West Ham 1-1 Reserves Wednesday, 9th Jan 2002 09:02 Match report by Dan Botten John McGreal's firm header from a curving Ulrich le Pen corner put Ipswich ahead on 77 minutes before West Ham's Bulgarian striker Todorov back-heeled the equaliser from a uncleared flagkick with seven minutes left. More importantly, Marcus Stewart, McGreal and Le Pen all came through unscathed following recent injuries. The hosts fielded a fairly strong side with the most notable faces being the full-backs Gary Charles and Scott Minto while ex-Liverpool striker Titi Camara partnered Todorov upfront. Marcus Stewart would have been surprised to see recently ‘retired' Helsingborgs keeper Sven Andersson in goal for the Hammers. The giant Swede, who played both games for Helsingborgs in the UEFA Cup, has been taken on trial by Glenn Roeder at Upton Park. The last time Stewart faced Andersson he scored twice — this time round Stewart couldn't find a way past. The only highlight of a goalless first-half was the performance of Keith Branagan. He brilliantly saved Byrne's penalty after 14 minutes, after Erdum Artun was harshly penalised for bundling over Camara, and then saved well again from Todorov's angled snapshot. Despite two early shots from Stewart, Ipswich forced only save when Darren Ambrose's shot was pushed away from Andersson just before the break. Gary Croft, looking to impress any watching scouts, was booked when disputing one of many dubious decisions by the referee. The second half saw no changes for Ipswich but continued in mainly the same pattern as the first 45 minutes. Plenty of possession but little cutting edge. Branagan bravely denied Newton before he watched a Camara overhead kick drift wide following a spell of home pressure. The generally innoucous Coinage saw a shot saved before being being booked for backchat, while Artum was also carded for a a challenge on McCann. Despite the late goals, this game never really hit the heights throughout. It has to be said that the pitch cut up very quickly following the adverse weather and the game on Saturday. Ratings: Erdem Artun 6/10 Gary Croft 6/10 John McGreal 7/10 Justin Miller 7/10 Nabil Abidallah 5/10 Darren Ambrose 6/10 Tommy Miller 6/10 Pablo Counago 5/10 Marcus Stewart 6/10 Ulrich Le Pen 6/10 Subs : Ashley Nicholls 6/10 — 60 min sub for Abidallah - performed capably, Matt Bloomfield 84 min sub for Marcus Stewart, Ian Westlake 90 min sub for Ulrich Le Pen. Latest Table
Photo: Action Images Please report offensive, libellous or inappropriate posts by using the links provided.
You need to login in order to post your comments |
Ipswich Town Polls[ Vote here ] |