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Post by Football News on Apr 30, 2016 16:27:02 GMT
West Brom 0 - 3 West HamWest Ham and Mark Noble keep European dream alive by beating West Brom Away team scorersCheikhou Kouyate 34 Mark Noble 45 +1:55 Mark Noble 79 West Ham boosted their hopes of ending a second successive season with European competition to look forward to after a clinical away victory against a wasteful West Bromwich Albion. Two goals in the space of 11 minutes before the break from Cheikhou Kouyaté and Mark Noble effectively ended this match as a contest, although Tony Pulis could be forgiven for wondering how the points slipped away after his side had made a bright start to the game. Nevertheless it was a thoroughly professional performance from Slaven Bilic’s well-drilled side, with Dimitri Payet once again providing a sprinkling of magic just when it was needed most. West Brom’s stirring comeback against Tottenham at White Hart Lane last week appeared to have given them an extra spring in their step during the opening exchanges. Jonathan Leko, a livewire winger who a few weeks before Prince died became the first player born in 1999 to feature in the Premier League, was handed his full debut by Tony Pulis. That made the newly-turned 17-year-old the eighth graduate of West Brom’s academy to be selected in a matchday squad this season, an achievement they will hope the appointment of new technical director,. Nicky Hammond from Reading on Friday can build on. In contrast, Slaven Bilic’s only homegrown player in an unchanged starting lineup was captain Noble, although their bench did feature defender James Tomkins and their own ultra-talented teenager, Reece Oxford, who has been linked with a move to Manchester City in the summer. A lack of depth in West Ham’s squad has undermined their push for a top four finish in recent weeks and last week’s victory over Watford their first since the start of March. But with a place in the Champions League still not totally out of reach there was certainly still plenty to play for, although initially it appeared that the hosts were more up for the fight. Within six minutes, Leko, who was born in the Democratic Republic of Congo but moved to England aged eight after his father was granted asylum, showed why he is so highly-rated in these parts. England hopeful Aaron Cresswell was dumped on his backside by a whirr of quick feet and Leko’s ball picked out Craig Gardner perfectly. Angelo Ogbonna cleared the first effort, before Adrián saved his follow up. Gardner was to spurn two further chances to put West Brom ahead before Kouyaté eventually opened the scoring. A last-ditch defection from Michail Antonio diverted a curling shot wide, before Gardner headed weakly wide after more brilliant skill from Leko. Yet having served warning a few moments earlier when a stretching Diafra Sakho could not quite reach Cresswell’s centre, Payet’s cross to the back post was inch-perfect and the towering Senegal midfielder simply could not miss. Then, on the stroke of half-time, a powerful surge down the left from Kouyaté caught West Brom napping and Noble was able to stab home his pass from just inside the penalty area. Having begun their season way back on 2 July against Andorran side Lusitano in the Europa League preliminary round, it was perhaps no surprise West Ham tired after the break. The introduction of Saido Berahino briefly added some spark to West Brom’s attack but aside from one chance that he snatched at after being set up by Salomón Rondón, the comeback never really looked on. Noble’s crashing close-range volley from Andy Carroll’s cross sealed the victory in style, with the captain raising both arms as he celebrated having now scored four goals in his last two games in front of the visiting supporters. These are heady days indeed for him and West Ham. Guardian
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