Uptown Boys

West Ham 0 Leicester City 1

Peter Gilbert 23.8.00

I've never been to Upton Park before, so I went along on this occasion to see what all the fuss was about and find out why we can't win there……since we haven't done so since 1966 and that's a long time - before our money went decimal. It's a tight little ground with plenty of atmosphere but apart from that I can see no reason why we can't do the business.
But then we get the team news……Stan Collymore is out with an achilles injury….that's serious. Callum Davidson is out of the squad with food poisoning and so into the starting line up come Darren Eadie and Steve Guppy who's thrown a little strop in the week about not being in for the last game: 'I don't see myself as a squad player.' says Steve, I know what he means. He was MON's little darlin' so he's got to start his Leicester existence all over again.

West Ham got the game off to a frantic start, and we were immediately penned back in our own penalty box. If we lose this game we'll be well down the league. Funny thing, Stan was interviewed earlier and sounded keen and ready to play.

Straight from the kick off Di Canio forced a good save from Tim Flowers, Savage cleared and Eadie attacked, it was immediately ' end to end' stuff.
Good to see Stuart Pearce back after two broken legs late in his career and getting involved, I'll never forget him scoring that penalty at Wembley as four years of pent up emotion rolled off his heart, a real tear jerker.
Guppy swung in a good cross which Elliott headed wide. Good to see City in their all white kit showing off their expensive tans.
The West Ham fans began blowing bubbles as Suker threatened to show he actually can score against us, but he fluffed it. Margas looked a speedy attacker who might cause our occasionally ponderous center backs some problems.
Guppy seemed off the pace somewhat and appeared to be struggling although he was working through it. Akinbiyi again looked willing to track back but Rowett's heading ability again seemed a little wayward.
12 mins: Di Canio put in a great flick shot which Flowers did well to save, we were under the kosh without doubt.
The Izzett/Lennon partnership which is so important to us began to stutter into life if rather sporadically, Lennon tackled and Izzett ran at people but they were far from running things. Savage added his contribution of snapping tackles, but he has far more to offer than that which is often unrecognized.
Strange to see Nigel Winterburn in the claret and blue when you expected him to be the sole property of Arsenal.
Stimac showed clear venomous dissent he received a yellow card and the ball was moved forward some ten yards by the ref. The free kick was touched to Guppy who's shot flew just too high.
After 25 mins. the pace of the game remained clearly in overdrive with no sign of a let up. In my experience on such occasions the team with the most stamina and resilience often wins the day.
Akinbiyi headed down to Eadie who was bundled over but all we got was a corner from which Elliott teed up Savage but to no avail, the Welshman is not renowned for his shooting ability.
West Ham were playing both Winterburn and Pearce defensively on their left which was a quite awesome formation which Impey down the right never penetrated.
Once again our defenders were finding it difficult to form a pattern of play from the back, they appeared to be trying to short pass their way out of trouble 'a la' Peter Taylor I suspect but they haven't quite perfected the technique as yet.
35 mins: Taggert booked for a scything tackle on Kanoute.
Between them Eadie and Akinbiyi were unable to gain possession of the ball, the team needed them to hold the ball up and bring others into the play but they were not able to do it. The midfield didn't help, we kept giving the ball away.
Guppy won us our third corner of the half, taken by Izzett but nothing came of it again, we seem to be very weak on corners these days.
Kanoute responded by winning a corner for West Ham.
We were than hit on the break by Suker and Di Canio, a great save by Flowers won them another corner, pressure pressure. Ferdinand shot but Flowers saved again for another corner. More pressure and the Hammers roared but we hung on like a boxer on the ropes.
42 mins: Izzett booked for foul on Carrick.
2 mins. added on time. Stimac cropped Savage down and deservedly his second booking followed and off he went despite remonstrations from Di Canio. Watch out City there could be afters here.
We were booed off as the West Ham players went berserk as the players marched off with Rob Savage waving happily at us, Harry Redknapp had a bit of a go at our Rob.. Frankly Stimac only had himself to blame, his first booking was for silly petulance, the second was for dirty play…..no complaint I would say.
It will be interesting to see how the second half goes, if we can keep calm and get hold of the ball we could be OK although under MON we had a bad record of playing against 10 men., let's see what PT can do at half time.
West Ham would now surely behave like a wounded lion; could we be the cunning fox?
So far we looked nothing like scoring a goal, but 0-0 would do us on this occasion, it would have to……..probably.
Suker didn't appear in the second half (probably put in his cage at half time and sedated) and was replaced by ex- City player Gary Charles. Naturally enough the crowd was booing Robbie, for getting the way of Stimac's virtual haymaker. Meanwhile our Rob undaunted dealt out a stinging but fair tackle on Di Canio -.guess what 'Booooooo.' that's right.
Kanoute was being a real pain but Elliott stuck to him.
Akinbiyi ran at goal but shot over the top…….the goals are the same size in the Prem. Ade.
Hislop didn't look too clever, his clearances displayed a certain nerviness , surely a good shot on target would do for him.
Lomas was wildly applauded for chopping Savage just outside the box, Lennon's free kick was weak. We used to be criticized for being so good at set pieces.
The crowd became obsessed with the Welsh wizard.
52 mins: Then a moment for us popped up via the hassling of Savage the ball finding Taggart's head then onto Eadie who lashed the ball home from 10 yards much to our delight.
Let's concentrate and take control; follow Savage's inspiration which causes the opposition to make mistakes and pumps up team mates.
Kanoute began to look like a spent force and was replaced by Kitson. Di Canio began to play up and Savage got involved with a few verbals off the ball.
City enjoy a dog fight and this was rapidly becoming one, the crowd baying for blood and temperamental Latino's flying off their respective handles.
Joe Cole came on for Margas and West Ham launched a more attacking line up.
The game took on a change of form; a metamorphosis almost, West Ham no longer dominated midfield as both teams ploughed into each others' defences, midfield became 'no man's land'.
Cole was lively and Eadie's confidence visibly grew. Rowett and Taggart were in the thick of things.
Di Canio ran 20 yards to call Eadie a'diving cheat' or words to that effect. Eadie appeared to say 'Well that's like the pot calling the kettle black.' but I don't know how that would translate into Italian, and Eadie got his free kick. Moments later Di Canio went down in the box and City got a goal kick.
70 mins gone., and we were not allowing a glimmer of thought about winning, concentration was everything.
Eadie ran strongly and Akinbiyi began to fade. Rowett again failed to get enough distance on his defending headers, he seems to head the ball to central positions when he should be going for the lines, safety first Gary!
Di Canio keeps flouncing about and trying to unsettle Rowett unsuccessfully it has to be said.
We still seem two or three players short of a good team performance but somehow we were smothering the hammers and beginning to build a 'hang on to it' attitude.

