Matchday 19 ~ West Ham vs Reading

[Freddy Adu]

West Ham vs Reading

Premier League 2007/2008 | Campeonato | Day 19

West Ham Reading

Date 2007-12-26 City London Stadium Boleyn Ground (Upton Park) Referee

[Cristiano Best 07]

2-2 Draw.

[Brasil]

Reading to win.

[Freddy Adu]

West Ham striker Carlton Cole is available after suspension but Dean Ashton and Henri Camara could retain their places up front.

James Collins (groin) and Luis Boa Morte (thigh) will have fitness tests ahead of the game.

Reading midfielder Brynjar Gunnarsson is a doubt with a badly-gashed knee that he picked up against Sunderland.

The Royals have no other new injury worries, with John Oster (ankle) and Glen Little (heel) still sidelined.

[Freddy Adu]

West Ham (from): Green, Neill, McCartney, Gabbidon, Upson, Ljungberg, Parker, Ashton, Pantsil, Solano, Noble, Mullins, Spector, Collins, Wright, Walker, Camara, Cole.

[Freddy Adu]

Reading (from): Hahnemann, Federici, Murty, De la Cruz, Ingimarsson, Sonko, Bikey, Duberry, Shorey, Hunt, Gunnarsson, Harper, Cisse, Fae, Convey, Doyle, Kitson, Long, Lita.

[Freddy Adu]

West Ham manager Alan Curbishley on Dean Ashton:
"He's taken some criticism in the last few weeks and I think that is because of the expectation.

"He came back and got a couple of goals, but getting fit while playing in the Premier League is so hard.

"Dean looked sharper today and when he hits the ball he hits it hard. When a ball drops you want it to drop to him."

[Freddy Adu]

Reading manager Steve Coppell on his intentions in January:
"I challenged the players and I made the decision (not to make major changes) in the summer.

"After half a season we have reached the conclusion that we need two or three reinforcements.

"That will be our intention but come the last day of January if we haven't got anyone I'll go with what I've got."

[Freddy Adu]

BIG-MATCH FACTS

The two clubs immediately below half way in the Premier League table meet at Upton Park.

West Ham have only beaten Middlesbrough and Sunderland on home soil in this league season, and not have recorded a maximum in front of their east London fans for over two months.

Reading are yet to win away and have only picked up two points on their travels - but one of those was from a goalless draw at Manchester United in their first away match, and the other from a 1-1 stalemate at Birmingham on the most recent trip.

West Ham have not won a Boxing Day Premier League match since defeating Derby 4-0 at home in 2001.

Reading drew their only previous Premier League 26 December fixture, 2-2 at Chelsea 12 months ago.

Reading travel to Upton Park hoping to repeat last season's 0-1 victory; defeat would give the Hammers a first ever league double over the Royals.

These clubs have met seven times in the league, three at the highest level, and they are yet to draw.

[Freddy Adu]

WEST HAM UNITED
Highest achievable: 9th
Lowest could fall: 11th

[Freddy Adu]

West Ham v Reading

Upton Park
Wednesday, 26 December
Kick-off: 1300 GMT
BBC coverage: BBC Sport website, BBC Radio Five Live & highlights on Match of the Day. Featured game on Score and Final Score.

[Freddy Adu]

READING
Highest achievable: 12th
Lowest could realistically fall: 12th

[Freddy Adu]

WEST HAM UNITED

Dean ASHTON is West Ham's top scorer with five goals.

ASHTON and BOWYER are the Hammers' joint top Premier League marksmen as four goals a piece.

Robert GREEN has saved three penalties awarded against the Hammers in the Premier League this season.

Matthew UPSON and GREEN are the only remaining players to have been on the field for every minute of every one of West Ham's Premier League matches this season.

BOWYER is a double shy of 50 career Premier League goals (Leeds, Newcastle and West Ham).

[Freddy Adu]

If selected:-

James COLLINS will be making his 100th career league appearance (Cardiff and West Ham).

[Freddy Adu]

If on the field from the outset:-

George McCARTNEY will be making his 150th club career league start (Sunderland and West Ham).

Carlton COLE will be making his 50th club career league start (Chelsea, Wolves, Charlton, Aston Villa and West Ham).

Matthew UPSON will be facing a club he was once on loan to.

[Freddy Adu]

READING

Dave KITSON, Kevin DOYLE and Stephen HUNT are Reading's joint top scorers with five Premier League goals a piece.

KITSON is one shy of 50 league goals in Reading colours.

Leroy LITA needs to score one to total 50 career league goals (Bristol City and Reading).

Marcus HAHNEMANN is the only remaining player to have been involved in every minute of every one of Reading's Premier League matches this term.

[Freddy Adu]

If selected:-

DOYLE will be making his 50th Premier League appearance.

If on the field from the outset:-

HUNT will be making his 50th league start in a Reading shirt.

