Arsenal reserves v West Ham United reserves
Barclays Premier Reserve League
London Colney training ground
Tuesday 19 October 2010
Kick-off: 2pm
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Final score - Arsenal reserves 4-1 West Ham United reserves
90min - There goes the final whistle. A disappointing days for the reserves but Alex Dyer will know his men are capable of better, having previously won their first three games without conceding.
90min - Arsenal are just playing keep-ball. Think we have seen the last of the action. Still the rain comes down...
90min - We are playing two minutes of added time.
89min - GOAL! - Former Arsenal schoolboy Abdulla sends the keeper the wrong way with a shot into the corner.
88min - Penalty to West Ham. Subuola is foulded by Nordtveit.
88min - Faubert is shown a straight red card. He chased a long ball down and clashed with a defender.
88min - Arsenal have looked good today. They have made the most of the slick surface and zipped the ball around well. Dyer will know his team can do better, as they have shown with away wins at Everton and Liverpool.
87min - Emmanuel-Thomas goes forward again. Tomkins steps in to nick the ball away and avert the danger.
86min - GOAL! - Emmanuel-Thomas completes his hat-trick. He picks the ball 30 yards out and rifles an unstoppable left-foot shot just inside the post. Stech dived full length but couldn't get there.
85min - This is going to be only the reserves second defeat in eleven matches this season. Faubert brings the ball forward, beats a defender and has a left-foot shot at the goal from 20 yards. Shea holds on to it well.
84min - Emmanuel-Thomas threads the ball through to Afobe on another attack but it comes to nothing. One of the positives this second half has been Subuola's showing off the bench. He can be pleased with his efforts.
83min - GOAL! - Emmanuel-Thomas runs up to take the penalty and sends Stech the wrong way. 3-0.
83min - Eastman flicks the ball to Murphy, and he goes down under a challenge from Tomkins. The referee points to the spot.
82min - Paul Groves is still out there on the halfway line watching the action, with no umbrella I can add.
81min - Arsenal are making a third substitution. Vela is going off to be replaced by Henderson. Not surprisingly, given the sleet that is now chucking it down, the Mexico striker goes straight back to the dressing room.
80min - McCarthy breaks clear. He finds Subuola, who gets after the ball only for Hoyte to clear away.
78min - You wouldn't think it is mid-afternoon judging by the dark sky. The weather is pretty grim and summer seems a long time ago. The referee takes a tumble.
76mins - Lansbury and Vela play a one-two, but Stech is alert to the danger and hacks the ball clear.
74mins - Vela takes a corner, he finds Lansbury but he slices wide.
73 mins - It's now officially pouring with rain.
71 mins - Into the final 20 minutes and no sign of the West Ham comeback just yet...
67 mins - Arsenal make another substitution, replacing Sunu with Murphy. Moments later, Vela curls another shot well high and wide of Stech's goal.
66 mins - It is like the bleak mid-winter here at present. It is dark, cold and just about to tip it down. On the pitch, meanwhile, Wearen and Abdulla are making their presence felt with some sharp tackles.
64 mins - Vela shoots left-footed from about 20 yards, but the netting his effort finds is the one behind the goal rather than the one being defended by Stech. Arsenal make their first change, with Aneke being replaced by Benik Afobe.
63 mins - Judging by the blackness of the sky, it's going to absolutely chuck it down in about two minutes, so please bear with me...
61 mins - A third change for West Ham, with Jordan Brown replacing Valim. Here comes the rain again...!
59 mins - Emmanuel-Thomas finds Vela wide on the left. The Mexican is fouled, but when the free-kick is delivered by Emmanuel-Thomas, it is Tomkins who rises highest to head powerfully clear.
56 mins - Lee gets to the byline before driving in a low cross towards McCarthy, but it is cut out. Seconds later, West Ham win another free-kick near the Arsenal box. It is taken short to Faubert, whose cross is claimed by Shea.
55 mins - The Gunners are threatening to wrap this game up as Sunu attacks and the Hammers somehow scramble the ball behind for a corner. The cross comes in and is headed up into the air before Stech claims. West Ham break and Subuola runs at the Gunners defence, but is crowded out before he can get his shot away.
54 mins - Emmanuel-Thomas is having a good game here. He beats one defender before being fouled by Tomkins. Vela and Lansbury pretend to make a mess of the set piece before the latter rolls the bal swuad for Aneke, who takes a touch and curls a delightful shot that clips the crossbar on the way over the top.
