West Ham 3-2 Wigan

As much as I enjoyed the Hammers win on Saturday I don’t think my nerves can take another season like this. It was a massive win, nothing short of season-defining. Scottie Parker is a hero, Zola has a smile again and West Ham season-ticket holders will stop googling Scunthorpe to find out where the hell it is.

Very simply it was an awful start. Four minutes in and a simple corner came across and Jonathan Spector got confused, we’ll be kind, and tried to nod it wide, but it ended up in the net to give Wigan a easy lead. The silent fans at Upton Park must have felt that it was going to be one of those days with the Hammers failing to make any headway for the next half hour. But as quickly as it looked like Wigan were going to score again, a superb piece of skill from Carlton Cole crossed a neat ball in for new Upton park favorite, the Brazilian, Ilan, who poked it home and it was all square. Then wonders upon wonders, it was 2-1. A beauty of a free-kick from Mark Noble was well saved by the Wigan keeper only to allow Radoslav Kovac to head into an empty net.

After the break, with Hammers fans smiling, Wigan struck back. Another corner and this time Wigan’s Columbian striker, Hugo Rodallega, bundled the ball in with a rather suspicious handball. But the referee didn’t see it that way and it was all square again.

With less than fifteen minutes left of the match, with Hammers fans were wondering if a point would be enough, the Gods smiled over Upton Park. Scott Parker, fresh after being suspended for two games, latched on to a ball from Guillermo Franco and struck the goal past the Wigan keeper with what must be the most important goal of the season.

With Hull’s loss at home to Sunderland only a goal bonanza from Hull can stop the Hammers from enjoying Premier League soccer next season.

Category: Team News