The first half display from the Irons was of the variety
that would induce even the most mild-mannered supporter to spit out his Bovril
and, in one swift ninja-esque movement, rip off his replica West Ham top and
tear up his season ticket (an especially difficult manoeuvre, given that all
Boleyn Ground season tickets are now in plastic card format.) It wasn’t just
that West Ham created a load of chances and didn’t put them away; it was that
even more so, our wingers seemed to be afraid to attack the chocolate fireguard
that is Clint Hill and the budding gaffer that is Ryan Nelson; instead
persisting in intricate build up play down by the flanks, where the visitors
have been, it has to be said, pretty solid of late.
As ever, the driving force behind all United’s attacks was
the man mountain Momo Diame; yet again proving that he is much more than just a
midfield heavyweight with a series of driving runs into the QPR penalty area.
Time after time, his progress continued unchallenged by the QPR rearguard and a
dangerous ball was swung across the visitors’ six yard box, but time after time
there was nobody on the end of it. Something had to give, and after 14 minutes,
it did- but not the way one would have expected it to, given the one sided
start to the game. From yet another Hammers’ near miss, QPR broke forward. A
pin point pass from ex Spurs man Adel Taarabt found one-time West Ham transfer
target Loic Remy, an £8 million signing for the R’s a few days previously. The
Irons back four were caught napping and the former Marseille hitman dispatched the
chance before Jussi Jaaskelainen could come out and narrow the angle. It would
not be entirely fair to say that the goal “galvanised” the Irons, as they
simply continued as they were before conceding; with the onslaught on the
visitors’ goal continuing, and skipper Kevin Nolan going close on more than one
occasion. For a side rooted to the bottom of the league however, QPR proved
remarkably difficult to break down and retained their slender lead as the half
time whistle blew.
If the first half had been one-sided, then the second half
was simply a massacre. Joe Cole, back at his old stomping ground and facing the
team who the Hammers beat to his signature, was everywhere. An ineffectual
first half display was soon forgotten as all West Ham’s attacks began to be
channelled through him and his mazy runs- much as we channelled our attacks
through Diame’s driving runs in the first half. However, as with the first
half, chance after chance went begging. Marouane Chamkah, enjoying a competent
home debut for the Irons and unlucky not to win a penalty in the first half
when he was felled by Shaun Wright-Phillips, was hooked for the original Cole- CC
was on the scene. From Matt Jarvis’ cross, the big number nine’s header was
well kept out by Julio Cesar but the former Inter Milan stopper could do
nothing about the striker’s namesake Joe’s follow up; 1-1. Now the Irons really
got going and through everything at QPR in the last 20 minutes. Winston Reid
saw a shot well blocked by Stephane Mbia and the goalscorer Cole almost won it
with 10 to go after rounding Cesar but had his shot cleared off the line by
Hill. The game finished somewhat prematurely after 4 minutes of added time;
given that QPR’s Mbia was down injured for a good couple of minutes halfway
through the second period and both sides used a combined five substitutes,
where QPR made the most of the opportunity to waste time. Not really good
enough for the Hammers, who, having created “enough chances to win three games”
as the late Brian Clough once put it, desperately need a fox-in- the-box type
finisher. What about that Loic Remy? He’s alright and he’s not happy at
Marsei.. oh, wait.
TEAMS
WEST HAM UNITED
Jaaskelainen; Demel, Tomkins, Reid, O’Brien; J Cole, Noble,
Nolan (Vaz Te ’88), Diame, Jarvis; Chamakh (C Cole ’62)
Substitutes: Spiegel, Potts, Collison, Taylor, Diarra, Cole,
Vaz Te
QUEENS PARK RANGERS
Cesar; Hill, Onuoha, Nelson, Fabio; Derry, Taarabt (Park ’82),
Wright-Phillips (Traore ’58), Mbia, Mackie (Boothroyd ’67); Remy
Substitutes: Green, Traore, Ferdinand, Park, Faurlin,
Hoilett, Boothroyd
Referee: Howard Webb
Report by Alex Shilling
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