West Ham’s aim

Friday, 22/10/2010

by Elliot Dawson, Shoot's West Ham blogger

Following last Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Wolves the Hammers find themselves still firmly rooted to the bottom of the league, without an away win since the corresponding fixture last year.

Wolves had the better of a first-half in which they took a deserved lead after ten minutes. Growing in confidence they had several chances to stretch their advantage but were foiled by the in-form Robert Green. The defence, led by the impressive Tal Ben-Haim, held firm until the break although we’d had few chances at the other end to threaten an equaliser.

But with Freddie Piquionne and Victor Obinna leading the line we always provide a goal-threat and so it proved in the 53^rd minute when Obinna was brought down in the area by the hapless Kevin Foley. Mark Noble, one of this season’s unsung heroes, dutifully stepped up and slotted the ball home to bring us level.

Growing in confidence we dominated the rest of the game and were it not for the eagle-eyed Mark Clattenburg we would have left Molineux with all three points after a late Piquionne goal which was rightly ruled out for a handball. Piquionne also hit the crossbar with a rasping effort that deserved more.

Once again we showed determination, strength and more than a little invention - all the elements of a team on the up. Arguably we should have come away with a better result but on the balance of play the draw was a fair result.

At some point in the coming weeks though Avram will really need to start going for the jugular – draws keep the points tally ticking over but only wins will see us to safety. The result stretches our unbeaten run to five games in all competitions and again highlights how the gaffer has shored up our once sieve-like defence - if nothing else he has turned us into a difficult team to beat.

Our current position belies the club’s significant improvement after last season’s debacle under the amiable but naive Franco Zola. Under Grant’s tutelage there is a backbone and a stability which was missing for much of our last campaign. There is genuine competition for places and a unity in the dressing room which will be essential if we are to escape the drop.

Saturday’s late fixture against Newcastle United at the Boleyn Ground is, without doubt, the ideal opportunity to create some breathing space away from our bottom-dwelling rivals. It is a game we can, and must, win.

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