Wolves 0-2 West Ham

By: Martin | August 15th, 2009

What a lovely way to start the season with an away win. Wolves’ fans probably hoped that they could start their premiership campaign with at least a draw, but they were no competition for a strong West Ham side. The Hammers showed the Midlands side that they are going to struggle if they are to avoid a quick return to the Championship.

Gianfranco Zola picked Luis Jimenez for his first Premiership game along with Kieron Dyer, who must be itching to pay back some of the faith the team have given him while he has been out with extended injury. With all the transfer talk about Matthew Upson and James Collins, it was good to see both of them starting and ready to get on with the job in hand.

The match started pretty evenly with both teams finding their feet and but it wasn’t too long before the Hammers took control. Jack Collison had an early chance saved by the Wolves goalkeeper, followed by a couple of efforts from Mark Noble and Kieron Dyer within the first twenty minutes.

But it was in the twenty-first minute that the Hammers struck. From the left wing Carlton Cole, sweetly crossed to a totally unmarked Mark Noble who curled his shot from outside of the box past the helpless Wolves goalkeeper.

The goal gave the Hammers a taste for more and half way through the half, Carlton Cole beat the offside trap only to be denied by a retreating goalkeeper. More on target strikes from Noble, Dyer and Herita Ilunga kept Wolves backpedaling until half-time.

I imagine that the Wolves manager, Mick McCarthy, had a few words to say to his lads at the break and in response Wolves started the second half with a couple of efforts that required some of Robert Green’s best goalkeeping moves. The crowd was left in no doubt why Green is the current England first choice. A one handed save by Green from Wolves’ Jody Craddock and a couple of great stops from efforts by Nenad Milijas, kept the Hammers on top. Fifteen minutes into the half, the steam was going out of the Wolves’ attack and it was all over for the Midlands by the 70th minute when the Hammers struck again. This time a corner from Noble found Upson inside the six-yard box who finished decisively with a simple header.

From then on it was all one-way, the fight had gone from the Wolves’ team and it was fortunate for Wolves that efforts by Cole and Jimenez were not converted.

Gianfranco has to be pleased with the way the team played. Despite Zola’s continued attempts to sign Barcelona striker, Eidur Gudjohnsen, Carlton Cole looks like he will continue to get the job done for the Hammers this season.