West Ham's survival bid ended in failure as their draw at Birmingham was
no match for Bolton's win at home to Middlesbrough.
The Hammers knew from the word go they had to obtain a better result than Sam
Allardyce's side and it looked bleak when the Trotters opened up a 2-0 lead.
Les Ferdinand's 66th-minute header, along with a goal from Michael Ricketts at
the Reebok Stadium, gave Trevor Brooking's side hope but Geoff Horsfield's
deflected equaliser finally ended the dream.
Stern John then put the home side ahead and though Paolo di Canio grabbed an
instant reply for the Hammers, Bolton's win meant there was nothing they could
do.
The Hammers go down with the Premiership's best-ever points total in a 38-game
season of 42 and ended the year with a run of three wins and a draw but
ultimately it was too little, too late.
Birmingham, who shortly before kick-off signed Christophe Dugarry on a
two-year deal from Bordeaux after a successful loan spell, brought in Stan
Lazaridis in place of Bryan Hughes in the only change from the side which lost
at Newcastle last week.
Darren Purse continued in defence in place of Kenny Cunningham, out with a
groin problem. Matthew Upson was alongside Purse in the back line, with the
suspension from his red card last week not coming into effect until the start of
next season.
The first real chance though fell to the visitors in the ninth minute when Les
Ferdinand came out best in an aerial clash with Upson and played in Jermain
Defoe, who beat the offside trap. However, he hesitated and allowed Ian Bennett
to come out and block his shot and Steve Lomas ultimately blasted the ball over
from 20 yards.
Bad news filtered through that Bolton had gone ahead at home to Boro, a
scoreline which - if it stood - would render this result meaningless.
Glen Johnson then had to back-pedal to nod a dangerous Lazaridis free-kick
away from Dugarry in the 13th minute, with the Frenchman storming in at the far
post.
Worse news followed from the Reebok Stadium for all West Ham's transistor
radio-toting fans as Jay-Jay Okocha made it 2-0 to Bolton.
And it was the home side who were well on top at St Andrews as Christian
Dailly had to hack away another dangerous low cross from Lazaridis.
Tomas Repka put his body on the line to block a venomous volley from Stephen
Clemence in the 25th minute, the Czech defender requiring treatment.
Rufus Brevett - sent off here for Fulham earlier in the season - was booked by
referee Graham Poll for a late tackle on Damien Johnson as the Hammers struggled
to assert themselves on the match.
A wild effort from Ferdinand on the half-hour was the best West Ham had
produced since Defoe's early miss as the tension inevitably spread to the
players.
Defoe came close with a swerving free-kick as Kenna - back on the Blues
goalline - headed away for a corner.
Joe Cole then made his first real contribution, moving inside on to a pass
from Steve Lomas and testing Bennett with a shot from distance which the City
goalkeeper gathered at the second attempt.
Bennett - whose testimonial match is on Wednesday - made heavy weather of what
should have been a routine save to a weak low header from Dailly.
West Ham's Johnson then marauded down the right and sent in a powerful low
cross, but not one team-mate attacked the ball.
Birmingham's best chance of the half came in injury time as Lazaridis centred
from the left and Geoff Horsfield headed powerfully goalwards, drawing an
excellent save from David James.
West Ham knew a goal for Birmingham would almost certainly kill them off and
the nerves almost got the better of James, who needed two attempts to gather a
deep cross from Johnson.
Repka then made a vital clearing header to deny Dugarry an effort on goal
before Frederic Kanoute did not arrive quickly enough to apply the finishing
touch to Ferdinand's header back across goal.
The best chance of the game then fell to Ferdinand seven yards from goal after
Johnson's ball into the box, but somehow Bennett spread himself to deflect his
shot over the crossbar.
Dugarry was denied at the other end after neat interplay with Lazaridis, James
rushing out to block his shot as Robbie Savage followed up.
Trevor Sinclair tried to lift the Londoners and played a good give and go with
Kanoute but Purse was able to get in the way of his goalbound effort in the 58th
minute.
A cheer rang out among the visiting fans for Michael Ricketts' goal for Boro
at Bolton. Defoe supplied an excellent low ball in with the outside of his right
foot but again no-one attacked the ball as it ran across goal.
Dugarry's season came to an end in the 63rd minute when Stern John replaced
him. There was a new spring in West Ham's step as Kanoute raced into the
right-hand side of the box and picked out Sinclair at the far post. His header
had beaten Bennett but Upson somehow cleared it off the line with the help of
the underside of the crossbar.
The goal they craved finally came after 65 minutes when Cole slung in a cross
from the left and Ferdinand stooped to nod in from close range. West Ham's fans
chanted "Come on Boro" as an equaliser for Steve McClaren's side would keep
them up.
Ferdinand won an impressive header and it fell to Defoe, who moved onto his
right foot but saw his effort deflected wide for a corner. The England Under-21
striker was thwarted again in the 76th minute, with Upson once again the man
getting the block in.
With 10 minutes to go the dream that flickered briefly for West Ham was all
but extinguished when Clemence slipped the ball through to Horsfield, who lifted
the ball over James with the help of a large deflection off Brevett.
The Hammers full-back made way for di Canio - surely making his last West Ham
appearance - in the 82nd minute, to see if he could push them back ahead.
Brooking went for broke late on, replacing Cole with Don Hutchison and as they
pushed forward they were caught on the counter-attack.
A wonderful move ended with Savage driving in a low cross and John stretching
out his left foot to blast the ball into the roof of the net.
The visitors refused to give up and equalised within a minute, Defoe working
some space and crossing for di Canio, who nodded in at the far post.
With no further developments at Bolton, it mattered not that West Ham could
not find a winner.
Teams:
Birmingham: Bennett, Kenna (Devlin 73), Purse, Upson, Clapham,
Damien Johnson, Savage, Clemence, Lazaridis (Hughes 73),
Dugarry (John 63), Horsfield.
Subs Not Used: Marriott, Michael Johnson.
Booked: Clemence, Savage.
Goals: Horsfield 80, John 88.
West Ham: James, Repka, Dailly, Brevett (Di Canio 82), Johnson,
Sinclair, Lomas, Cole (Hutchison 87), Defoe, Les Ferdinand,
Kanoute.
Subs Not Used: Van Der Gouw, Cisse, Moncur.
Booked: Brevett.
Goals: Les Ferdinand 66, Di Canio 89.
Att: 29,505
Ref: G Poll (Hertfordshire).
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