80 mins gone and West Ham threw a lot of bodies at the problem. Eadie became the fourth player booked and gave away a free kick on the edge of the box.
Stuart Pearce ran like a rhino at the ball and smashed it against the bar, we were lucky there.
Impey floated a great ball over and Akinbiyi headed it home but someone (not him) was apparently off side.
Cottee came on for Eadie to try and secure a victory against the team he supported as a lad and still does, it's a funny old world but I'm sure TC will only want to win, and sure enough he soon looked rather lively.
Savage was by now not being booed, as the Hammers began to weaken.
Guppy showed a lack of confidence and shot weakly but was still working hard.

A cold wind blew across the ground , we tightened our scarves and stole ourselves for the last 5 mins. as Robbie Savage once again rallied the troops.
Tim Flowers has not adapted to the opportunity of running with the ball, he's always struck me as slow in the extreme, although a good 'keeper he just doesn't like running.
87 mins: Carrick booked.
88 mins: Di Canio suddenly flipped at the linesman for what I don't know, and it took 3 or 4 colleagues to shut him up.
90 mins: Come on hang on lads. Cole fouled by Taggart. Charles takes the free kick, Savage intercepts runs away is dispossessed.
Corner West Ham then another, Flowers punches away Izzett blocks, Savage long clearance, Winterburn to Ferdinand, Cole into the box Flowers saves. Ref ;looking at his watch. 3 mins extra played then Yeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaasssssssssssssssssss
We've done it….. we've done it…… we've done it. 34 years without a win here and PT does it on his first attempt.
Robbie Savage and Tim Flowers were our heroes on the night, the ref was booed but not by us.
Tim gave us his St George's flag salute and we flew up to cloud 9.
Driving back we debated that we can play a lot better than that, in fact we still haven't played well at all but after two games we've got four points, that's top six finish form at least.