West Ham United v Manchester City
Barclays Premier League
Boleyn Ground
Sunday 9 May 2010
Kick-off: 4pm
Referee: Howard Webb
Final score - West Ham United 1-1 Manchester City
94 mins - Referee Webb blows for full-time and the crowd applaud. West Ham have finished the season with a decent performance, here. They're going to have a quick drink now before coming back on to the pitch to thank the fans for their support this season. Don't forget, the new Premier League season is only nine weeks away! We start all over again on 14 August!
93 mins - Franco gets some running repairs before coming back on, but before the game can restart, Vieira is lying on the turf and also needs some treatment.
91 mins - We're going to have at least three more minutes... Parker and Franco combine before the Mexican forces Toure to poke the ball out for a corner. Stanislas's corner hits Franco in the face and he looks stunned. He is not looking good, literally, as the ball has smashed him straight on the nose.
89 mins - Daprela gets a foot in to slow Tevez, who then crosses, but Green is there to catch the high ball. City make a final change, with Johnson being replaced by Greg Cunningham.
87 mins - Spence comes on for Diamanti. The Italian applauds both ends of the ground before reaching the touchline.
86 mins - Jordan Spence is going to get his first-team debut the next time there is a break in play. Meanwhile, Ilan tries to play in Stanislas, but his pass is too strong.
85 mins - This is getting silly. Richards crosses from the right and Wright-Phillips is there with another header, but it flashes over the crossbar.
84 mins - West Ham keep the ball well, Diamanti sees his shot blocked before the ball is worked to Ilan. He shoots from 30 yards, but Fulop is again in the right place at the right time and saves low to his right.
82 mins - The game is finishing as it started, with both sides having good chances. Parker plays the ball to Franco, who turns and shoots from 18 yards, but it is blocked and Fulop is there.
79 mins - Tevez has a great chance to score at his old stomping ground, but his shot lands on the top of the net, rather than in it.
77 mins - Faubert lifts the ball forward and Franco challenges Toure. The ball drops to the Mexican, who forges forward to the edge of the penalty area before shooting, but it's too close to Fulop.
76 mins - West Ham have a corner as Diamanti's shot flicks off a City player. Unfortunately, it is wasted as Diamanti loses possession to De Jong before fouling the Dutchman.
75 mins - Well done Greeny! Faubert blocks Zabaleta's cross and the goalkeeper does superbly to stop the ball going behind for a corner. West Ham break through Franco, who finds Diamanti. His cross is just behind Ilan, who tries to shoot acrobatically, but the ball loops harmlessly through to Fulop.
73 mins - The same pair combine, with Ilan racing through the middle, but Zabaleta gets across to make a fine challenge. Richards is on for Sylvinho, while Tevez comes on for Santa Cruz. The fans respond with a chorus of 'One Carlos Tevez'. It's like the old days...!
72 mins - Ilan turns away from trouble and tries to slot a ball through for Franco, but it's over-hit. I'm not sure the Mexican would have got there, to be honest.
71 mins - Tevez is still messing about with his socks, but Micah Richards is on the sideline already.
70 mins - City are really turning up the heat here, and Green has to show good handling to catch Wright-Phillips' cross in front of Santa Cruz. Tevez is going to come on, too.
69 mins - I forgot to mention that Boa Morte was booked for removing his shirt in celebration earlier on.
68 mins - City are on top here. Adebayor gets in behind but chooses to cut the ball back to Santa Cruz instead of going himself. The pass is behind the Paraguayan, who lifts his shot over the top from 20 yards.
65 mins - The fans go a bit nuts, but it's a former Hammer that they're getting excited about. Tevez gives them a clap in reply before crossing his arms in the traditional 'Crossed Hammers' salute. The Argentina forward will forever be loved in these parts for the role he played in keeping West Ham in the Premier League three years ago.
64 mins - Daprela is booked for a lunging challenge on Johnson. Boa Morte is the first player replaced, and he exchanges a nice hug with Sylvinho on his way off. Cole is the second man to go off.
62 mins - Superb defending twice in quick succession from Da Costa, who first denies Adebayor a shooting chance before putting an end to Sylvinho's slalom run inside the box. Franco and Stanislas are about to come on.
60 mins - The crowd is announced as 34,989 - the highest at the Boleyn Ground this season. Can the home side send the majority of them home happy by scoring a winner.
58 mins - Nice stuff from the talented Diamanti, who nutmegs Sylvinho before cutting back on to his left foot. He loses another City player before smashing a 50-yard pass to Boa Morte, who is offside.
57 mins - Parker again, picking up a pass from Boa Morte before trying to recreate his goal against Wigan. Unfortunately, his shot is too high.
