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You are in: Football: Eng Prem |
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Saturday, 11 May, 2002, 16:18 GMT 17:18 UK
West Ham climb to seventh
Lomas scored just before the break for West Ham
West Ham 2-1 Bolton
West Ham scored at the end of each half to subdue Bolton and climb into seventh place above London rivals Tottenham at the end of their Premiership campaign. The Hammers' Steve Lomas fired home on the stroke of half-time and Ian Pearce netted from a late corner after French international Youri Djorkaeff had levelled for Bolton. West Ham finished as London's third most successful side - below champions Arsenal or Chelsea - after Tottenham lost 2-1 at relegated Leicester. Meanwhile, Premiership new-boys Bolton ended their 2001-2 campaign in 16th, two places above the drop zone. But it was Bolton who were far more spritely at the start and had West Ham under the cosh for the first quarter of an hour.
The home crowd ignited, however, when Michael Carrick searched out Jermain Defoe in the Bolton box and his appeals for a penalty, after a challenge from Gudni Bergsson, were ignored. As the intensity levels crept up, West Ham's Joe Cole blotted his copybook in the week he secured his England World Cup place. Cole was booked after 19 minutes when he fouled Per Frandsen and then kicked the ball away, prompting a yellow card for dissent. But the Hammers took this affront to their young star as a cue and were only denied an opening goal after 22 minutes by Bolton goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen. Carrick found some space on the left edge of the box and he whipped in a fierce low shot which Jaaskelainen tipped round his near post. West Ham were warming to their theme and first Freddie Kanoute and then Christian Dailly went close. The home side came close again soon after through England reject Trevor Sinclair, who crossed from the left for Kanoute, only for the Frenchman to miss the target.
But on the stroke of half-time West Ham's pressure finally reaped its rewards. Defoe's fierce shot from just inside the left edge of the Bolton box was stopped by Jaaskelainen, but the ball fell at the feet of Lomas who stroked it into an empty net from three yards. After the break, West Ham nearly shot themselves in the foot when Repka fouled Holdsworth and was booked for protesting too strongly. The free-kick was moved forward to the edge of the box and Djorkaeff fired his shot against the far post. Equaliser Bolton were still fragile at the back and survived two scares in the space of a few seconds - first Jaaskelainen saved from Kanoute before Cole hit the post. But half-time substitute Dean Holdsworth had looked threatening and he went close on 58 minutes, only for his 20-yard shot to be flicked over by England goalkeeper David James. Bolton survived a triple chance from Kanoute - when his first effort was saved, his follow-up header came back off the crossbar, and then he headed the ball on to the roof of the net. But the visitors hit back on 67 minutes when Djorkaeff's 20-yard free-kick took a slight deflection to creep inside James' far post. As the game opened up, both sides had chances but it was West Ham who had the last laugh when Pearce headed home Carrick's corner on 89 minutes for the winner.
West Ham: James, Pearce, Repka, Dailly, Winterburn, Sinclair,
Carrick (Moncur 90), Cole, Lomas, Defoe, Kanoute (Garcia 90).
Subs Not Used: Hislop, Labant, Potts.
Bolton: Jaaskelainen, Barness, Charlton, Bergsson, Frandsen,
Djorkaeff, Konstantinidis (Smith 59), Farrelly, Bobic,
Tofting (Nolan 45), Ricketts (Holdsworth 45). Attendance: 35,546 Referee: M Dean (The Wirral).
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