Sunday Fulham Stuff (03/10/10)...

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http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/oct/02/west-ham-united-fulham-premier-league?
Frédéric Piquionne's header earns West Ham a point against Fulham

West Ham are unbeaten in four games but there can be few other causes for optimism at Upton Park, as Avram Grant's side played out a laboured draw with Fulham. Frédéric Piquionne scored his second headed goal in as many games on an occasion more notable for Clint Dempsey repeating his World Cup moment by scoring past Rob Green.

Grant will wake up tomorrow morning with his side bottom of the Premier League. "Our spirit is better and our organisation is better," he said. "I think the most important thing [is] that we continue to take points and continue to improve but we need to do it in the right way. If you compare how we were at the start of the season then we can be happy."

Fulham, still unbeaten, have managed six draws from their opening seven games but breaking teams down has proved a problem, not least with Andy Johnson, Moussa Dembélé and Bobby Zamora injured. But the manager Mark Hughes sprung a surprise by dropping his ersatz forward Zoltan Gera in favour of Eddie Johnson, the American striker who was signed for £3m in January 2008 but had not started a league game since March in the same year.

One decent penalty appeal notwithstanding, it tended to show, his team lacking a focal point, and it was as much through luck as judgement that Fulham took the lead. Dempsey played the ball into Simon Davies on the right flank and, although the Welshman's shot on goal was blocked by Luis Boa Morte, the deflection completed an inadvertent one-two. Dempsey volleyed past Green at the near post.

Once again Green felt all eyes upon him. The erstwhile England keeper was not at fault for Dempsey's latest effort, indeed he was probably his side's best player, yet the memories of that awful night linger on.

However, goalscoring opportunities were scarce and the home crowd subdued. Five minutes into the second half they were bouncing again, though, when Victor Obinna seared past Carlos Salcido on the right flank and crossed for Piquionne to head home.

If the goal had not quite galvanised West Ham, then they creaked a lot less, and Carlton Cole spurned one fine chance to give his team the lead, seconds after his introduction.

The dynamism of Obinna and Piquionne's sure touch were never quite enough, however, with Brede Hangeland and Aaron Hughes providing a fine barrier in front of Mark Schwarzer.

Diomansy Kamara, a late substitute for Fulham, fired way over when clean through, and Green reacted well to deny Davies and Dickson Etuhu. "I'm pleased with the level of performance if not the result," Hughes said, claiming: "We should have had a penalty – there was a tangle of legs between Johnson and [Lars] Jacobsen.''

THE FANS' PLAYER RATINGS AND VERDICT

LUKE MADDEN, Observer reader I was disappointed after last week's win over Spurs but if you had said we would have got a point before the game I would have taken it. It was a great goal from Piquionne but he needs a lot more support. We need to get him involved more and we are lacking flair in the final third – it's all a bit predictable. The referee made some bizarre decisions and gave handballs when they were not and sometimes didn't when they were. I think we have turned the corner. Green had another good game for us. He got stick from the Fulham fans but made two really good saves – one from Dempsey and a reaction save from a header near the end.

The fan's player ratings Green 7; Jacobsen 7, Gabbidon 6,Upson 7, Da Costa 7; Barrera 5 (Cole 69 5), Noble 6, Parker 7, Boa Morte 6; Piquionne 7, Obinna 7 Stanislas, McCarthy

JOE CLARK, Observer reader These were two points thrown away. If we had bothered to turn up with 11 players and not a junior striker in Eddie Johnson, who has not played for ages, we would have had more of a chance. Apart from Parker in midfield, West Ham were a very poor side . We have to take the positives. We are still unbeaten so that is encouraging, but points dropped at Blackpool and now here could come back to haunt us and make the season a very difficult one. Our manager Hughes has the ability to take us on to another level. He is always looking to win games instead of resting on his laurels.

The fan's player ratings Schwarzer 7; Baird 8, Salcido 6, Hangeland 6, Hughes 7; Davies 6 (Riise 90 n/a), Murphy 8, Etuhu 7, Duff 6 (Gera 69 7); Dempsey 8; E Johnson 6 (Kamara 77 6)

To take part in the Fans' Verdict, email [email protected]

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http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1317128/West-Ham-1-Fulham-1-Piquionne-rescue-Dempsey-beats-Green-again.html?
West Ham 1 Fulham 1: Piquionne to the rescue after Dempsey beats Green again

Clint Dempsey scored again against West Ham goalkeeper Rob Green again and threatened to steal the show at Upton Park.

The pair's previous encounter at the World Cup was deeply damaging for the goalkeeper because he was jettisoned from the England squad after letting a routine effort from USA star Dempsey slip through his hands.

But the watching Ray Clemence, on scouting duty for Fabio Capello, yesterday witnessed a solid performance from the rejuvenated West Ham star who showed no signs of mental weakness against the American who inflicted so much grief in South Africa.

Until last week, Green was being treated like a pantomime villain for his mistake. But a brilliant performance in the win over Tottenham, more fine saves here and a powerful second-half headed equaliser from Frederic Piquionne should have meant Green slept easy last night.

STATATTACK
Rob Green has saved just one of the last four shots that Clint Dempsey has fired at him for club and country, three of which have resulted in goals. Fulham have only won two of their 15 Premier League meetings with West Ham and three of 42 London league derbies

An England recall could even be on the cards and is probably deserved given the paucity of options available to England boss Capello other than first-choice Joe Hart. 'Green showed good character,' said West Ham manager Avram Grant.
'He is a good goalkeeper and it was a fine performance.'

By the end, Green had saved at Dempsey's feet, made a brilliant one-handed stop from Dickson Etuhu and pushed a skidding Simon Davies drive wide of a post.

Even the first-half goal he conceded, which Dempsey volleyed in with his left foot from a deflected Davies touch, was more the fault of defenders who failed to pick up the American rather than Green's positioning.

It was certainly not a repeat of his England howler, yet despite impressive later saves, it must have left him worrying that his World Cup demons would return.

He had been nervous in dealing with a couple of early crosses and livewire Dempsey tested him at every opportunity despite the tough treatment handed out by Green's team-mates.

The cost of his impressive showing was a golf ball-sized lump on his head courtesy of Manuel da Costa's arm.

'He's a little bit sore and a bang like that could have knocked him out of the game,' said Fulham boss Mark Hughes. 'But he knew he had a key role. He was the senior partner up there and I was pleased with him.'

Fulham looked solid defensively until an aberration in the 51st minute allowed Piquionne to equalise yet it was a good contest despite a lack of goalmouth action until the final frenzied minutes.

A draw was the right result but Fulham's run without an away League win since August last year continues while West Ham remain bottom of the heap.

'We've had four difficult away games already,' said Hughes after his team's sixth stalemate in seven games.
'But it is not as if we are trying to drag out draws. Maybe with some of the draws we would have been beaten in the past.'

The absence of Bobby Zamora and Mousa Dembele does not help.

Dempsey, who also struck the bar, is a more than able deputy but Eddie Johnson, his strike partner, is little more than a willing runner although he felt he should have had a penalty when tangling with Lars Jacobsen, but it was not clear cut.

Johnson's wayward shooting let Fulham down after Piquionne's equaliser, yet it was Brede Hangeland who must take most of the blame for another draw.

He gave away the ball on the edge of his area, allowing Luis Boa Morte to combine with Victor Obinna and cross for Piquionne to head home.

West Ham fans will be pleased with a three-match unbeaten run but not so happy with last place in the table.
'Being bottom is not the important thing,' said Grant. 'The most important thing is to take points and to show improvement in the things that were not so good, like the spirit. One win can take you up four or five places.'