53 mins - Spence gets a bang in the back and West Ham have a free-kick wide on the left level with the Arsenal box. Abdulla crosses, but it's cut out at the near post and Arsenal clear.
51 mins - A second change from Dyer, who replaces Stanislas with Eoin Wearen.
49 mins - GOAL! Emmanuel-Thomas is a real one to watch for the future, that's for sure. The No7 cuts in from the right-hand side, beats two defenders and calmly slots the ball past Stech to double Arsenal's lead. Very impressive from the big man.
48 mins - West Ham have made a change at the break, with Daniel Subuola on for Montano. No change in formation, though. Lee intercepts the ball about 30 yards out before shooting, but his effort flies over the top. Arsenal come forward from the goal kick and Sunu shoots from distance, forcing Stech to tip over.
47 mins - Stech is called into action early in the second period, but his handling is secure as he catches a shot in front of his face.
46 mins - McCarthy and Stanislas get the second half up and running. Can the Hammers hit back and maintain their 100 per cent start to the season? As we re-start, the sun comes out again.
The two teams emerge from the dressing room to be met with a deluge from the skies. The rain is coming down hard, but I think it will blow over quickly enough. West Ham will get us back under way shortly.
Half-time score - Arsenal reserves 1-0 West Ham United
46 mins - Into added time and McCarthy gets clear down the left touchline before crossing towards Montano. The Academy graduate can only divert his effort well over the top. Seconds later, the whistle goes for half time.
44 mins - GOAL! To be fair, that had been coming in the last couple of minutes. Arsenal knocked the ball around patiently, waiting for a chance to pounce. Vela dropped deep before finding Emmanuel-Thomas wide on the right with a delightful pass. The big winger powered past his marker before crossing low. Stech tried to cut out the ball, but could only divert it into the path of Aneke, who heads in from a couple of yards out.
41 mins - Dagenham & Redbridge manager John Still is here now. It's a gallery of familiar faces along the touchline. I wonder who he is looking at as a potential loanee?
39 mins - Half time is rapidly approaching and there isn't much going on at present. Arsenal are playing some nice, neat football as you might expect, but they're not creating much at present. Stech's two saves aside, he's not had a lot to do.
36 mins - The boss has arrived just in time to see Spector make an inch-perfect tackle to stop Vela in his tracks on the edge of the penalty area. If he'd got that wrong, he could have been in a lot of trouble. He didn't, though, and West Ham clear.
35 mins - Hammers manager Avram Grant has arrived after taking first-team training at Chadwell Heath this morning. He joins Zeljko Petrovic, Paul Groves, Kevin Keen and David Coles on the touchline.
33 mins - Good spell of possession for the visitors, who keep the ball well before Lee spots the rampaging Faubert down the right flank. The Frenchman controls before whipping over a cross, but Shea is there to collect. The Hammers are communicating well out there, working hard to keep Arsenal at bay.
28 mins - Good stuff. Lee finds Abulla, who skips past his marker and runs at the Arsenal defence. He draws the defenders before feeding Montano. The Colombian cuts on to his left foot and sends in a rising shot that Shea can only help over the crossbar. The corner is delivered by Stanislas, but the referee spots an infringement and Arsenal have a free-kick.
26 mins - Arsenal have a free-kick wide on their left. Vela curls the ball in and Tomkins can only head the ball behind for a corner. Lansbury takes it right-footed and over-hits his cross. The ball flies all the way across and out for a goal kick.
24 mins - That was a close call! Strapping No7 Emmanuel-Thomas streaks through, riding a challenge from Spence before sliding his left-foot shot a couple of yards wide of the right-hand post. Stech could only stand and watch.
22 mins - Close to an opening for McCarthy. Spence brought the ball forward before playing a neat one-two with Abdulla and chipping the ball over the top for McCarthy to chase. Hoyte and Shea also got involved and the Arsenal pair inadvertantly tackle each other outside the Gunners box. Unfortunately, the ball does not drop to a Hammers player and Arsenal clear.
21 mins - Aside from the rumble of traffic on the M25, it's been a quiet start to the game for the Hammers. Home keeper Shea hasn't had much to do. More positively, the Hammers still haven't conceded a goal in the reserve league this term - it's now 291 minutes and counting...
18 mins - Nice one-touch stuff from West Ham sees them ping the ball around in midfield before Montano gets clear down the right. He tries to cut inside Meade, but the left-back keeps his eyes on the ball and snuffs out the danger.
