Barclays Premier Reserve League South
West Bromwich Albion reserves v West Ham United reserves
The Hawthorns
Tuesday 14 April 2009
Referee: J Farries
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Final score: West Bromwich Albion 4-2 West Ham United
Full time - And it is all over at the Hawthorns. A brave display from Dyer's young side against a vastly more experienced West Brom team. West Ham teased us with the thought of a comeback in the second half but the hosts proved too strong in the end. The reserves will finish their season next Tuesday when they travel to the South Coast to play Portsmouth.
89 min - Just as the fourth official puts up his board for two extra minutes, Hines goes on a tricky run down the left and forces his corner. Eyjolfsson heads Kearns' corner just wide of the goal.
88 min - Hines is booked for his second foul in three minutes. Despite the result, it is impossible to fault Dyer's side's commitment here tonight.
81 min - GOAL! But what is this? An inch-perfect Kearns free-kick from the right is met by a sweet volley from Matt Fry as the Hammers give themselves a glimmer of hope.
80 min - GOAL! But it looks as though West Brom have hit a fatal blow here. A neat through-ball put Elford-Alliyu in one-on-one with Kurucz and he dummied his way round the young Hungarian before rolling the ball into an empty net.
78 min - Can West Ham get another goal to give us a tense climax here? They are certainly giving it their all as the rain disappears almost as quickly as it arrives.
76 min - The Baggies make another change as Labadie leaves the field to be replaced by Sam Mantom.
73 min - Out of nowhere we seem to have developed monsoon-like conditions in the Midlands as the rain starts pouring down. That certainly did not help Kurucz, who has to palm away a long-range Kim effort before doing well to force Lake-Gaskin to fire the rebound over.
71 min - Dyer makes his second change as Montano comes on for Grasser. He moves out to the left, with Kearns dropping back into midfield.
69 min - A quick free-kick from Hines sends Kearns racing into the area. He has a quick look up before blasting the ball at the top corner of the net, only to see Kiely pull off a superb finger-tip save.
63 min - Edgar goes into the book after catching Dwayne Samuels after the ball had gone. It was a foul but I cannot help think that the crowd's slight over-reaction may have played their part in getting the No11 booked.
60 min - GOAL! Albion strike again to stop the Hammers' comeback in its tracks. Wood chases a long ball from the back and manages to hold off the challenge of 'Gala before laying a perfect cross along the floor to Elford-Alliyu. The West Brom sub makes no mistake from eight yards.
58 min - A massive shout for handball as a good move involving Grasser and Hines eventually sees Kearns try to flick the ball over a defender's head. The ball does appear to catch him on the hand, but the referee rules no penalty
56 min - Well this half has started as a complete reverse to the first as it is all West Ham. Hines is the latest player to have a shot on goal, but if flies well over.
54 min - I've just heard somebody tell me that Liverpool are 2-0 up in the Champions League at Stamford Bridge. Personally, I think this comeback will be even more impressive should it materialise!
50 min - Donk is booked for a foul in the centre circle.
49 min - GOAL! And get back into the game they do! A Kearns free-kick falls favourably to Bajner and only a great save from Kiely keeps his out. However the rebound falls to Hines, who fires home with his left foot from 10 yards. Game on!
47 min - It looks as though it is a straight swap for West Ham, with O'Neill playing on the right hand side of defence. In front of him in a midfield three are Oliver Lee, Kearns and Grasser and up front Hines, Bajner and Edgar will be trying to score the goals to get West Ham back into the game.
46 min - Bajner and Hines get us underway in the second half. Both teams also use the break to make a change. Ryan O'Neill comes on for Miller, while Lateek Elford-Alliyu replaces Romaine Sawyers.
Half time - And that is it for the first half as Mr Ferries blows his whistle. The home side have played some great football, but the second goal seemed very harsh on the visitors. Can West Ham force their way back into the game in the second half?
45 min - As the fourth official indicates one minute of added time, Labadie hacks down Georg Grasser on the left. Kearns curls it in but Mr Ferries blows up for a foul.
44 min - GOAL! West Brom double their lead just before half time in the cruellest of manners. Ross Labadie shoots 20 yards from goal and there seems to be little danger until it takes a wicked deflection that completely wrong-foots the already committed Kurucz. Tough luck on West Ham, who have been getting better and better as the half wore on.
42 min - Kim has been the catalyst behind much of West Brom's best play here and it is easy to see why when you consider he has played 42 times for his country, including the at Olympics and World Cup.