MATCH FACTS
WEST HAM (4-4-2): Green; Jacobsen, Da Costa, Upson, Gabbidon; Barrera (Cole 69min), Noble, Parker, Boa Morte; Obinna, Piquionne. Subs (not used): Stech, Tomkins, Kovac, McCarthy, Ilunga, Stanislas. Booked: Gabbidon, Parker, Upson.
FULHAM (4-4-2): Schwarzer; Baird, Hughes, Hangeland, Salcido; Davies (Riise 90), Murphy, Etuhu, Duff (Gera 69); Dempsey, Johnson (Kamara 77). Subs (not used): Etheridge, Pantsil, Greening, Halliche. Booked: Etuhu.
MOMENT THAT CHANGED THE GAME ‑- Brede blunder
Brede Hangeland's slack pass was snaffled up by Lluis Boa Morte and within seconds West Ham had equalised.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1317128/West-Ham-1-Fulham-1-Piquionne-rescue-Dempsey-beats-Green-again.html?#ixzz11H9MPIUX

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http://www.skysports.com/football/match_report/0,19764,11065_3286333,00.html?
Piquionne earns a point
Piquionne equalises Dempsey strike but Hammers return to bottom

Frederic Piquionne scored again as West Ham fought back to earn a derby draw with Fulham at Upton Park.

The Cottagers went ahead when American striker Clint Dempsey, who humiliated Robert Green 112 days ago at the World Cup, beat the England keeper with a volley on 33 minutes after good work from Simon Davies.
But the Hammers were level six minutes after the break when Brede Hangeland played a sloppy pass which Luis Boa Morte intercepted and fed to Victor Obinna, whose cross from the right was headed home by Piquionne for his third goal in as many games.

But the point was not enough to prevent Avram Grant's side from slipping back to the bottom of the table on goal difference, while Fulham'sunbeaten start to the campaign remains intact.

The Hammers were dealt an early blow with the news that Kieron Dyer had failed to recover from a stomach upset.

Fulham manager Mark Hughes paired Dempsey in attack with fellow American Eddie Johnson.

Green was coming face to face with Dempsey for the first time since his embarrassing blunder in Rustenburg and the American wasted little time in trying to test the goalkeeper from long range - but his weak effort curled wide.

The shot came moments after Dempsey was hauled down on the halfway line by Danny Gabbidon, who entered referee Andre Marriner's notebook for the challenge.

Piquionne, preferred to England striker Carlton Cole after scoring last week's winner against Spurs, then drew a goal-line clearance from Carlos Salcido with a powerful header.

It was Fulham, though, who had most of the early possession. Damien Duff, who had earlier received treatment for a cut above the eye, fired just wide from 25 yards in the 10th minute.

West Ham started to hit back and Mark Schwarzer had to be quick off his line to beat Piquionne to the ball after Mark Noble had split the Fulham back line.

Large bump

Dempsey was left with a large bump near his eye after an aerial challenge with Manuel da Costa. He complained he had been elbowed by the defender but Marriner allowed play to continue.

Danny Murphy's lofted ball over the top set Johnson free and he went down under pressure in the box from Lars Jacobsen, but Marriner failed to give a penalty, much to the annoyance of boss Hughes.

A smile could be seen on the Welshman's face moments later, though, when Dempsey was played in over the top by Davies before he despatched a left-foot volley past Green from 12 yards to put Fulham 1-0 up.

Dickson Etuhu picked up a booking for a late challenge on Scott Parker, who had received a yellow a few minutes earlier for a clumsy hack on Dempsey.

The American then came close to doubling Fulham's advantage soon after the break when his curling shot bounced on top of the bar.

But sloppy play cost Fulham after 51 minutes as West Ham drew level through Piquionne's header.

Hangeland's misplaced pass was picked up by Boa Morte, who laid the ball down the right flank to Obinna.

The Nigerian's cross was at the perfect height for the unmarked Piquionne, who made no mistake from six yards.

Dempsey then outmuscled Da Costa and Gabbidon to break into the Hammers' box but Green came to the rescue by rushing out to bravely snatch the ball from the forward's feet.

Mistimed
Hammers captain Matthew Upson became the fourth player to receive a booking when he mistimed a sliding challenge on Dempsey just after the hour.

Cole, who has failed to find the net for West Ham so far this season, came on for Barrera with little over 20 minutes to go while Fulham brought on Zoltan Gera for Duff, who limped off holding his left leg.

Dempsey then came close to putting Fulham ahead when he glanced a header just wide of Green's right-hand post from Gera's cross.

Diomansy Kamara came on to replace the ineffective Johnson with 13 minutes left as both sides struggled to take hold of the game.

Green then beat away a difficult Davies shot with five minutes left and the England shot-stopper again came to his side's rescue shortly after when he produced a fine reaction save from Etuhu's close-range header.

Both sides were going all out for victory in the last few minutes, with Kamara failing to take advantage of a golden chance to grab the win in injury-time when he was played in behind the back four but missed the target with a wild effort.

Salcido's body check on Boa Morte then angered Grant, who marched 20 yards out of his technical area to remonstrate with the referee in the dying seconds.

The Hammers continued to push right until the end for a winner but fell short, although they extended their unbeaten run in all competitions to four matches with the draw.

However, Grant's side dropped to the bottom of the table after Wigan's win over Wolves and Everton's first victory of the season at Birmingham.

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http://thegamesgonecrazy.blogspot.com/2010/10/west-ham-1-fulham-1-well-played-fulham.html?
West Ham 1 Fulham 1 Well Played Fulham!

I will begin by apologising to Fulham. Before kick off, I said that man for man, we were the better team. But after that performance, I feel I have done Fulham a disservice. I'm not the first to do so of course, they surprised just about everybody on their way through to the Europa League final last season, but I will put my hands up and admit that they are a much better team than I have previously acknowledged. Their midfield was ulta competitive and very effective today - with Murphy, Etuhu, Davies and Duff combining strength with intelligence and skill. Up front, in Dempsey, they had the man of the match, and at the back, they were strong and unfussy. In the end, we were lucky to come away with a point.

From our point of view, there wasn't an awful lot wrong, we just found ourselves up against a team who were very well organised, very competitive and who could play a bit too. Our midfield struggled to exert control and it was no surprise to see Barerra withdrawn because, apart from one counter attack, when he elected to shoot rather than cross to the wonderfully positioned Noble, he was about as effective as Lennon was at Upton Park last week. Boa had a hand in the goal so cannot be too heavily criticised but his pass completion rate must have been very poor over the 90 minutes. He seemed to give the ball away four passes out of every five. He remains a weak link in the team.

Noble and Parker played well in the circumstances and, of the two, I thought Noble again looked the better. True he took the wrong option when shooting towards the end, but he engineered the opening superbly, turning inside his marker beautifully and showing excellent strength to earn the opportunity of doing so. He must have burst his lungs to get into the box for that Barrera shot too and deserved the pass. His passing was mostly tidy, he so nearly played Piquionne in for a one on one with the keeper in the first half and his first half corner found Piquionne's head again and so nearly set up a carbon copy of the goal we scored against Spurs. Sometimes his passing is too straight and too ambitious, but he is playing with renewed confidence and is doing the grubby jobs very well, tracking midfield runners into our box and tidying up in front of our back four.

Defensively, we looked confident and composed in the first half and, although the distribution was poor from the back, we did not look like a team who would struggle. Upson, I thought, had a particularly good first 45. The Fulham goal, although brilliantly taken by Dempsey, had an element of luck about it because the Davies pass was deflected perfectly into the American's path. However, in the second half we needed two good saves from Green to keep us in the game, and Dempsey missed an excellent chance, heading wide from a cross. Gabbidon remains a concern, largely because he offers nothing going forward down the left. As a result, our play looked very imbalanced, with the right flank utilised much more than the left. We should have bought a left back or retained Daprela if Ilunga isn't up to the job.

Up front, Obinna and Piquionne combined superbly for the goal but I was less impressed by the Nigerian this week. I suspect we will see him blow hot and cold for a while. Cole didn't ignite things either after he came on.

There is no disgrace in this result: Fulham haven't lost yet in the Premiership so we are not the first to be frustrated by them. It is, however, another two key points lost. Looked at another way, this is four unbeaten games in a row which is not the form of a team destined to go down.

