 2.15pm GMT14:15 43 min “Paradigm?” emails brevity’s Nicholas Farrell, presumably with regard to David Platt. The OED writes: “NOUN1A person or thing regarded as a perfect example of a particular quality:it would have taken a paragon of virtue not to feel viciously jealous”. 2.13pm GMT14:13 40 min Little bit better from West Ham, who with their football failing, introduce ball to mixer. A succession of crosses from Downing’s left foot, down the right, are poorly defended - Bruce and Elmohamady collide, then McGregor doesn’t clear definitievely. Eventually, one locates tomkins at the back post, who rises well - but his header is saved. There follows a short recess, while Bruce Jnr is treated; on the touchline, Bruce Snr is shepping and klibing naches. 2.10pm GMT14:10 39 min Incidentally, tangentially, should anyone ever find themselves in Pernambuco, Cachaça Sanhaçu is magic. 2.08pm GMT14:08 38 min West Ham’s baby blue shorts remain pristine. On the touchline, Sam Allardyce is performing chuntering. 2.07pm GMT14:07 36 min “‘Players who do nothing.... apart from things that settle games;’” emails Nick Smith. “David Platt. PS which Juninho are you referring to?” Yep, Platt’s a paragon of the genre - here’s an example, which followed one of the all-time great wasted saves, and appeared only to go in because of the shape of his head. And Pernambucano. 2.04pm GMT14:04 34 min Song shows some composure to feed Downing, who reaches the ball prior to Elmohamady and jinks away from him, hitting the deck sharpish when he can’t quite pull out of the tackle. Martin Atkinson flourishes a yellow card, which looks a little harsh, and the free-kick comes to nothing. Updated at 2.16pm GMT 2.03pm GMT14:03 32 min Collins rattles into Quinn, fairly, but Hull come again, finding Quinn racing through their back four, down the left. He tries to cut back a cross, which is cut out, but eventually, his team are going to score - West Ham simply haven’t worked out a way of blocking or shadowing their runners. 2.01pm GMT14:01 31 min I wonder if Sone Aluko has ever played better than so far today. And yet. 2.00pm GMT14:00 30 min James Collins hurts himself, but is unconcerned - and in a Premier League royal rumble, he’d be my outside bet. 1.59pm GMT13:59 27 min More joy and despair for Aluko! This time, he’s just outside the box, right hand side, and snatches the ball away from Noble then swerves across Collins, across the face of the area. He considers a shot with his left foot, but instead underhits a dainty little square pass to Livermore, who also eschews a shot, trying an equally dainty return - which is cut out. Silly behaviours. Updated at 2.00pm GMT 1.57pm GMT13:57 26 min Hull have been very good so far - West Ham looked like taking over for five minutes, but otherwise, have been very westham. 1.56pm GMT13:56 24 min Superb covering from Collins, after Aluko diddles Tomkins once again, isolating him in that inside-right position and burning past. This time, Tomkins gives chase, just about keeping his balance and lucky not to concede a penalty following an ill-advised challenge - Aluko opts to ride it and step back inside in preparation for a shot. Which is when Collins hoves into view, riding a figurative palomino, wellying into a block tackle - to the consternation of Steve Bruce. 1.53pm GMT13:53 23 min “Can’t make the West Ham game today,” confesses David G. “Please could you update people what (if anything) Kevin Nolan has done so far?” Looked deferentially at his manager, to begin with. But they’re funny, these players, who do nothing apart from things that settle games - other examples: Juninho, recent Rooney, Michael Owen. Anymore for anymore? 1.52pm GMT13:52 21 min Noble nips a sharp one into Carroll and pursues the return, laid back in the general dierction of his path. But the ball’s too short, so he flies into Huddlestone late and is booked, for what looked a real sair yin. 1.51pm GMT13:51 20 min “I agree with your 4th minute entry,” emails JR. “Alex Bruce already looked exhausted from dealing with Carroll. Doesn’t bode well for Hull. The sponsor on West Ham’s shirt has me intrigued. I wonder what they do. Any information on how I can get in on some of that action?” Not sure Avco still exist, I’m afraid. Updated at 2.03pm GMT 1.48pm GMT13:48 18 min Hull pass their way through midfield with Livermore and Meyler prompting, looking to get Chester away on the right. But his route linewards is blocked, and the ball comes back inside, Livermore again prompting - West Ham chase them back into their own half. Updated at 1.58pm GMT 1.47pm GMT13:47 15 min After producing pleasing passages of play, the game has segued into scrappy speculativeness. Updated at 1.51pm GMT 1.45pm GMT13:45 13 min Adrian gives the ball away to Quinn, scuffing an attempted clearance, but is saved by Collins, barrelling into a challenge. This is incredible, as only a few days ago, he saved and scored a penalty. 1.44pm GMT13:44 12 min Excellent from Carroll, pulling left, accepting the imminent pass into his stride, throwing a pair of lollipops, and curving a delicious cross to the near post. Valencia throws himself at it, and looks favourite, but Davies does superbly to insert a leg between him and it, pushing the ball behind for a corner. In response to which, Tomkins is first up at the back post, heading narrowly over the bar. 1.42pm GMT13:42 11 min Song lumps on down the right for Downing - it’s not exactly clear where he’s playing - and Davies hacks into touch. Jenkinson takes the throw short, and West Ham start passing again, before a cross belted at Carroll is headed away. Cresswell picks up the loose ball and tries a curled cross to the back post, which instead rushes behind. Updated at 2.10pm GMT 1.39pm GMT13:39 9 min West Ham have woken up - they’re knocking the ball around confidently now, led by Alex Song. Already, it looks like Hull will regret Elmohamady’s oversight. 