Hammers Hit Charlton For Six!

HAMMERS Reserves cruised to a magnificent 6-1 victory over London rivals Charlton Athletic at Dagenham & Redbridge with their best attacking display of the season so far.

Two goals each from Bobby Zamora and David Bellion, plus strikes from David Cowley and Jeremie Aliadiere gave Hammers their biggest victory of the season and capped a great night for Kevin Keen's men at the Glyn Hopkin Stadium.

Kevin Keen named a strong line-up, which included seven players with first-team experience including Play-off Final hero Zamora.

Tony Stokes was named captain of the Hammers, a mark of the progress the Academy player has made in the past year.

Charlton had former Hammers youth-team player Matt Holland in their midfield and defender Jon Fortune at the back, a scorer for the Addicks first-team the last time they played West Ham United at Upton Park.

Hammers made a great start to the game, taking the lead after only four minutes when Jeremie Aliadiere won possession from Sheku Kamara and fed Zamora who showed his class by powering outside the defence and firing under goalkeeper Rob Elliot with a left-foot drive to make it 1-0.

But Charlton fought back and had an equaliser ten minutes later. Alistair John came off the right wing for Charlton, ducked inside Elliott Ward and outside James Tomkins before planting a low shot past the helpless Bywater to make it 1-1.

Hammers were straight back on the attack though, Stokes shooting just wide with a shot from the edge of the area, before Zamora was back on the scoresheet on 22 minutes to put West Ham back in front.

Jemel Henry fed David Bellion wide on the right and he swung over a deep cross that arrived on the toe of Zamora, and the striker made no mistake, finishing coolly from close range to put Hammers 2-1 up.

On the half hour, Hammers confirmed their dominance when David Bellion added a third. Again Zamora was involved, his headed flick on releasing the pace of Bellion.

The French star, on loan from Manchester United, sprinted clear of Fortune, coolly rounded Elliot and tucked the ball home to give West Ham United a commanding 3-1 advantage.

Four minutes later another pacy Bellion run opened the Charlton defence again, but his touch away from the advancing Elliot fell to a Charlton defender who was able to clear.

Moments later Elliot was in action again, this time Tony Stokes testing the Addicks goalkeeper with a curling shot that he tipped away from the top corner. But from the resulting corner a rampant West Ham extended their advantage with Bellion's second of the game.

A corner from the left was flicked on by Aliadiere at the near post and Bellion was on hand to smash the ball into the roof of the net from close range to put Kevin Keen's men 4-1 up.

The pair combined four minutes before half-time to present Aliadiere with a great chance, Bellion crossing from the right for the striker to hit a first-time shot from the edge of the box that whistled just wide of the post.

Aliadiere tested Elliot again as Hammers completed a dominant and comprehensive first-half performance, which had them leading London neighbours Charlton Athletic 4-1 at the break.

HT: 4-1

Despite West Ham's first-half dominance it was Charlton posing the first genuine threat of the second period when Danny Phillips cut the ball back from the left by-line to James Walker, but he fired into the side-netting from a tight angle.

Hammers responded in the best possible way though, putting the game all but out of Charlton's reach with another goal just past the hour mark. David Cowley created a shooting chance for himself, wriggling across the edge of the box before firing a skidding shot that defeated Elliot and nestled into the bottom corner of the net to make it 5-1.

The fantastic French duo of Aliadiere and Bellion then carved out an opening, the latter seeing Elliot do well to block at his feet.

On 68 minutes Zamora should have buried a sixth goal for West Ham after Ishmael Welsh's pass had released him on the right, but on a hat-trick he decided to square the ball, allowing the Charlton defence to clear.

There was no such chance on 70 minutes though when Aliadiere made it 6-1 to West Ham United with a well-taken finish, firing beyond Elliot from 12 yards out after Zamora had picked him out with an excellent deep cross.

With 15 minutes left ex-Hammer Matt Holland ended a tough night when he was replaced by Dane Springer for Charlton and with just over 10 minutes to go Ryan Andrews replaced Jemel Henry for the Hammers.

West Ham continued to press as the game drew to a close, but this game was already long over as a contest with Hammers Reserves cruising to an emphatic 6-1 victory and back-to-back wins in the FA Premier Reserve League.

WHU: Bywater; Henry (Andrews 79), Clarke, Tomkins, Ward, Stokes, Bellion, Cowley, Zamora, Aliadiere, Welsh. Subs unused: White, Reed (GK), Jeffrey, Widdowson.
Scorers: Zamora 4, 22, Bellion 29, 35, Cowley 61, Aliadiere 70

Charlton: Elliot; Fuller, Brandao, Phillips, Wilson, Fortune (Murtagh 34), John, Holland (Springer 75), Kamara, Walker, Cottrell. Subs unused: Clifford, Nielsen (GK).
Scorer: John 14