Will we struggle? We shouldn't on this showing but it is getting hard to nominate three teams who will be relegated this season and we are holding up the entire table again. Remember, the last time we did drop, we were considered too good to go down as well. Hopefully, the saving grace is that we have Avram in charge this time around, and not Roeder!

Ratings: Green 7: Jacobsen 6, Da Costa 6, Upson7, Gabbidon 5; Barerra 5, Parker 6, Noble 7, Boa 5; Obinna 6, Piquionne 7  Sub: Cole 5
POSTED BY HAMMERSFAN

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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/competitions/premier-league/7943457/West-Ham-United-1-Fulham-1-match-report.html?
West Ham United 1 Fulham 1: match report
Read a full report of the Premier League match between West Ham United and Fulham at Upton Park on Saturday Oct 2 2010.

USA, USA: Clint Dempsey scores past Robert Green... again Photo: AP

Rob Green against Clint Dempsey. For all England fans, an encounter wrought with desperate grasps and choking memories.

Perhaps Green could have been forgiven for entertaining similar thoughts as he came up against the American for the first time since the World Cup.

But ultimately, it was an afternoon where honour was satisfied on both sides. Dempsey got his goal, but Green gave a fine account of himself, salvaging a point for West Ham United with a number of fine saves.

For Fulham, it was yet another draw, and for their manager Mark Hughes a remarkable 14th draw in his last 18 Premier League games as manager, a run that included his dismissal by Manchester City.

It was a run of eight consecutive draws that did for him at Eastlands; Fulham will give him a little more credit, remaining as they do unbeaten and in the top half of the table.

Not that either side could be accused of failing to press for the win. It was simply that with Bobby Zamora injured and Carlton Cole absent until late on, both sides were missing their most potent goal threat, and it showed in an encounter that was rich in biting tackles but distinctly lacking in bite.

There was a curiously lop-sided tenor to the game; West Ham, with Scott Parker again in imperious, talismanic form, had marginally the better of the play, but Fulham had their fair share of the chances.

Foremost among these was Fulham's goal, which arrived without portent. Simon Davies laid the ball off for Dempsey on the right-hand side of the penalty area and cut inside to collect the return ball.

The sliding Luis Boa Morte's outstretched foot only sent the ball looping back into the path of Dempsey, who stole goal-side of Danny Gabbidon and finished left-footed past Green. Unlike in Rustenberg four months ago, no blame could be attached to the goalkeeper this time.

It was certainly an eventful game for Dempsey, who sported a beautiful black eye for most of the match after being caught by Manuel Da Costa's lazy forearm early on.

He fought an intriguing duel with Green all afternoon, mischievously testing his opposite number with a couple of early long-range efforts. Green gave as good as he got, at one point diving bravely at Dempsey's feet to smother the bullet before it could leave the gun.

But almost as incongruously as Fulham had taken the lead, West Ham had levelled, courtesy of an error by the strangely off-colour Brede Hangeland. The Norwegian's clearance went straight to Boa Morte, who picked out Victor Obinna on the right by-line. Obinna looked up and picked out Frederic Piquionne, who converted the simplest of headers.

The force was with the home side, and they knew it. Pablo Barrera, who had been largely nullified by his fellow Mexican Carlos Salcido in the first half, switched to the left with éclat. He should have capped an incisive West Ham breakaway with a goal, but snatched at his right-footed shot as he cut inside Chris Baird.

Both managers substituted wingers for strikers, Cole replacing Barrera and Zoltan Gera coming on for Damien Duff. Cole immediately squandered a promising one-on-one with a leaden first touch, but otherwise looked sharp.

There were chances for either side to win the game. Dickson Etuhu, as he did against Everton last week, missed a glorious aerial opportunity. Obinna ended a powerful run with a fine shot that whistled past Mark Schwarzer's near post. Diomansy Kamara had the best of the lot, bursting into the area but lifting his shot over the bar when he had only Green to beat.

But in the final few minutes, it was England's former No 1 who proved most decisive. He needed to be at his best to flick a wicked shot from Davies just wide of the post, and immediately afterwards produced the save of the match, instinctively knocking away Etuhu's powerful header with his right hand.

Former England No 1? If he continues to turn out displays like this, not for much longer.

[WhiteJC]

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report?id=292931&cc=5739
Dempsey beats Green again

West Ham sank to the foot of the Premier League table despite battling back from Clint Dempsey's goal to salvage a point in the London derby against Fulham.

Dempsey, who humiliated Green 112 days ago at the World Cup, beat the England goalkeeper from 12 yards with a volley after 32 minutes as Fulham ended a bruising first half 1-0 up.

Any hopes of a first league away win in 13 months were dashed by Frederic Piquionne, who leapt unmarked in the box to nod past Mark Schwarzer.

Wigan's win over Wolves, and Everton's first win of the season at Birmingham mean the Hammers dropped back to the bottom of the pile despite extending their unbeaten run in all competitions to four matches.

Hammers boss Avram Grant was dealt an early blow with the news that Kieron Dyer had failed to recover from a stomach upset. Fulham boss Mark Hughes, whose side had enjoyed a six-match unbeaten run before kick-off, paired Dempsey in attack with fellow American Eddie Johnson.

Green was coming face to face with Dempsey for the first time since his embarrassing blunder in Rustenburg and the American wasted little time in trying to test the goalkeeper from long range - but his weak effort curled wide.

The shot came moments after Dempsey was hauled down on the halfway line by Danny Gabbidon, who entered referee Andre Marriner's notebook for the challenge.

Piquionne, preferred to England striker Carlton Cole after scoring last week's winner, then drew a goal-line clearance from Carlos Salcido with a powerful header.

It was Fulham, though, who had most of the early possession. Duff, who had earlier received treatment for a cut above the eye, fired just wide from 25 yards in the 10th minute.

West Ham started to hit back and Schwarzer had to be quick off his line to beat Piquionne to the ball after Mark Noble had split the Fulham back line.

Dempsey was left with a large bump near his eye after an aerial challenge with Manuel da Costa. He complained he had been elbowed by the defender but Marriner allowed play to continue.

Danny Murphy's lofted ball over the top set Johnson free but he went down under pressure in the box from Lars Jacobsen - but Marriner failed to give a penalty, much to the annoyance of Hughes.

A smile could be seen on the Welshman's face moments later when Dempsey was played in over the top by Simon Davies, before he despatched a left-foot volley past Green from 12 yards to put Fulham 1-0 up.

Dickson Etuhu picked up a booking for a late challenge on Scott Parker, who had received a yellow a few minutes earlier for a clumsy hack on Dempsey. The American then came close to doubling Fulham's advantage soon after the break when his curling shot bounced on top of the bar.

Slack marking cost Fulham after 50 minutes as West Ham drew level through Piquionne's header. Brede Hangeland's misplaced pass was picked up by Luis Boa Morte, who laid the ball down the right flank to Obinna. The Nigerian's cross was at the perfect height for the unmarked Piquionne, who made no mistake from six yards for his third goal in three games.

Dempsey then outmuscled Da Costa and Gabbidon to break into the Hammers' box but Green came to the rescue by rushing out to bravely snatch the ball from the forward's feet.

Hammers captain Matthew Upson became the fourth player to receive a booking when he mistimed a sliding challenge on Dempsey just after the hour.

Cole, who has failed to find the net for West Ham so far this season, came on for Barrera with little over 20 minutes to go while Fulham brought on Zoltan Gera for Duff, who limped off holding his left leg.

Dempsey then came close to putting Fulham ahead when he glanced a header just wide of Green's right-hand post from Gera's cross.

Diomansy Kamara came on to replace the ineffective Johnson with 15 minutes left as both sides struggled to take hold of the game.

Green then beat away a difficult Simon Davies shot with five minutes left. The England stopper came to his side's rescue shortly after when he reacted well to save from Etuhu's header.