1.38pm GMT13:38 7 min A free-kick on the West Ham right, 35 yards out, is sent short and square to Cresswell, and he swipes hard across a shot that flies only just over the top. Great effort. 1.37pm GMT13:37 6 min What a miss Elmohamady! Lovely play from Hull, Huddlestone picking up an aerial ball with nary a challenge and controlling lovelily, beginning a sharp passing move that sees him slip in Aluko down the right side of the box. Again, he’s far sharper than any defender, pacing after it to cut back a cross to the far post. Elmohamady is unmarked, and swivelling into a shot aimed at the empty near corner of Adrian’s goal, instead scuffs it just wide. Updated at 1.54pm GMT 1.34pm GMT13:34 4 min A long ball into the channel down the West Ham left has Carroll hammering after Bruce, forcing him to hump into touch. A small deal, but one that minds him he’s in a game. 1.33pm GMT13:33 4 min A relaxing minute for James Tomkins. 1.33pm GMT13:33 2 min The corner comes to nowt, but when the ball’s cleared, Aluko screeches into the space behind Tomkins and is sent in, at inside-right. Nashing into the box, he steps inside an lashes a low shot, this time deflected behind by Collins. The corner comes to nowt. Updated at 1.40pm GMT 1.32pm GMT13:32 1 min Aluko seizes onto a long ball along the right by-line, teasing a squared-up Tomkins inside, outside, inside and outside again, nipping past along the line and claiming a penalty when his cross is deflected behind. 1.30pm GMT13:30 1 min Hull kick-off. It’s a hard winter’s day. I dream away. I dream away. 1.29pm GMT13:29 What colour are West Ham’s shorts? Baby blue? It almost seems wrong to dirty such delicacy. 1.28pm GMT13:28 The stadium announcer is very excited, West Ham players cuddle one another. More news as I get it. 1.26pm GMT13:26 The players commence the process of emergence. The ball is deplinthed to the point of plinthlessness. Bubbles are manufactured. 1.23pm GMT13:23 Sam Allardyce says a naughty word on live telly. Ian Rush is beside himself with mirth. 1.14pm GMT13:14 “Any news on if Big Sam plans to one up Van Gaal and have James Collins take the West Ham corners?” asks Robert Hisnay. It’s always brilliant to see someone raise one or both arms, then hit the first man, but there is some sense here. Jones has shown some ability to cross, Van Gaal wanted an inswinger from the left, and Rooney in the box. Yeah, it’s still odd. 1.13pm GMT13:13 “‘Nothing happening’ or inertia?” asks @sleeponionsleep on Twitter. ‘Every body...preserve[s] its present state...of rest or of moving uniformly forward...’ Newton”. I’d go nothing happening. Inertia, you at least go somewhere. How many of us can truthfully make that claim? 1.08pm GMT13:08 Oh Thierry! Updated at 1.08pm GMT 1.06pm GMT13:06 Gary Neville on Enner Valencia’s goal earlier in the season. 1.05pm GMT13:05 Thierry Henry is in the studio. It’s amazing! 1.04pm GMT13:04 West Ham United 7-1 Hull City, October 1991. Featuring Jim Rosenthal and hair. Updated at 1.04pm GMT 12.59pm GMT12:59 So, just the one change for West Ham; Kevin Allardyce Nolan replaces Matt Jarvis. Hull, meanwhile revert to a back three; out go Figueroa, Hernandez and Jelavic, replaced by Dawson, Huddlestone and Aluko. 12.39pm GMT12:39 Teams today. West Ham United (4-3-1-2/4-diamante-2): Adrian; Jenkinson, Collins, Tomkins, Cresswell; Song, Noble, Nolan, Downing; Valencia, Carroll. Subs: Reid, Jarvis, O’Brien, Amalfitano, Jaaskelainen, Poyet, Cole. Hull City (3-something-something-1): McGregor: Bruce Davies, Dawson; Chester Meyler, Huddlestone, Bruce, Livermore, Elmohamady, Quinn; Aluko. Subs: Figueroa, Maguire, McShane, Sagbo, Harper, Ince, Ramirez. Referee: Beleagured Martin Atkinson (Bradford). Updated at 1.27pm GMT 12.30pm GMT12:30 Preamble Perhaps the most depressing aspect of existence is how long it takes for things to fall apart - on balance, is marginally worse than how long it takes for nothing to happen. But, in the hyperreal world of Football, things are very different, one of the reasons we love it so much. Consider Hull City. Not long ago, they were lounging, celebrating every day, no more public housing; now, not so much. Unexpectedly promoted to the Premier League, they survived with relative calm, narrowly lost the Cup Final, and then began this season well. They gave Manchester City a shock, drew with Arsenal and Liverpool, and generally felt pleased with themselves - incredibly enough, in the context of our sorry planet, with good reason. Oh. Since the last of those games, at the end of October, they’ve lost nine, drawn two and won two; they’re third bottom of the league, only Sunderland and Villa have scored fewer, and no one would be remotely surprised to see them relegated. They need to start accomplishing things. West Ham, meanwhile, righted themselves from the foreboding of a mini-slump with their midweek Cup win over Everton. Prior to it had come two defeats followed by three draws, the end of a brilliant run of competence and invention; if they can’t recapture that level, they’ll be back to the eternal choice; nothing happening, or things falling apart. Updated at 12.49pm GMT |