Stoke 1 West Ham 1

With reports of a bust up between Grant and Dyer the player didn't even make the bench. Behrami made his first start of the season. Da Costa was brought in to central defence to replace Ben Haim, Gabbidon started at left back and Jacobsen at right back.

The first half soon took on a predictable pattern with West Ham dominating possession and Stoke reliant on long balls and long throws forward to Jones. West Ham had a couple of early chances to grab the lead. In the 10th minute Cole fired wide from the edge of the box and in the 15th minute Obinna forced a save from Sorensen.

In the 31st minute Parker grabbed a goal from close range. After the goal West Ham only really challenged the Stoke goal once with a 20 yard effort from Noble that was straight at Sorenson.

At the other end Stoke looked dangerous from set plays. In the 17th minute Huth got to a freekick first and his shot from about four yards hit the post. In the 37th minute Jones headed over from a corner from only five yards out.


Stoke came out strongly in the second half and it only took them three minutes to get the equaliser. Pennant crossed from the right wing and Jones ran into the box and beat Da Costa and Green to the ball at the far post to head in from four yards.

Stoke then began to dominate the play and nearly got their second in the 59th minute. Jones shrugged Upson off the ball in the area and turned and shot from ten yards wide of the left hand post. Green did really well to just get his fingertips to the ball and deflect it onto the post.

It took West ham about twenty minutes to settle into the second half and start to keep possession again. In the 70th minute Obinna pounced on a loose ball and fired a low shot in from the edge of the area. Sorensen did well to get down and tip the ball wide for a corner. From the corner Da Costa rose at the far post and forced another good save from Sorenson with a powerful header.

In the 74th minute Piquionne headed wide from 10 yards from an Obinna cross. In the 82nd minute Delap threw another long ball into the box, Fuller rose and headed the ball down from 8 yards. The ball bounced up and onto the underside of the crossbar and luckily for West Ham came down the right side of the goal-line.

in the 85th minute Parker shot just wide left from the edge of the area. Late on in the 90th minute Etherington tried to chip Green from wide left but Green managed to back-pedal and tip the ball over the bar.


So West Ham get their first point of the season, scored another goal from open play and didn't let three goals in. In West Ham's terms I guess that's a result.