HAMMERS have drawn 2-2 with Brighton at the Withdean Stadium, a
last-minute equaliser robbing Alan Pardew's men of all three
points.
Nigel Reo-Coker gave Hammers a 1-0 lead at half-time and after
Hammond had equalised first time around Marlon Harewood looked to
have put West Ham on course for their fourth straight away
win. But Hammond's late header prevented Hammers taking what
would have been a vital victory.
Alan Pardew stuck with the team that won 1-0 at Stoke, Britannia
Stadium match-winner Bobby Zamora starting from the bench against
his former club.
Complete with three temporary stands and boasting a capacity of
just under 7,000 the Withdean Stadium was a far cry from what the
Hammers players are used to.
But it didn't seem to affect them as they started well, Marlon
Harewood forcing full-back Adam El-Abd into an awkward moment as he
tried to head back to his goalkeeper Alan Blayney, who then did
well to take Tomas Repka's cross from under his crossbar.
With eight minutes gone though it was Blayney's hesitancy in
the box that allowed Harewood to knock Matty Etherington's
cross into the path of Nigel Reo-Coker who headed into an empty net
from close range to give Hammers the best possible start.
Richard Carpenter and Leon Knight both had sights at goal as
Brighton tried to hit-back, Carpenter's spectacular 30 yard
drive whistling just over Jimmy Walker's crossbar.
The home side started to bombard the Hammers defence with crosses
and Dean Hammond was unlucky the ball failed to drop for him in the
box after good work from the sprightly Leon Knight.
But on 36 minutes a flowing Hammers move should have put West Ham
two ahead. Teddy Sheringham's weighted ball put Reo-Coker
through, but with just Blayney to beat he dragged his shot wide.
Brighton showed plenty of fight and continued to throw crosses into
the Hammers box, but with Elliott Ward showing his aerial prowess
Alan Pardew's men held firm to take a 1-0 lead into
half-time.
HT: 1-0
Hammers were on the back foot at the start of the second-half,
as the home side pushed forward in search of an equaliser.
On 50 minutes Brighton carved out their best chance of the match
when Leon Knight raced through on the right and crossed for Chris
McPhee, who sliding in put the ball wide with the goal at his
mercy.
But three minutes later they made no mistake. Knight laid-off to
substitute Gary Hart to float in a back-post cross that was headed
home by Dean Hammond to make it 1-1.
It stayed level for all of a minute before Hammers hit-back in the
best possible way. Chris Powell's cross was headed down by
Teddy Sheringham for Harewood to stab the ball home and restore
West Ham's advantage.
Just past the hour local hero Bobby Zamora made his first
appearance at the Withdean since leaving for Spurs in 2003 when he
replaced Sheringham.
But it was Brighton looking to equalise for the second time in the
game, and Leon Knight's 25 yard free-kick came within a whisker
of doing just that.
At the other end Hammers remained a threat, though and
Etherington's miss-hit cross almost embarrassed Blayney as the
Seagulls goalkeeper tipped the ball over the bar.
Harewood's low strike from the edge of the area forced Blayney
into another good save, before the striker missed a gilt-edge
chance, volleying wildly over from Shaun Newton's cross.
But as the game closed in on the final 10 minutes, it was Brighton
beginning to lay siege to the West Ham goal.
In response Pards introduced Carl Fletcher for Etherington to shore
up the midfield.
Brighton were certainly having a go, though and with five minutes
left Hammond had another good header, but this time Jimmy Walker
was equal to it.
Hammers looked to be holding firm as the game moved into its 90th
minute. But when Jake Robinson won a corner off Anton Ferdinand the
home fans sensed a chance.
Richard Carpenter's delivery again found Hammond and he powered
a header past Walker to make it 2-2 and rob West Ham of all three
points.
The final whistle was met with jubilation by the relegation
threatened Seagulls, but Hammers knew they had let a chance slip to
move back into the Play-off places.