41 min - 'Gala becomes the first player to be booked for a foul in the centre circle.
35 min - Great work from Hines brings praise from his manager - and a corner to West Ham. Kearns plays it short to Lee, but his cross is headed clear. Better from West Ham.
33 min - A good chance for the Hammers with a free-kick on the left after Carl Hoefkens fouled Edgar. Kearns takes it once more but it somehow manages to evade everyone in the area and go harmlessly wide for a goal-kick.
31 min - The game has settled somewhat now as the Hammers try to establish a foothold on the game.
27 min - Three of the West Ham subs are warming-up on the touchline, while Dyer stands at the edge of his technical area offering advice to his side.
23 min - The action returns to the other end once more as a Kim corner is headed just over by Ryan Donk.
21 min - West Ham launch a rare attack as Hines, Balint Bajner and Oliver Lee all combine well. Albion manage to get the ball clear before the Hammers can conjure up a chance.
20 min - Kim has another shot on goal, this time from a set-piece. He gets it on target, but luckily Kurucz has got his positioning just right and gathers it safely into his arms.
18 min - West Brom attack once more as a clever flick from Seb Lake-Gaskin puts Kim into space 25 yards from goal. He needs no second invitation to shoot and launch fires a shot that goes about 3 yards over Kurucz's crossbar.
16 min - Great tackle from Eyjolfsson as Wood tries to cut in from the left-hand side once more. The 17-year-old Wood has looked a dangerous player so far.
12 min - Another corner to West Brom, who certainly do not look like a side at the bottom of the table. This time Korean forward Do-Heon Kim sees his shot deflected wide off Eyjolfsson. The danger is averted as Kurucz comes out to claim the set piece.
9 min - Goal! And it should have been a warning to Dyer's side as from an almost identical position, Wood gives West Brom the lead. The young New Zealand born forward beat Peter Kurucz with a low shot from just inside the penalty area
8 min - Corner to West Brom on the left-hand side after a good tackle by Ashley Miller. The corner is whipped in but Anthony Edgar is back there to head clear. Moments later the Baggies threaten nearly take the lead as Chris Wood flashes a shot just wide.
6 min - Ouch! That looked painful. Paul Downing went on a zig-zagging run past two players before unleashing a powerful shot straight into 'Gala's behind. I guess it does not matter how you stop them!
5 min - First chance for a shot on goal as West Ham win a free-kick on the left-hand corner of the penalty area. Danny Kearns whips it in, but Dean Kiely in the Albion goal comes out to claim it.
3 min - Dyer has named another young side tonight, with only Hines boasting any first-team experience. 'Gala has come close, after being named on the bench for the first-team three times this year.
2 min - The home side have seen most of the ball in the first minute, but West Ham have it back now as Matt Fry, playing at left-back, sends a ball forward to Zavon Hines.
1 min - West Brom get us underway.
6.59pm - The teams are out and 'Gala leads the boys in claret and blue on to the pitch. I say claret and blue, but they are nearly all in claret tonight so as not to clash with the Baggies' white shorts.
6.55pm - There may be some big games in Europe tonight but for the next 90 minutes everybody here at the Hawthorns is only focused on the outcome of this fixture. If other results go their way, Dyer's side could climb to second in the table, while their hosts tonight will merely be hoping to record their fourth win of the season. It was a classic when these two sides met in the reverse fixture back in September, with four goals from Freddie Sears helping the Hammers to a 4-3 win.
6.50pm - Both sets of players are being put through their paces out on the immaculate-looking playing surface. Goalkeeping coach Jerome John is leading some shooting practice against the goalkeepers, while Dyer keeps an eye on a group warming up near the centre circle.
Alex Dyer makes two changes from the side that beat Stoke City by a single goal seven days ago. Holmar Eyjolfsson has recovered from the knock which kept him out of that game to take his place in central defence alongside captain Bondz 'Gala. Ashley Miller comes in at right-back, with Oliver Lee pushing further forward into central midfield. Conor Okus and Cristian Montano are the pair to make way.
West Bromwich Albion: Kiely, Hoefkens, Samuels, Mulumbu, Donk, Downing, Sawyers (Elford-Alliyu 46), Labadie (Mantom 76), Wood, Kim, Lake-Gaskin
Subs: Gayle, Martin, Knight
West Ham United: Kurucz, Miller (O'Neill 46), Eyjolfsson, 'Gala, Fry, Lee, Kearns, Grasser (Montano 71), Bajner, Hines, Edgar
Subs: Loveday, Harvey, Okus, Barrett