[Freddy Adu]

HEAD TO HEAD

The losing side have failed to score in six of the seven league meetings between West Ham and Reading.

West Ham have scored three unanswered goals against the Royals so far this season, last season the tables were turned with Reading enjoying a 7-0 aggregate score over the two games.

Craig Bellamy scored his first league goal in a West Ham shirt in this season' reverse fixture.

[Freddy Adu]

Home and away
League (inc PL): West Ham 3 wins, Reading 4, Draws 0
Prem: West Ham 1 wins, Reading 2, Draws 0

[Freddy Adu]

at West Ham only
League (inc PL): West Ham 2 wins, Reading 1, Draws 0
Prem: West Ham 0 wins, Reading 1, Draws 0

[Freddy Adu]

LAST SEASON'S CORRESPONDING GAME
West Ham United 0-1 Reading
1 October 2006 - Ref: Uriah Rennie
Reading scorer: Ki-Hyeon 2

[Freddy Adu]

THIS SEASON'S REVERSE FIXTURE
Reading 0-3 West Ham United
1 September 2007 - Ref: Howard Webb
West Ham scorers: Bellamy 6, Etherington 49, 90

[Freddy Adu]

REFEREE
Peter Walton (Northamptonshire)

[Oscar Cardozo]

Hammers boss Alan Curbishley has no new injury worries following the last-gasp win over Middlesbrough. Reading midfielder Brynjar Gunnarsson will miss the festive period after picking up a knee injury in the draw against Fulham, summer signing Kalifa Cisse is set to replace him.

[Freddy Adu]

FT West Ham U. 1 - 1 Reading

[Freddy Adu]

FT		West Ham U. [1 - 1] Reading
29'			B. Gunnarsson
42'	[1 - 0]	N. Solano
45'		R. Green	S. Hunt
60'	[1 - 1]		D. Kitson
65'		C. Cole
67'			N. Shorey

[Freddy Adu]

Fair result here.

[Brasil]

What a shitty match

[Freddy Adu]

Kitson keeps 10-man Reading rolling at West Ham


Written by: AFP

	Reading´s Dave Kitson, seen here in a game against Newcastle in October 2007. Kitson´s second half strike gave 10-man Reading a battling 1-1 draw against West Ham.

LONDON (AFP) - Dave Kitson's second half strike gave 10-man Reading a battling 1-1 draw against West Ham on Wednesday.

Steve Coppell's side looked in trouble when Nolberto Solano gave West Ham the lead after Brynjar Gunnarsson's red card for a two-footed tackle.

But the Royals fought back defiantly to level through Kitson's fine strike at Upton Park and extended their unbeaten run to five matches.

Reading have been in good form recently but they needed a smart save from Marcus Hahnemann to keep them on level terms early on.

Carlton Cole won a crunching tackle and the ball broke to Dean Ashton, who fed Hayden Mullins. The midfielder drove in a low shot but Hahnemann got down well.

Solano curled a free-kick just wide of Hahnemann's near post as West Ham tried to build on the momentum of their late win at Middlesbrough last weekend.

Reading gradually came into the game and Kevin Doyle tested Robert Green with a snap-shot from 20 yards. Doyle threatened again when he was picked by Kitson but his header was well held by Green.

Kitson and Doyle linked up well again to set up Bobby Convey, with the American winger's close-range strike bringing a fine block from Green.

West Ham have struggled at home this season and it looked like being a familiar story again. But they were given a helping hand in the 29th minute when Gunnarsson was shown a straight red card for a two-footed challenge on Mullins.

It was a harsh decision as Gunnarsson won the ball. From being the game's dominant force, Reading were suddenly were on the back foot.

When Ashton sent a shot onto the roof of the net, the warning signs were clear for the Royals.

The breakthrough arrived three minutes before half-time. Cole squeezed Lucas Neill's pass through to Solano and the Peru winger took a touch before lifting his shot into the far corner of Hahnemann's goal.

Reading, without an away league win this season, had to strike a balance between keeping the score close while a man down and still probing for a goal themselves.

They managed it perfectly. After soaking up West Ham's assaults early in the second half, Coppell's team broke out to equalise on the hour.

Nicky Shorey has been on Alan Curbishley's transfer short-list for sometime so it was inevitable that the England left-back would have a hand in the goal.

He chipped a perfectly-weighted pass over the West Ham defence to Kitson, who swivelled before hooking his shot past Green.

The Hammers had been hit with a sucker punch. Now they had to force the pace and Freddie Ljungberg's half-volley drew an excellent one-handed stop from Hahnemann.

West Ham substitute Mark Noble appealed for a penalty when his cross inadvertently hit Ivar Ingimarsson but referee Peter Walton was unimpressed.

Scott Parker should have won it for the hosts but his low shot was too weak to beat Hahnemann. Ashton went even closer with a header that hit the post and, when Parker lashed the rebound over, West Ham's last chance had gone.