West Ham Reviews

Most of the newspapers noticed that West Ham had the better of the first half yesterday but Wigan had the better of the second. Most of the newspapers were obviously impressed by Ashton and most point out that he will be undergoing a medical this morning - quoting Curbs saying 'We hope it is cramp.'

The Daily Mail think Ashton is looking slimmer this season. They say Wigan looked 'disinterested' before the half-time break but 'were as impressive in the second half as they were awful in the first'.

The Telegraph believe that Ashton furthered his England claims by scoring twice in front of Capello. They say his first goal was the best moment of the game.

The Guardian called it a 'classic game of two halves'. "West Ham could not have made a better start - and Ashton could not have done more to impress Capello."

The Independent say that "until Ashton limped off in the 72nd minute, he was the significant figure of a bright match. ... Exuding style and panache, Ashton scored twice within the first 10 minutes."

The Times say West Ham "were immensely lucky to hold on to a 2-1 lead that seemed more fragile from minute to minute." Although The Times do concede that West Ham for the first "10 minutes ... looked irresistible."