Both sides were going all out for victory in the last few minutes.

Kamara failed to take advantage of a golden chance to grab the win in injury-time when he was played in behind the back four but missed the target with a wild effort.

Salcido's body check on Boa Morte angered Grant, who marched 20 yards out of his technical area to remonstrate with the referee in the dying seconds.

The Hammers pushed right until the end for a winner but fell short, causing Grant's side to drop to the bottom of the table.

Referee under fire
Mark Hughes criticised referee Andre Marriner for failing to award his side a first-half penalty which he believes would have given Fulham victory over West Ham in the London derby at Upton Park.

"I am disappointed we didn't get the awarding of the penalty because at 2-0 going into half time it would have been difficult for them to come back,'' Hughes said. "Eddie got in behind the defence and if there is any contact whatsoever then more often than not it is a penalty.

"Unfortunately for us for whatever reason it wasn't given. From our point of view it was clear, there was a coming together, a tangle of legs and a goalscoring opportunity was denied, so it should have been a penalty.''

The result meant West Ham stretched their unbeaten run to four matches but wins for Everton and Wigan meant the Hammers sank to the foot of the Premier League table. West Ham manager Avram Grant was determined to take the positives from the result despite his side's current predicament.

He said: "They dominated the first half but after half-time we changed the shape, we scored and could have scored more. I think the most important thing today was first to take points and second to show that we are improving.

"The position in the league now is not important because one win can take you up four or five places. Fulham are having a good season and are playing with confidence and we are only four points away from them. There are a lot of teams in our area. One win can move us forward.''

Dempsey's goal came 112 days after Green's infamous blunder against the American at the World Cup. The 30-year-old could do little to stop Dempsey's 12-yard volley and put in an impressive display in front of the hostile away following in the second half. Grant paid tribute to the former Norwich stopper's character following the draw.

Grant continued: "Rob Green is a good goalkeeper. Every press conference I get asked: 'how is Robert Green?'. He was good today and every player sometimes has bad moments. Some players have it in the middle of the season. He had it at the start of season. It's only because of the World Cup that everyone is speaking about him.

"He was a good goalkeeper and still is. His performance was good, and his character was good too.''

Marriner had to dish out four bookings during a scrappy encounter which saw Fulham's Damien Duff leave the field with a cut eye and Dempsey end the match with a big bruise on the side of his head after he claimed he was elbowed by West Ham defender Manuel da Costa.

Grant, who ran 20 yards outside of his technical area to remonstrate with Marriner in injury-time following a Carlos Salcido bodycheck on Luis Boa Morte, felt let down by the referee's performance.

"The referee didn't have a good day today,'' Grant said. "It happened to Robert Green in the World Cup and today it happened to him.''

[WhiteJC]

http://www.teamtalk.com/west-ham-united/6422539/Hammers-go-bottom-despite-draw?
Hammers go bottom despite draw

West Ham sank to the foot of the Premier League table despite battling back from Clint Dempsey's goal to salvage a 1-1 home draw with Fulham.

Dempsey, who humiliated Green 112 days ago at the World Cup, beat the England stopper from 12 yards with a volley after 32 minutes as Fulham ended a bruising first-half 1-0 up.

Any hopes of a first league away win in 13 months were dashed by Frederic Piquionne, who leapt unmarked in the box to nod past Mark Schwarzer.

Wigan's win over Wolves, and Everton's first win of the season at Birmingham mean the Hammers dropped back to the bottom of the pile despite extending their unbeaten run in all competitions to four matches.

Hammers boss Avram Grant was dealt an early blow with the news that Kieron Dyer had failed to recover from a stomach upset.

Fulham boss Mark Hughes, whose side had enjoyed a six-match unbeaten run before kick-off, paired Dempsey in attack with fellow American Eddie Johnson.

Green was coming face to face with Dempsey for the first time since his embarrassing blunder in Rustenburg and the American wasted little time in trying to test the goalkeeper from long range - but his weak effort curled wide.

The shot came moments after Dempsey was hauled down on the halfway line by Danny Gabbidon, who entered referee Andre Marriner's notebook for the challenge.

Piquionne, preferred to England striker Carlton Cole after scoring last week's winner, then drew a goal-line clearance from Carlos Salcido with a powerful header.

It was Fulham, though, who had most of the early possession. Duff, who had earlier received treatment for a cut above the eye, fired just wide from 25 yards in the 10th minute.

West Ham started to hit back and Schwarzer had to be quick off his line to beat Piquionne to the ball after Mark Noble had split the Fulham back line.

Dempsey was left with a large bump near his eye after an aerial challenge with Manuel da Costa. He complained he had been elbowed by the defender but Marriner allowed play to continue.

Danny Murphy's lofted ball over the top set Johnson free but he went down under pressure in the box from Lars Jacobsen - but Marriner failed to give a penalty, much to the annoyance of Hughes.

A smile could be seen on the Welshman's face moments later when Dempsey was played in over the top by Simon Davies, before he despatched a left-foot volley past Green from 12 yards to put Fulham 1-0 up.

Dickson Etuhu picked up a booking for a late challenge on Scott Parker, who had received a yellow a few minutes earlier for a clumsy hack on Dempsey. The American then came close to doubling Fulham's advantage soon after the break when his curling shot bounced on top of the bar.

Slack marking cost Fulham after 50 minutes as West Ham drew level through Piquionne's header.

Brede Hangeland's misplaced pass was picked up by Luis Boa Morte, who laid the ball down the right flank to Obinna. The Nigerian's cross was at the perfect height for the unmarked Piquionne, who made no mistake from six yards for his third goal in three games.

Dempsey then outmuscled Da Costa and Gabbidon to break into the Hammers' box but Green came to the rescue by rushing out to bravely snatch the ball from the forward's feet.

Hammers captain Matthew Upson became the fourth player to receive a booking when he mistimed a sliding challenge on Dempsey just after the hour.

Cole, who has failed to find the net for West Ham so far this season, came on for Barrera with little over 20 minutes to go while Fulham brought on Zoltan Gera for Duff, who limped off holding his left leg.

Dempsey then came close to putting Fulham ahead when he glanced a header just wide of Green's right-hand post from Gera's cross.

Diomansy Kamara came on to replace the ineffective Johnson with 15 minutes left as both sides struggled to take hold of the game.

Green then beat away a difficult Simon Davies shot with five minutes left.

The England stopper came to his side's rescue shortly after when he reacted well to save from Etuhu's header.

Both sides were going all out for victory in the last few minutes.

Kamara failed to take advantage of a golden chance to grab the win in injury-time when he was played in behind the back four but missed the target with a wild effort.

Salcido's body check on Boa Morte angered Grant, who marched 20 yards out of his technical area to remonstrate with the referee in the dying seconds.

The Hammers pushed right until the end for a winner but fell short, causing Grant's side to drop to the bottom of the table.

[WhiteJC]

http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/clubfootball/news/newsid=1311643.html?cid=rssfeed&att=
Hammers hit bottom despite draw

West Ham sank to the foot of the Premier League table despite battling back from Clint Dempsey's goal to salvage a point in the London derby against Fulham.

Dempsey, who humiliated Green 112 days ago at the FIFA World Cup™, beat the England stopper from 12 yards with a volley after 32 minutes as Fulham ended a bruising first-half 1-0 up. Any hopes of a first league away win in 13 months were dashed by Frederic Piquionne, who leapt unmarked in the box to nod past Mark Schwarzer.

Wigan's win over Wolves, and Everton's first win of the season at Birmingham mean the Hammers dropped back to the bottom of the pile despite extending their unbeaten run in all competitions to four matches. Hammers boss Avram Grant was dealt an early blow with the news that Kieron Dyer had failed to recover from a stomach upset.

