Post Match Comments
Audio Match ReportSaturday 24th February 2001
FA PREMIER LEAGUE
Valley Parade
Attendance:20,469
Referee: S Lodge BRADFORD 1Jess 62 WEST HAM2Lampard 18, 75 WALSHMYERSWETHERALLLAWRENCEWARDCARBONEMOLENAARO'BRIENLOCKE JACOBSJESSSubs:DAVISONMcCALL 82BLAKE 81McKINLAYHOPKIN 64BYWATERS.PEARCESTIMACWINTERBURNSCHEMMELDAILLY CARRICKCOLELAMPARDDI CANIO CAMARASubs:FORRESTSUKER 71SOMAI.PEARCE 83TODOROV
Frank Lampard celebrated his England call-up with a double-barrelled blast that finally gave West Ham their first Premiership victory since Boxing Day.
The 22-year-old regained the kind of goalscoring form that, by his standards in previous campaigns, has surprisingly eluded him this season.
His two England squad-mates Joe Cole and Michael Carrick also impressed at Valley Parade, but it was the match-winning performance of his nephew that most pleased Harry Redknapp.
Said H afterwards: "It was nice to see Frank get back amongst the goals today and it seems as if he's gonna have the best chance of getting a game in the week."
Harry also had a word for his two other England hopefuls: "Joe Cole got a lot of attention when he was man-to-man marked but I've told him the better he gets the more times that will happen.
"I think Joe's ready for England too, nothing bothers him. Put him on the biggest stage you like and he'll show he's a free spirit.
"But if Sven-Goran Eriksson plays 4-4-2, where do you play him? When you've got a special talent though, you have to adjust your system.
"Michael Carrick has got a bit of a hamstring and I don't know if he'll get through a game. It's touch and go whether he'll be fit enough, but I'm not going to stop him from joining up because it's a big honour for him, his family and the club."
Harry admitted that his side weren't firing on all cylinders against the Premiership's bottom club but was happy with a vital three points that leaves our league position looking slightly more comfortable.
Said H: "We missed lots of chances in the first half after we had opened them up and got in great positions but when you don't finish them off, you get concerned.
"We've played very well this year and we've dominated games, but we seem to play an awful lot of football and then lack goals. That's the price of having Joe Cole and Paolo Di Canio in your side though. I wouldn't swap it though, people come to Upton Park to see us play the way we play and to look at the talent.
"We've also had a lot of injuries and a lot of chopping and changing but we mustn't get carried away about our league position because it's not as if West Ham are regular Championship winners.
"When Bobby Moore, Martin Peters and Geoff Hurst were here, our average finish was about 17th. That just shows how bad the other eight of us were!"
Bottom place Bradford, who had one just twice in the previous 24 attempts, made five changes from the side that lost at Southampton a fortnight ago, while Hammers rested suspension-threatened Frederic Kanoute following his match-winning display in the FA Cup at Sunderland last week.
With Shaka Hislop controversially absent on international duty, too, Stephen Bywater was handed his first start of the season. And although City had gone into the game without a goal in their previous six matches, they wasted no time in peppering the 19 year olds goal as Ashley Ward and then Eoin Jess sent early shots just inches wide.
In reply, Michael Carrick came close to marking his international call-up with a low 20 yarder which Gary Walsh clawed away for a corner, before the imposing midfielder invited Titi Camara to rip a low shot into the side-netting.
Already the Hammers were showing ominous signs of being able to tear through beleaguered Bradford at will and on 17 minutes a telling, free-flowing move produced their opener.
Paolo Di Canio's searching pass to the edge of the box was patiently held up by Joe Cole, who unselfishly back-heeled into the path of Lampard, who capped a fine 24 hours by drilling a low 15-yarder past the helplessly exposed Walsh.
There could have been yet more trauma for the Tykes seconds later as Camara waltzed clear and sent a rising shot over the top while Cole shook off man-marker Andy O'Brien and a trio of pursuers only to be denied by the keeper's knees.
The boos ringing around Valley Parade briefly stirred Jim Jeffries' men into action and Christian Dailly was booked for scything through Benito Carbone before Gary Locke joined him following a scuffle with Sebastien Schemmel.
As the half drew to a close, Bywater was finally called into action, comfortably holding Wayne Jacobs' free-kick and in stoppage time he brilliantly tipped David Wetherall's header over the bar.
Shaken up at the interval, the Yorkshiremen emerged for the restart equally as lively and within seconds a goalmouth scramble saw Jess volley behind at the far post and then fire over from 20 yards.
It was, however, to prove third time lucky for the Scotsman, who ended City's 610 minute goal drought on the hour when he met Ward's cross into the six-yard box with a diving header which found the net via Bywater's right hand post.
Harry Redknapp responded by replacing the fading Camara with Davor Suker but with just a quarter of an hour left, the Eastenders' firepower again emerged from the same source as before.
Once again, Cole's speed of thought and foot proved too much as he picked his way into the heart of the Bantams' defence and when the ball finally broke to Lampard, he powered a low 18-yarder between Walsh and his right hand post to take his tally for the season to six and secure a valuable win that kept basement-bound Bradford 11 points adrift of Premiership safety.