54 mins - Parker appears to be fouled, but Webb allows De Jong to bring the ball clear. City work it wide left to Johnson, who cuts inside - again - and shoots high and wide of the far post.
52 mins - Close again for West Ham. Parker runs forward with customary gusto before slotting a pass through for Ilan. The Brazilian gets there and tries to poke the ball past Fulop, but the Hungarian makes a good save. City break and Johnson beats Daprela before crossing, but Da Costa clears. Diamanti tries to volley the ball upfield but slices it, allowing Vieira to shoot over the top from 20 yards.
51 mins - I know I shouldn't read too much into this game, as City have little to play for other than a bit of prize money, but West Ham look relaxed and confident. Daprela crosses high to the far post where Cole heads down towards Diamanti. The ball bounces and the Italian tries a spectacular scissor-kick, but he cannot generate necessary power and Fulop gathers.
49 mins - Wright-Phillips goes on a strong run at an angle across the midfield, getting away from Kovac before driving his shot wide of the angle of post and crossbar.
48 mins - Faubert collects possession wide on the right before delivering a decent cross towards Cole. The England man wins the header, but he can't direct it on target. Goal kick.
47 mins - Parker picks the ball up about ten yards inside the West Ham half and simply storms through the City midfield, leaving Vieira trailing in his wake before being tackled by Kompany on the edge of the City penalty area.
46 mins - Cole and Ilan get us back underway...
On the sideline, Sylvinho and Zabaleta exchange pleasantries with Guille Franco. All three spent parts of their careers playing in the Spanish league.
Well, we've got just 45 minutes or so of the season remaining. It's been a rollercoaster with, perhaps, more downs than ups on the field of play. Following today's game, we're going to have awards being presented to the likes of Hammer of the Year Scott Parker. We will also see the presentation of the Doris Bell Award to the most promising scholar, plus the inaugural Fan of the Season award. Stay tuned.
Half-time score - West Ham United 1-1 Manchester City
48 mins - City have a corner as Sylvinho's cross is blocked behind by Boa Morte. Johnson to take... Green punches clear and Webb blows for half-time.
47 mins - It's been a cracking half, to be honest. It's flown by. Two teams with players who can, to an extent, relax and play their football has made for a good spectacle.
46 mins - We're going to have three added minutes, at least. Sylvinho celebrates by trying to lob Green from abour 40 yards, but his effort goes over the top.
43 mins - Poor again from West Ham, and this time Faubert is the culprit, handing possession to Johnson 40 yards from goal. He plays in Adebayor, only for Robert Green to make a fantastic save. The ball bounces behind and Johnson has another chance from the corner. He curls it in and Santa Cruz should hit the target, only to head the ball wide of the near post from seven yards. He holds his head in frustration.
42 mins - Zola won't be very pleased with Ilan there. Adebayor rolls the ball across the 18-yard line and Zabaleta has lost his fellow South American. Thankfully, the full-back shows why he is not a striker by slicing horribly over the top from the edge of the penalty area.
39 mins - We had a little break in play as Zabaleta received some treatment following a challenge from Kovac, but we're back underway again now. West Ham go back on the offensive, with Boa Morte spreading play wide to Faubert with a delicious 50-yard pass. Unfortunately, the right-back's cross is too high for Cole and bounces wide.
34 mins - So close! Ilan drives forward and tries to play in Cole. Toure gets a foot to it and the ball breaks to Diamanti. The Italian feigns to pass wide left to Boa Morte before curring back on to his weaker right foot and driving a powerful low shot against the base of the post. The ball rolls out for a goal kick.
32 mins - City have another corner as Boa Morte throws himself in front of Zabaleta's shot and it flies well over the top. Johnson curls the ball in and we enjoy a bit of head tennis before Faubert smashes the ball straight up in the air. Green rises above Adebayor to punch the ball powerfully clear of danger.
30 mins - Da Costa does fancy himself as a bit of a Frank Lebouef-esque passer. He tries another one, but it's just too strong for Cole.
29 mins - The Italian curls the ball to the back post, where Santa Cruz can only head behind for a corner. Diamanti takes it short to Faubert, whose cross is blocked. West Ham win the ball back and Boa Morte lifts it into the box, but it's too high and Fulop catches.
28 mins - You have got to love Boa's commitment. He flies into another challenge before being impeded, winning a free-kick about 30 yards from the City goal. Diamanti will fancy curling this one into the danger zone...
26 mins - City's fans erupt as Adebayor smashes the ball low past Green. What they didn't spot is the assistant referee's flag raised for offside.
25 mins - More goalmouth action, this time at the other end. Diamanti's cross takes a deflection and Cole gets on the end of it. He stabs the ball goalwards, but the shot lacks sufficient power to beat Fulop, who saves low to his left.