Fulham boss Mark Hughes, whose side had enjoyed a six-match unbeaten run before kick-off, paired Dempsey in attack with fellow American Eddie Johnson. Green was coming face to face with Dempsey for the first time since his embarrassing blunder in Rustenburg and the American wasted little time in trying to test the goalkeeper from long range - but his weak effort curled wide.

The shot came moments after Dempsey was hauled down on the halfway line by Danny Gabbidon, who entered referee Andre Marriner's notebook for the challenge. Piquionne, preferred to England striker Carlton Cole after scoring last week's winner, then drew a goal-line clearance from Carlos Salcido with a powerful header.

It was Fulham, though, who had most of the early possession. Duff, who had earlier received treatment for a cut above the eye, fired just wide from 25 yards in the tenth minute. West Ham started to hit back and Schwarzer had to be quick off his line to beat Piquionne to the ball after Mark Noble had split the Fulham back line.

Dempsey was left with a large bump near his eye after an aerial challenge with Manuel da Costa. He complained he had been elbowed by the defender but Marriner allowed play to continue. Danny Murphy's lofted ball over the top set Johnson free but he went down under pressure in the box from Lars Jacobsen - but Marriner failed to give a penalty, much to the annoyance of Hughes.

A smile could be seen on the Welshman's face moments later when Dempsey was played in over the top by Simon Davies, before he despatched a left-foot volley past Green from 12 yards to put Fulham 1-0 up.

Dickson Etuhu picked up a booking for a late challenge on Scott Parker, who had received a yellow a few minutes earlier for a clumsy hack on Dempsey. The American then came close to doubling Fulham's advantage soon after the break when his curling shot bounced on top of the bar.

Slack marking cost Fulham after 50 minutes as West Ham drew level through Piquionne's header. Brede Hangeland's misplaced pass was picked up by Luis Boa Morte, who laid the ball down the right flank to Obinna. The Nigerian's cross was at the perfect height for the unmarked Piquionne, who made no mistake from six yards for his third goal in three games.

Dempsey then outmuscled Da Costa and Gabbidon to break into the Hammers' box but Green came to the rescue by rushing out to bravely snatch the ball from the forward's feet. Hammers captain Matthew Upson became the fourth player to receive a booking when he mistimed a sliding challenge on Dempsey just after the hour.

Cole, who has failed to find the net for West Ham so far this season, came on for Barrera with little over 20 minutes to go while Fulham brought on Zoltan Gera for Duff, who limped off holding his left leg. Dempsey then came close to putting Fulham ahead when he glanced a header just wide of Green's right-hand post from Gera's cross.

Diomansy Kamara came on to replace the ineffective Johnson with 15 minutes left as both sides struggled to take hold of the game. Green then beat away a difficult Simon Davies shot with five minutes left. The England keeper came to his side's rescue shortly after when he reacted well to save from Etuhu's header.

Both sides were going all out for victory in the last few minutes. Kamara failed to take advantage of a golden chance to grab the win in injury time when he was played in behind the back four but missed the target with a wild effort.

Salcido's body check on Boa Morte angered Grant, who marched 20 yards out of his technical area to remonstrate with the referee in the final seconds. The Hammers pushed right until the end for a winner but fell short, causing Grant's side to drop to the bottom of the table.

[WhiteJC]

http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/October/WestHamReaction.aspx?
Manager's Reaction

Mark Hughes praised his Team's performance against West Ham on Saturday but clearly felt Fulham could have taken all three points at Upton Park.

The Whites were denied late on by two superb saves from Robert Green but it was Eddie Johnson's first half penalty claim that was arguably the game's turning point, as Hughes explained after the game.

"I felt that we could have taken the three points today," Hughes told fulhamfc.com. "I'm disappointed we didn't get the award of a penalty in the first half that would have given us a two-nil lead. It should have been a penalty.

"Overall we created a number of clear cut chances which on another day would have been converted. I'm pleased with the level of the performance more than the result.

"We're really positive and trying to win every game we play. We'll take the positives out of it which is we are unbeaten and it's another point on the board."

Before heading back across the Capital to SW6 on Saturday evening Hughes praised his all-American attack of Eddie Johnson and Clint Dempsey for their endeavour and purpose at Upton Park on Saturday.

"Clint got a nasty crack and he wasn't too happy at the time," said Hughes. "It's a little bit sore at the moment but credit to him because a bang like that could have knocked him out of the game - he did his part for the Team and produced today.

"It was Eddie's [Johnson] first start and he had a positive impact on the game so I'm pleased for him. We've got Mousa coming back hopefully after the international break and Andy Johnson isn't too far off."



Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/October/WestHamReaction.aspx?#ixzz11HCswYDT

[WhiteJC]

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/02102010/58/premier-league-fulham-draw-hammers.html
Premier League - Fulham draw again at Hammers

Draw specialists Fulham remain unbeaten in the Premier League after they played out an entertaining 1-1 draw with West Ham United at Upton Park.

The match saw Clint Dempsey reunited with Robert Green just a couple of months after the American benefitted from the England keeper's World Cup gaffe and Dempsey again proved to be Green's nemesis as he opened the scoring for the Cottagers in the 33rd minute.

However, Frederic Piquionne, who scored the winner against Tottenham last week, headed home an equaliser five minutes into the second half after a Victor Obinna cross.

West Ham had most of the play before the finish but Fulham the better chances, with Green having to make two superb late saves before Fulham substitute Diomansy Kamara then blazed a great chance over deep into stoppage time.

Despite picking up a point, West Ham drop back down to the bottom of the table, while Fulham have now drawn six of their opening seven matches.

Clear cut chances in the first half were at a premium but West Ham nearly took an early lead after only six minutes when Piquionne got his head on a cross from Mark Noble; the ball was heading for the top corner but Carlos Salcido was well positioned on the post to head it away.

After that the chances dried up but the action was still well-paced and entertaining.

Fulham had a big penalty shout in the 32nd minute when Eddie Johnson got in behind the defence and looked to have his feet taken from him by Lars Jacobsen.

The Cottagers did go in front just a minute later though. Simon Davies and Dempsey exchanged passes down the right. Davies then played in a second pass which deflected into the box and into the path of Dempsey. He took it on his chest and guided the ball past Green from close range in impressive fashion given the pressure he was under from the Hammers' defence.

Dempsey had another Fulham penalty shout rightly waved away a few moments later while at the other end Obinna should have done better with a low drive after barging his way into the box.

Early in the second half Dempsey flashed another effort off the bar but West Ham started to play with more urgency and levelled in the 50th minute.

The goal came after a terrible, misplaced pass from Brede Hangeland. He gave it straight to former Fulham man Luis Boa Morte. The Portuguese then shifted it to Obinna on the right and his pinpoint cross found the head of Piquionne who duly planted it home.

West Ham looked busy thereafter but struggled with their final passes and their crossing. When they did create some decent openings their shooting let them down such as in the 80th minute when Obinna fired wide of the target after a right-to-left move ended with the ball at his feet on the edge of the area.

Instead it was Fulham who came closest to winning it. Green made two great saves in the space of a minute just four minutes from time. First he batted away a long-range effort from Davies and then he got down low from close range to deny Dickson Etuhu's header.

Green also saved from Dempsey early in the half to show he has fully recovered from his World Cup nightmare.
West Ham had some late moments too with the industrious Scott Parker firing into the side netting and Noble getting a low shot on target right at the death.

But the best late chance fell again to Fulham as the impressive Dempsey put Kamara in behind the defence. The French-born Senegalese striker only had Green to beat but blazed an awful effort over as the points, perhaps fairly, were shared.

Sean Fay / Eurosport

[WhiteJC]

http://www.soccerway.com/news/2010/October/02/dempsey-beats-green-again-but-hammers-rescue-draw/?
Dempsey beats Green again but Hammers rescue draw

LONDON (AFP) - Fulham forward Clint Dempsey caused more heartache for West Ham goalkeeper Robert Green in Saturday's 1-1 draw at Upton Park.

