West Ham United ~ General Chat & Latest News

[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.