23 mins - West Ham are back down to 17th, having spent three heady minutes in 14th. I'd suggest we're going to get some more goals in this one, though. Adam Johnson nearly provides one, skipping past two defenders before being challenged by Upson. The winger wants a penalty, but referee Webb shows that the defender got the ball with his hands. I'm not sure Johnson agrees.
21 mins - GOAL! Johnson gets free down the right and clips a cross to the far post where Wright-Phillips, of all people, rises highest to head back past Green and into the far corner. You'd have got long odds on the England winger scoring with a header.
19 mins - Boa Morte is on fire here, winning the ball back and finding Diamanti, who curls it across the face of goal. Cole tries to get on the end of it and goes down under a challenge from Sylvinho.
17 mins - GOAL! Diamanti plays a superb backheel between Kompany and Toure for Boa Morte, who clips it over the advancing Fulop. Fantastic finish and what a story!
17 mins - De Jong lofts the ball over the top for Wright-Phillips, who controls before stabbing the ball wide. The arms had gone up for offside, and the assistant referee confirms it.
15 mins - Get in there Boa! The midfielder goes in hard, but fair, on Johnson, conceding a throw-in.
14 mins - West Ham are doing well here. First, Daprela sticks to his guns to deny Adebayor, then Parker spins away and finds Ilan, who is fouled by De Jong.
12 mins - We're back down to 17th. Wolves have equalised... Ilan is fouled by De Jong. Diamanti lifts the ball into the box and it initially comes to nothing. Faubert retrieves possession and wins a corner. Diamanti curls the ball in and Toure is there to head clear just in the nick of time.
11 mins - Boa Morte is getting stuck in here, and Wright-Phillips can only stop him by wrestling him to the ground on halfway.
10 mins - As it stands, West Ham are up to 16th as Wolves are losing at home to Sunderland!
8 mins - Lovely football from City down the left, with Sylvinho and Wright-Phillips combining before the Brazilian gets the cross in from the byline. The ball floats just over the head of Santa Cruz and Daprela is there to stab it clear.
6 mins - Johnson is going to have another shooting chance here, I think. Da Costa doesn't like it, but Webb gives a free-kick for his challenge on Santa Cruz. The free-kick takes a slight nick of the wall but Green holds on.
5 mins - Boa Morte has looked like his old self already, winning a couple of tackles. He picks the ball up 30 yards out and lets fly, but the ball sails wide.
4 mins - Some neat build-up play between Parker and Faubert leads to Ilan poking the ball through for Cole, but it skips off the turf and safely into the arms of Fulop.
2 mins - A few big names in the crowd here today. Fabio Baldini, Fabio Capello's right-hand man, is here, as is France manager Raymond Domenech. Kovac gives away a free-kick about 25 yards out, but Johnson curls it into Green's hands.
4pm - City kick-off attacking the Bobby Moore Stand end of the ground...
Good afternoon and welcome to an overcast Boleyn Ground for West Ham United's final fixture of the 2009/10 season.
The Hammers entertain Manchester City, who will be looking to make sure of fifth place after their UEFA Champions League hopes were dashed by a home defeat by Tottenham Hotspur in midweek. City will guarantee fifth with a win, but a defeat would see them drop to sixth if Aston Villa overcome Blackburn Rovers.
Gianfranco Zola's side, meanwhile, can end a disappointing season by finishing as high as 14th providing they win and other results go their way. West Ham will be hoping Bolton Wanderers, Wigan Athletic and Wolverhampton Wanderers all fail to secure a victory. The difference between finishing 14th and 17th is a cool £2.4m in prize month, so there is still a lot to play for.
West Ham have a superb record on the final day of the season in recent years, having gone unbeaten since going down to a 2-1 defeat at Middlesbrough in May 2001.
Zola has named Luis Boa Morte in his starting XI for the first time since the final day of last season, with the Portugal midfielder playing as one of the central three in a 4-5-1 formation. Alessandro Diamanti is also restored to the starting lineup for the first time since the 3-1 home defeat by Wolves on 23 March. Mark Noble and Valon Behrami make way. In defence, Fabio Daprela is in for Jonathan Spector at left-back.
West Ham United: Green, Faubert, Da Costa, Upson, Daprela, Diamanti, Boa Morte, Kovac, Parker, Ilan, Cole
Subs: Kurucz, Spence, Gabbidon, Spector, Stanislas, McCarthy, Franco
Manchester City: Fulop, Zabaleta, Toure, Kompany, Sylvinho, A.Johnson, Vieira, De Jong, Wright-Phillips, Santa Cruz, Adebayor
Subs: Nielsen, Richards, Garrido, Boyota, Cunningham, Ibrahim, Tevez