17 mins - Abdulla and Lee combine before McCarthy tries to play Stanislas in down the middle, but again the pass is slightly too strong and Shea picks the ball up.
16 mins - Lee gives the ball away in midfield, allowing Vela to run at the West Ham defence. He shoots left-footed and Stech dives low to his left to help the ball around the post. From the corner, Arsenal captain Miquel gets his head to the ball at the back post, but it's too high and flies harmlessly behind.
14 mins - Faubert bursts down the right before sending in a dangerous-looking cross towards Stanislas and McCarthy. Defender Hoyte is there to block and then hack clear amid shouts for handball by the Hammers players. Nothing is given.
13 mins - Former Luton Town and Tottenham Hotspur manager David Pleat is among the small crowd watching here at London Colney. Well, he's not watching at present, as he has his back to the game and is deep in conversation.
11 mins - Faubert is playing at right-back, with Spector and Tomkins in the middle. Further forward, McCarthy is central, with Stanislas wide left and Montano wide right.
9 mins - Lee does well to beat Lansbury in a tackle before trying to thread a through-ball for Stanislas, but it's just too strong and Shea is out to smother. The rain has stopped, thank goodness...
8 mins - Brilliant from Stech again. Lansbury breaks through into the middle of the penalty area before stabbing the ball goalwards, but Stech sticks out his big left leg to block. The goalkeeper shouts at his defenders to get tighter to their men in future.
7 mins - Good hold-up play from Montano sees him find Lee, who feeds Stanislas. The midfielder plays the ball wide left to McCarthy, who tries to cut inside Nordtveit, but the right-back is strong and clears.
5 mins - Sunu gets to the byline and crosses low, but Spector is there to stab the ball clear.
3 mins - A first chance for the Hammers as Montano breaks into the box. He beats one defender before a strong block tackle from opposite No11 Sunu brings an end to the youngster's run.
1 min - Arsenal kick-off kicking from right to left as I look at it. The Gunners break straight from the start but West Ham clear to Montano. He loses possession wide on the right and Sunu finds Lansbury on the right side of the box. He shoots powerfully, but Stech makes a fine save to tip the ball over. He then claims the resulting corner.
2.01pm - We're off and running...
1.55pm - You join us here just as the heavens open and the rain comes down on Arsenal's London Colney training complex. With no shelter, keeping up the live text updates and keeping the laptop dry could prove to be major challenges. I'll do my best, though! Both teams have returned to their dressing rooms for their final preparations, but they'll be back soon for kick-off.
Good afternoon and welcome to Arsenal's London Colney training complex for today's Barclays Premier Reserve League fixture.
Alex Dyer's second string have been literally unbeatable in recent weeks, starting the 2010/11 campaign with three consecutive victories without conceding a single goal. Everton and Liverpool have both been defeated 1-0 away from home, while Wigan Athletic were beaten 2-0 at Thurrock FC's Ship Lane ground on 28 September.
Dyer again has a strong, experienced squad at his disposal, with full internationals Jonathan Spector, Julien Faubert and Benni McCarthy all in the starting XI. Marek Stech, James Tomkins, captain Jordan Spence and Junior Stanislas all have plenty of first-team experience under their belts too.
McCarthy has looked sharp in recent reserve-team outings as he continues his return to full match-fitness, scoring in the wins over Wigan and Liverpool. Stanislas, meanwhile, was on target at Everton and against Wigan.
With Arsenal in UEFA Champions League action at home to Shakhtar Donetsk this evening, Gunners reserve-team coach Neil Banfield has fielded a very youthful side. However, Mexico international Carlos Vela starts for the hosts.
West Ham are not only seeking their fourth straight win to start the new season, but also their third consecutive reserve league victory at Arsenal, having defeated the Gunners on their own patch in each of the last two campaigns.
Arsenal reserves: Shea, Nordtveit, Meade, Hoyte, Miquel, Eastmond, Emmanuel-Thomas, Lansbury, Sunu (Murphy 67), Vela (Henderson 81), Aneke (Afobe 63)
Subs: Randall, Martinez
West Ham United reserves: Stech, Spector, Spence, Tomkins, Valim (Brown 61), Faubert, Lee, Abdulla, Stanislas (Wearen 51), Montano (Subuola 46), McCarthy
Subs not used: Wootton, Eyjolfsson