It was United States star Dempsey who struck the weak shot that England international Green allowed to squirm into the net during a 1-1 draw at the World Cup in South Africa.

Green's howler cost him his place in Fabio Capello's squad and has made him a figure of derision since his return to England.

At least the Hammers stopper could say there was nothing he could do to stop Dempsey this time as the Fulham player volleyed home in the first half.

But that will have been of little consolation to Green and his team-mates, who sank to the bottom of the Premier League table despite Frederic Piquionne's second half equaliser, which denied Fulham a first away league win in 13 months.

Fulham, now unbeaten in seven matches, made a bright start and Dempsey wasted little time trying to test Green with a long-range effort which curled wide.

Piquionne then drew a goal-line clearance from Cottagers defender Carlos Salcido with a powerful header before Fulham responded with a Damien Duff strike that flashed wide.

Fulham appealed for a penalty when Eddie Johson was bundled over by Lars Jacobsen but referee Andre Marriner waved play on.

There was no need for Fulham to dwell on that decision as Dempsey was played in by Simon Davies in the 33rd minute and smashed his strike past Green to open the scoring.

Dempsey was close to doubling Fulham's advantage soon after the break when his curling shot bounced off the crossbar.

But West Ham drew level in the 51st minute when Brede Hangeland's misplaced pass was picked up by Luis Boa Morte, who laid the ball down the right flank to Victor Obinna.

The Nigerian's cross was at the perfect height for the unmarked Piquionne, who made no mistake from six yards for his third goal in three games.

At times it seemed as though Dempsey was on a mission to ruin Green's day. The West Ham goalkeeper finally won one of their duels as he raced out to stop the forward getting in a shot.

Dempsey then glanced a header just wide of a post from Zoltan Gera's cross before Green saved well from Davies and then denied Dickson Etuhu.

[WhiteJC]

http://www.itv.com/sport/football/news/matchreports/report-west-ham-v-fulham-01739/?
Report: West Ham v Fulham


Hammers slump as Dempsey returns to haunt Green West Ham sank to the foot of the Barclays Premier League table despite battling back from Clint Dempsey's goal to salvage a point from a 1-1 draw in the London derby against Fulham.

Dempsey, who humiliated Green at the World Cup, beat the England stopper from 12 yards with a volley after 32 minutes as Fulham ended a bruising first-half ahead.

But any hopes of a first league away win in 13 months were dashed by Frederic Piquionne, who leapt unmarked in the box to nod past Mark Schwarzer.

Wigan's win over Wolves, and Everton's first win of the season at Birmingham mean the Hammers dropped back to the bottom of the pile despite extending their unbeaten run in all competitions to four matches.

Hammers boss Avram Grant was dealt an early blow with the news that Kieron Dyer had failed to recover from a stomach upset.

Fulham boss Mark Hughes, whose side had enjoyed a six-match unbeaten run before kick-off, paired Dempsey in attack with fellow American Eddie Johnson.

Green was coming face to face with Dempsey for the first time since his embarrassing blunder in Rustenburg and the American wasted little time in trying to test the goalkeeper from long range - but his weak effort curled wide.

The shot came moments after Dempsey was hauled down on the halfway line by Danny Gabbidon, who entered referee Andre Marriner's notebook for the challenge.

Piquionne, preferred to England striker Carlton Cole after scoring last week's winner, then drew a goal-line clearance from Carlos Salcido with a powerful header.

It was Fulham, though, who had most of the early possession.

Duff, who had earlier received treatment for a cut above the eye, fired just wide from 25 yards in the 10th minute.

West Ham started to hit back and Schwarzer had to be quick off his line to beat Piquionne to the ball after Mark Noble had split the Fulham back line.

Dempsey was left with a large bump near his eye after an aerial challenge with Manuel da Costa.

He complained he had been elbowed by the defender but Marriner allowed play to continue.

Danny Murphy's lofted ball over the top set Johnson free but he went down under pressure in the box from Lars Jacobsen - but Marriner failed to give a penalty, much to the annoyance of Hughes.

A smile could be seen on the Welshman's face moments later when Dempsey was played in over the top by Simon Davies, before he despatched a left-foot volley past Green from 12 yards to put Fulham 1-0 up.

Dickson Etuhu picked up a booking for a late challenge on Scott Parker, who had received a yellow a few minutes earlier for a clumsy hack on Dempsey.

The American then came close to doubling Fulham's advantage soon after the break when his curling shot bounced on top of the bar.

Slack marking cost Fulham after 50 minutes as West Ham drew level through Piquionne's header.

Brede Hangeland's misplaced pass was picked up by Luis Boa Morte, who laid the ball down the right flank to Obinna.

The Nigerian's cross was at the perfect height for the unmarked Piquionne, who made no mistake from six yards for his third goal in three games.

Dempsey then outmuscled Da Costa and Gabbidon to break into the Hammers' box but Green came to the rescue by rushing out to bravely snatch the ball from the forward's feet.

Hammers captain Matthew Upson became the fourth player to receive a booking when he mistimed a sliding challenge on Dempsey just after the hour.

Cole, who has failed to find the net for West Ham so far this season, came on for Barrera with little over 20 minutes to go while Fulham brought on Zoltan Gera for Duff, who limped off holding his left leg.

Dempsey then came close to putting Fulham ahead when he glanced a header just wide of Green's right-hand post from Gera's cross.

Diomansy Kamara came on to replace the ineffective Johnson with 15 minutes left as both sides struggled to take hold of the game.

Green then beat away a difficult Simon Davies shot with five minutes left.

The England stopper came to his side's rescue shortly after when he reacted well to save from Etuhu's header.

Both sides were going all out for victory in the last few minutes.

Kamara failed to take advantage of a golden chance to grab the win in injury-time when he was played in behind the back four but missed the target with a wild effort.

Salcido's body check on Boa Morte angered Grant, who marched 20 yards out of his technical area to remonstrate with the referee in the dying seconds.

The Hammers pushed right until the end for a winner but fell short, causing Grant's side to drop to the bottom of the table.

[WhiteJC]

http://hammyend.com/index.php/2010/10/perspective/?
Perspective
by LYDIA on OCTOBER 2, 2010

So another point away from home  and our unbeaten start to the league continues. We will all, and should all, be pleased with this. However, some of us, myself included, will start to get slightly frustrated at all these draws! But we need to take a minute and just put everything into perspective. Four away matches against Boltan, Blackburn, Blackpool and West ham has gotten us 4 very valuable points. Last year out of those games (not counting Blackpool) we only had 2 points. At home we have had tough games against Everton, United and Wolves. Last year out of these we had 6 points which is one more than this season. At this stage last year we had 7 points (2 wins, 1 draw and 4 defeats). This year we have 9 points (1 win and 6 draws). Personally, I would rather that we show consistency than our results being all over the place. Admittedly we had Europa League matches to contend with last year but we still have shown alot of character to have the points that we have so far.

Another thing that we have had to contend with is injuries. The loss of both Zamora and Dembele really could have hit us much worse than it has. Yes, we have only scored 2 goals since we have lost them but we are still getting decent results. However, after the international break we welcome Spurs to the Cottage and we finally have some strikers to choose from. Andy Johnston will be back and so will Dembele. We will also have Eddie Johnston and Diomancy Kamara to choose from. After the Spurs match we have a tricky away tie with thhe Baggies before hosting  Wigan on Halloween. Hard matches but I think we can definatly beat Wigan and get a draw at least against West Brom. Spurs will be a tricky one to call but they haven't won at the Cottage in a number of years so you never know. They also will have had a Champions League match against Inter Milan midweek so I think Hughes will fancy it!

The goals will start coming and with them so will victories. It's only really a matter of time!

