West Ham United are back in the Premier League following a breath-taking 2-1 win at Wembley in the Play-Off final.
Carlton Cole and Ricardo Vaz Te were West Ham’s Wembley heroes as the Hammers earned the right to rub shoulders with the elite of English football again.
The fastest growing Hammers website is now on Facebook, click the link to be entered into our up and coming competitions http://www.facebook.com/pages/ForeverWestHamcom/200938616608282
My first trip to Wembley, and the most nervous 90 minutes of my life, as the second half of Blackpool dominance meant the Hammers faithful who made up more than half of the attendance
if not more as the Claret and Blue army gazed over at empty seats in the Blackpool end were left thinking if it was their day. But the moment came, in the 87th minute, the scrappiest of all goals but
who cares? After superb work from Carlton Cole whose shot was blocked only for the ball to fall to goal machine Vaz Te to smash home into the open net. The West Ham faithful were bouncing and
singing, hugging there mates tumbling as they are dragged from pillar to post.
That moment will live with me for life. The moment I never thought I’d see, one seeing West Ham at Wembley and two seeing West Ham lift a cup at Wembley, truly amazing.
But let’s not take anything away from the fantastic Blackpool, who were hard working and desperately unlucky not to make my first Wembley experience a nightmare. A second half of dominance and chance after Blackpool chance left finger nails being chewed and prays being said. It could have been oh so different had Stephen Dobbie scored a shot that looked easier to score than miss, that would of made it 2-1 and surely the Hammers wouldn’t have come back from that.
Big Sam, who had a fully fit team for selection before kick-off, chose his Cardiff second leg play off heroes with Jack Collison recovering from his shoulder injury in time to start at Wembley.
Looking for experience? Just want to be heard outside of the Boleyn? We are currently looking for writers, drop us an email at foreverwestham@snack-media.com for more details
To the game itself, in an even first half which ebbed and flowed just like a final should. Blackpool started the fasted and a fingertip Robert Green save meant as the Hammers entered the mid-way point they were still firmly in the game. A long diagonal ball from Matty Taylor was perfectly controlled by the excellent Carlton Cole who lifted the ball into the top corner past the stretching
Gilks. The Hammers were leading at Wembley, and as I was being dragged from pillar to post, arms flinging everywhere.
Just as the Irons were enjoying their Wembley day, pantomime villain for the day Tom Ince son of former Hammer Paul, a hate figure. A rare Carlton Cole error led to the ball being won back in the centre of the park, and after a Taylor-esque ball from Matt Phillips found Ince, the youngster coolly slid the ball across Robert Green to send the travelling tangerine army wild.
This seemed to kick start a siege on the West Ham goal, and it forced the Hammers to play on the counter, something the Hammers thrive on, digging in deep then being clinical when it matters (easy for me to say now in hindsight).But as Blackpool pour forward the nails on the Claret and Blue fingers were being chewed to the core. Dobbie’s miss in particular will be the one Blackpool fans, staff and players alike will live to regret.
But as the Hammers played on the counter the chance began to come as Blackpool legs tired and Kevin Nolan was a fingertip away from putting the Irons ahead, his rasping volley was superbly touched onto the bar by Matt Gilks. But it was to be January signing Vaz Te’s day as he picked up the ball seven yards out, in front of the Claret and Blue army with an open net to send West Ham back to the Promised Land, and he didn’t disappoint as he smashed home to bag his twelve of the season. Cue pure delirium and a complete blur of the last six or so minutes as I prayed for the final whistle.
So, as we saw Captain Kev go up to lift the cup, the moment of sheer pride mixed to relief was all let out in an almighty cheer and a good old sing song as the Happy Hammers bounced around.
Ever dreamt about getting paid for reading about West Ham? Well now you can make dreams a reality http://bit.ly/ffc-foreverwestham
West Ham are back in the big time, how good does that sound, victorious at Wembley and rubbing shoulders again with the likes of Manchester United and City. West Ham United are back where we belong.
“Say We are Going up”
Come On You Irons!
Tweet me @Bowdenwhu with your Wembley memories.
