Friendly Draw

West Ham drew 2-2 with a strong Fulham side in a behind-closed-doors friendly at Upton Park on Friday afternoon - with Fredi Kanoute grabbing one of West Ham's goals.

The game was, to a large extent, arranged to give Fredi - currently two thirds of the way through a three game ban - some match practice and Glenn Roeder says: "The important thing is to keep Fredi match-fit and to have got 90 minutes out of him, and that was a good game for him.

"Training serves a purpose but a high tempo game at Upton Park was needed.

"Jean Tigana said he would bring a full strength side over and he kept his word, and it gave some of our younger players the chance to test their ability against the likes of Malbranque, Saha, Djetou, Davis...in fact, all of them.

"It was great for Shaun Byrne to play, and Daryl McMahon who said to me how fast the tempo was, and until they play in these games they are only guessing what it is like.

"It was a good test for Anton Ferdinand, Elliott Ward and Mitchell Cole, who is just 17 and played the whole of the second half - and a great experience for Clive Delaney.

"What's more, the attitude of the senior players like Christian Dailly, Gary Breen, and Edouard Cisse was excellent as well."

But the game was absolutely vital for Fredi, and Glenn goes on: "We will look to arrange another game for him behind closed doors next week because that is what he needs.

"It is terrific to know he is on his way back but a great shame that he is not available for Everton.

"He got better as the game went on, and he could have won the game for us at the end, which would have been nice.

"Thankfully, we have Les available, but it is very important that Fredi stays fit for the remaining games of the season.

"It really was an excellent game against a side that try to pass you off the pitch."

Meanwhile, regarding rumours of a possible swoop for Brighton's Bobby Zamora, Glenn says: "Yes, I did watch Brighton play Stoke in midweek - and there were 21 other players on the pitch."

He has ruled out a move for Badile Lubamba, though, and says: "I'd like to thank him for coming over, but he is not quite what we are looking for at the moment and we wish him all the best for the future."

West Ham played the brighter football in the first half, with Edouard Cisse and Fredi forcing saves from Martin Herrera before Richard Garcia converted following a cross from Sebastien Schemmel, who was playing right midfield.

Fredi headed a Shaun Byrne cross wide and Shaun himself missed when confronted with Fulham's substitute goalkeeper Maik Taylor after the break, but, after Saha equalised - and Mitchell Cole had shot wide - Fredi made it 2-1 when he controlled and volleyed an Edouard Cisse pass in one fluid movement.

Louis Saha made it 2-2 with a curling shot past David Forde, while Fredi missed the chance to give the Hammers the win a minute from time when he hit the side netting from an angle when clean through.

Trialist Badile Lubamba played most of the game at right back before limping off in the second half with injury, allowing Anton Ferdinand to slot in there after initially replacing Sebastien Schemmel, who pulled up with a calf strain in the second half.

Richard Garcia sustained a hamstring injury and, when he came off at half time to be replaced by Clive Delaney, Christian Dailly took his place up front.

Hammers: Van der Gouw (Forde 75), Lubamba (Pearson 80), Minto (Ward 78), Cisse, Breen, Dailly, Schemmel (Ferdinand 62), Byrne, Garcia (Delaney 45), Kanoute, McMahon (M Cole 45).
Fulham: Herrera (Taylor 45), Melville (Goma 45), Ouaddou, Finnan (Djetou 23), Harley (Wome 45), Inamoto (Clark 45), Davis, Malbranque (Collins 45), Sava (Saha 45), Hammond, Stolcers.