[WhiteJC]

http://www.cottagersconfidential.com/2010/10/2/1726106/fulham-master-the-draw-with-1-1-result-at-west-ham?
Fulham Master The Draw With 1-1 Result At West Ham

Fulham coming into this match had not lost so far this season. After today's match Fulham continue to be unbeaten in the EPL. However, for some reason they still cannot win on the road. Fulham led at the half with a goal from Clint Dempsey.  In the second half, Frederic Piquionne got the equalizer for West Ham. The Cottagers are making a habit of only getting a point from a match. Fulham master the draw with a 1-1 result at West Ham.     

The first half was pretty even with regards to possession. Both clubs had their time with the ball. It was definitely a very physical first half with Clint Dempsey and Damien Duff being knocked down a few times.

The play was going back and forth until about the 30th minute. Fulham would then have their first legitimate scoring chance. Eddie Johnson had a nice shot that just goes over the net.

Johnson would be involved in a controversial non-call shortly afterwards. Eddie Johnson was inside the box and was pulled down. The official did not call a penalty and the game went on.

Fulham would finally take advantage of an opportunity. In the 33rd minute, Simon Davies would float a nice pass inside the box to Clint Dempsey who shot it past Robert green. Fulham were now up 1-0.

Fulham would have one more chance before the end of the half. In the 44th minute, Carlos Salcido took a shot just outside of the box that was nicely saved by Green.

This was a pretty entertaining first half by both teams. Even though the possession was pretty even it would be Fulham that would go into the half ahead.     



The second half Fulham came out strong. In the 48th minute, Clint Dempsey had a great shot on net that just hits the bar. There was no question that Fulham came out looking for the win.

However, all it took was one mistake by Brede Hangeland to change the game around. In the 50th minute, Hangeland sloppily gave up the ball which eventually led to a Victor Obinna cross. Frederic Piquionne took the pass and headed the ball past Mark Schwarzer. The game was then tied 1-1.

The Cottagers though continued to go for the win. Fulham would actually have several chances to go ahead in this match. In the 58th minute Clint Dempsey was one on one with Robert Green. The goalkeeper just gets to the ball and made the save. In the 66th minute, Eddie Johnson had a shot on net that just goes wide. He was inside the box, and it was a decent chance to score.

Clint Dempsey would again have a chance to score. In the 72nd minute, a free kick leads to a header by Dempsey that just goes wide of the net.

The later stages of the game would see Fulham have two quality chances to score. In the 87th minute, Chris Baird crosses a ball that Dickson Etuhu heads towards the net. Robert Green made a nice save on the shot. In stoppage time, Diomansy Kamara had a shot that just goes over the bar.

Unfortunately for Fulham they could not get the go ahead goal. The game ended after stoppage time tied 1-1.

It is always good to get some kind of result from a match. However, this match Fulham might feel they dropped points. They certainly had their chances in the second half. They just couldn't capitalize on the opportunities.

On the positive side their were several Fulham players that shined today. Clint Dempsey shot often, and was a scoring threat the majority of the game. Carols Salcido continues to impress at left back. He is a dangerous player coming up, and crossing the ball in the box. Eddie Johnson I thought played well. He played the Bobby Zamora role admirably today. He just needs to finish.

So Fulham continue to master the draw this season. At some point Mark Hughes and the players have to figure out how to turn these draws into wins. 

[WhiteJC]

http://www.givemefootball.com/premier-league/fulham-draw-again-as-piquionne-saves-hammers-match?
Fulham draw again as Piquionne saves Hammers: Match Review


West Ham sank to the foot of the Barclays Premier League table despite battling back from Clint Dempsey's goal to salvage a point from a 1-1 draw in the London derby against Fulham.

Dempsey, who humiliated Green at the World Cup, beat the England stopper from 12 yards with a volley after 32 minutes as Fulham ended a bruising first-half ahead.

But any hopes of a first league away win in 13 months were dashed by Frederic Piquionne, who leapt unmarked in the box to nod past Mark Schwarzer.

Wigan's win over Wolves, and Everton's first win of the season at Birmingham mean the Hammers dropped back to the bottom of the pile despite extending their unbeaten run in all competitions to four matches.

Hammers boss Avram Grant was dealt an early blow with the news that Kieron Dyer had failed to recover from a stomach upset.

Fulham boss Mark Hughes, whose side had enjoyed a six-match unbeaten run before kick-off, paired Dempsey in attack with fellow American Eddie Johnson.

Green was coming face to face with Dempsey for the first time since his embarrassing blunder in Rustenburg and the American wasted little time in trying to test the goalkeeper from long range - but his weak effort curled wide.

The shot came moments after Dempsey was hauled down on the halfway line by Danny Gabbidon, who entered referee Andre Marriner's notebook for the challenge.

Piquionne, preferred to England striker Carlton Cole after scoring last week's winner, then drew a goal-line clearance from Carlos Salcido with a powerful header.

It was Fulham, though, who had most of the early possession. Duff, who had earlier received treatment for a cut above the eye, fired just wide from 25 yards in the 10th minute.

West Ham started to hit back and Schwarzer had to be quick off his line to beat Piquionne to the ball after Mark Noble had split the Fulham back line.

Dempsey was left with a large bump near his eye after an aerial challenge with Manuel da Costa. He complained he had been elbowed by the defender but Marriner allowed play to continue.

Danny Murphy's lofted ball over the top set Johnson free but he went down under pressure in the box from Lars Jacobsen - but Marriner failed to give a penalty, much to the annoyance of Hughes.

A smile could be seen on the Welshman's face moments later when Dempsey was played in over the top by Simon Davies, before he despatched a left-foot volley past Green from 12 yards to put Fulham 1-0 up.

Dickson Etuhu picked up a booking for a late challenge on Scott Parker, who had received a yellow a few minutes earlier for a clumsy hack on Dempsey. The American then came close to doubling Fulham's advantage soon after the break when his curling shot bounced on top of the bar.

Slack marking cost Fulham after 50 minutes as West Ham drew level through Piquionne's header.

Brede Hangeland's misplaced pass was picked up by Luis Boa Morte, who laid the ball down the right flank to Obinna. The Nigerian's cross was at the perfect height for the unmarked Piquionne, who made no mistake from six yards for his third goal in three games.

Dempsey then outmuscled Da Costa and Gabbidon to break into the Hammers' box but Green came to the rescue by rushing out to bravely snatch the ball from the forward's feet.

Hammers captain Matthew Upson became the fourth player to receive a booking when he mistimed a sliding challenge on Dempsey just after the hour.

Cole, who has failed to find the net for West Ham so far this season, came on for Barrera with little over 20 minutes to go while Fulham brought on Zoltan Gera for Duff, who limped off holding his left leg.

Dempsey then came close to putting Fulham ahead when he glanced a header just wide of Green's right-hand post from Gera's cross.

Diomansy Kamara came on to replace the ineffective Johnson with 15 minutes left as both sides struggled to take hold of the game.

Green then beat away a difficult Simon Davies shot with five minutes left.

The England stopper came to his side's rescue shortly after when he reacted well to save from Etuhu's header.

Both sides were going all out for victory in the last few minutes.

Kamara failed to take advantage of a golden chance to grab the win in injury-time when he was played in behind the back four but missed the target with a wild effort.

Salcido's body check on Boa Morte angered Grant, who marched 20 yards out of his technical area to remonstrate with the referee in the dying seconds.

The Hammers pushed right until the end for a winner but fell short, causing Grant's side to drop to the bottom of the table.

Copyright (c) PA Sport 2009, All Rights Reserved.

[WhiteJC]

http://www.fulhamchronicle.co.uk/london-sport/fulham-fc/2010/10/02/another-world-cup-goal-for-fulham-s-dempsey-82029-27388233/?
Another 'World Cup' goal for Fulham's Dempsey?

FULHAM'S Clint Dempsey is hoping lightning strikes twice – and that maybe Robert Green will fumble another ball into his net as he did in the World Cup.

The West Ham keeper was left in a heap of embarrassment after he allowed the American's tame effort to wriggle over the line in Rustenburg nearly four months ago.

The two haven't come face to face since that June night – but Dempsey reckons he's hitting stride and insists he was worth a goal in South Africa.

He said: "Probably the goal I scored should have been saved, but a goal's a goal – and I scored against Algeria and that was flagged offside when it wasn't.


"And I always expect to do better than last year like I've done for the last three seasons – so I'm confident against West Ham."

Boss Mark Hughes reckons the odd mind game might be worth a gamble when it comes to Dempsey versus Green, round two.

The manager said: "Psychology is a big part of the game these days, so there is an opportunity to take an advantage.

"But Rob Green's a good keeper and maybe he answered some of his criticism last time out (against Spurs)."



Read More http://www.fulhamchronicle.co.uk/london-sport/fulham-fc/2010/10/02/another-world-cup-goal-for-fulham-s-dempsey-82029-27388233/?#ixzz11HFWcoZl

[WhiteJC]

http://sport.virginmedia.com/football/article/2010/10/02/hammers_slump_as_dempsey_returns_to_haunt_green?
Hammers slump as Dempsey returns to haunt Green
West Ham sank to the foot of the Barclays Premier League table despite battling back from Clint Dempsey's goal to salvage a 1-1 draw in the London derby against Fulham.

Dempsey, who humiliated Robert Green when playing for the USA at the World Cup, beat the England stopper from 12 yards with a volley after 32 minutes as Fulham ended a bruising first-half 1-0 up.

But any hopes of a first league away win in 13 months were dashed by Frederic Piquionne, who leapt unmarked in the box to nod past Mark Schwarzer.

[WhiteJC]

http://www.itv.com/sport/football/news/no-lars-laughs-for-hughes-89672/?
No Lars laughs for Hughes

Mark Hughes criticised referee Andre Marriner for failing to award his side a first half penalty which he believes would have given Fulham victory over West Ham in the London derby at Upton Park.

Fulham put themselves on course to break their 13-month winless away streak just after the half hour when USA star Clint Dempsey came back to haunt Hammers and England goalkeeper Robert Green with the Cottagers' opener.

Moments earlier, Hughes was livid that Marriner did not award the away side a penalty after Eddie Johnson went down in the box under pressure from Lars Jacobsen.

Replays showed the West Ham full-back had clambered over the back of the American, leaving Hughes to reflect on what might have been had his side gone in at the break with a 2-0 lead.

"I am disappointed we didn't get the awarding of the penalty because at 2-0 going into half time it would have been difficult for them to come back," said Hughes, who saw his side denied victory thanks to Frederic Piquionne's second half header.

"Eddie got in behind the defence and if there is any contact whatsoever then more often than not it is a penalty.

"Unfortunately for us for whatever reason it wasn't given. From our point of view it was clear, there was a coming together, a tangle of legs and a goalscoring opportunity was denied, so it should have been a penalty."

The result meant West Ham stretched their unbeaten run to four matches but wins for Everton and Wigan meant the Hammers sank to the foot of the Barclays Premier League table.

West Ham manager Avram Grant was determined to take the positives from the result despite his side's current predicament.

He said: "They dominated the first half but after half-time we changed the shape, we scored and could have scored more.

"I think the most important thing was first to take points and second to show that we are improving.

"The position in the league now is not important because one win can take you up four or five places.

"Fulham are having a good season and are playing with confidence and we are only four points away from them.

"There are a lot of teams in our area. One win can move us forward."

Dempsey's goal came 112 days after Green's infamous blunder against the American at the World Cup.

The 30-year-old could do little to stop Dempsey's 12-yard volley and put in an impressive display in front of the hostile away following in the second half.

Grant paid tribute to the former Norwich stopper's character following the draw.

Grant continued: "Rob Green is a good goalkeeper. Every press conference I get asked: 'how is Robert Green?'.

"Every player sometimes has bad moments. Some players have it in the middle of the season. He had it at the start of season. It's only because of the World Cup that everyone is speaking about him.

"He was a good goalkeeper and still is. His performance was good, and his character was good too."

Marriner had to dish out four bookings during a scrappy encounter which saw Fulham's Damien Duff leave the field with a cut eye and Dempsey end the match with a big bruise on the side of his head after he claimed he was elbowed by West Ham defender Manuel da Costa.

Grant, who ran 20 yards outside of his technical area to remonstrate with Marriner in injury-time following a Carlos Salcido bodycheck on Luis Boa Morte, felt let down by the referee's performance.

"The referee didn't have a good day," Grant said. "It happened to Robert Green in the World Cup and it happened to him here."

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Hughes bemoans penalty call
Cottagers boss believes Johnson foul was a clear penalty

Mark Hughes bemoaned the lack of a penalty decision after seeing Fulham draw 1-1 at West Ham to maintain their unbeaten start to the Premier League season.

Referee Andre Marriner failed to give a penalty when Eddie Johnson went down under pressure in the box from Lars Jacobsen.
Soon afterwards, Fulham took the lead via a Clint Dempsey strike before Frederic Piquionne levelled six minutes after the interval.

Afterwards, Hughes believed Marriner had got the majority of the game's decisions right, but not the penalty appeal.

Disappointed

He said: "I am disappointed we didn't get the awarding of the penalty because at 2-0 going into half-time it would have been difficult for them to come back.

"Eddie got in behind the defence and if there is any contact whatsoever then more often than not it is a penalty.

"Unfortunately for us for whatever reason it wasn't given. From our point of view it was clear, there was a coming together, a tangle of legs and a goalscoring opportunity was denied, so it should have been a penalty."

Hughes was disappointed his side did not register the win after creating a number of goalscoring opportunities.

Dominated possession
He told Sky Sports: "We had got our noses in front and played really well in the first half, I felt we really dominated possession and dictated the play, scored a good goal and had a clear penalty dismissed for what reason I'm still a little bit curious to find out to be perfectly honest.

"Obviously we talked at half-time about the response that we expected from West Ham and certainly in the beginning of the second half, the first 10, 15 minutes or so, they put us under a little bit of pressure but at times we invited them onto us and just over-played in key areas and that's when they got their goal.

"So we're disappointed with that part of our game but overall, a good performance, created four or five really good clear-cut chances and I think that's the difference that we're seeing in our play, we are really positive away from home now and it's only a matter of time before we convert these opportunities to wins I feel."

He added: "All in all I think we've got to be pleased enough with the point but there is a sense of frustration because we feel it's possibly an opportunity missed given the chances that we created today."

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Dempsey takes the positives
Fulham goalscorer takes the positives after another draw

Fulham goalscorer Clint Dempsey took the positives after the Cottagers extended their unbeaten top-flight run at West Ham.

Mark Hughes' side made it seven games unbeaten in the Premier League this term after a hard-fought draw at Upton Park.

The Cottagers went ahead when American striker Dempsey, whose shot was let in by a Robert Green blunder at the World Cup, beat the England keeper again with a volley on 33 minutes.

But the Hammers improved after the break and equalised on 51 minutes via a Frederic Piquionne header to earn a share of the spoils.

Afterwards Dempsey, who was left with a large bump near his eye after an aerial challenge with Manuel da Costa, expressed himself pleased that the Cottagers' unbeaten start was intact.

He told Sky Sports: "I just went for the ball and got an elbow but it happens so.

"We're a little bit disappointed with not getting three points but we'll take the positive that we do have a point and hopefully we can continue this unbeaten run."

Not inevitable

He denied it was not almost inevitable he would score against Green given what had happened at the World Cup and instead praised the keeper after he pulled off a string of top-class saves to earn his team a point.

"Fair play to him, I thought he had a really good game today, kept his team in the game and got them a point."

But Dempsey did admit it was frustrating that the Cottagers - who have now drawn six out of their seven top flight games - could not close out the win.

"Its definitely frustrating, we thought today was a game where we could have got three points from, we started the second half a little slow but we still had our chances in the game and like I said, Green kept them in the game."

He added: "I guess the positive is that we're still unbeaten and we go into the national break I guess on a positive."