Leigertwood class adds to Allardyce's anxiety

West Ham United 2 Reading 4

upton park

Suggested Topics

The jeers were always more heartfelt than the encouragement – such has become the depth of dissatisfaction with the management of Sam Allardyce – and it hardly lowered the tone when the identification of Ricardo Vaz Te as man of the match was greeted with a mixture of stupefaction and mild scorn.

The majority of the crowd were not deriding Vaz Te, who had scored, so much as acknowledging that all legitimate candidates were from Reading: the central defenders Alex Pearce and Kaspars Gorkss, Jason Roberts and Noel Hunt up front and, above all, the wonderfully sound midfield presence that was Mikele Leigertwood.

West Ham had begun well but after half an hour they had been utterly outplayed. It seems increasingly likely Brian McDermott's side will earn an automatic return to the Premier League while West Ham are left to the anxieties of the play-offs.

Lamenting all four goals, Allardyce said of the third, a penalty converted by Ian Harte: "Instead of waiting to play our way back into the match, we shot ourselves in the foot."

The home side drew first blood and although the breakthrough was credited to Carlton Cole, much of the work was done by Kevin Nolan, who deftly fed Matt Taylor on the left flank and accelerated into the space reserved for what turned out to be a prompt and immaculate near-post cross; Nolan's header came back off the upright and Cole tucked the ball beyond Adam Federici.

West Ham thereafter suffered for a shortage of composure at both ends. They failed to make the most of chances and let in two goals in three minutes close to the interval, the latter being a horror show. The equaliser came when Harte's corner was met by Gorkss and although Nolan appeared to get his head to the ball at the same time, the greater force carried it into the net. West Ham had still to regain their concentration when Roberts went determinedly for the ball, inducing Julien Faubert to send it straight to Hunt, who, with several defenders preoccupied elsewhere, whipped a low shot past Robert Green.

There was enough time for West Ham to suffer a bit of bad luck, Abdoulaye Faye's on-target header hitting Nolan, before half-time arrived. But West Ham continued to struggle under any pressure and Faye's clumsy tackle in the area was read by Hunt, whose fall enabled Harte to stroke the kick home and give Reading a lead of two goals.

Only when Vaz Te reduced it, superbly heading in Gary O'Neil's corner, did the Bubbles Choir find their voice. And not for long, because Leigertwood drove forward and threaded a fine pass to Hunt. The striker could not control it, but West Ham assumed offside anyway and stopped, enabling Leigertwood to follow up by beating Green. McDermott was asked what a momentous win meant to Reading. "Three points," replied the commonsense manager.

West Ham (4-3-3): Green; Faubert, Tomkins, Faye, McCartney; O'Neil, Noble (Collins h-t), Nolan; Vaz Te, Cole (Maynard, 71), Taylor (Baldock, 59)

Reading (4-4-2): Federici; Cummings, Pearce, Gorkss, Harte; Kebe (Afobe, 82) Karacan (Tabb, 55, Robson-Kanu, 67), Leigertwood, McAnuff; Roberts, Hunt.

Referee Chris Foy.

Man of the match Leigertwood (Reading).

Match rating 7/10.

Independent Comment
blog comments powered by Disqus
Caption competition
Caption competition
News in pictures
World news in pictures
Sport blogs

iBet: A tight game between Northampton and Bradford

A tight game could be in prospect here. Northampton have been keeping things very tight of late and ...

by Gareth Purnell

On The Road at the Giro d’Italia: Feeling ill and racing in the rain must be pretty grim

I can’t ever watch games of football or rugby without wistfully wondering what it must be like to be...

by Martin Ayres

PSG and the French league must be more proactive in dealing with hooliganism

Since PSG’s exit to Barcelona in the Uefa Champions League quarter-final in April, PSG have been sur...

by Matthew Riding

       
Career Services

Day In a Page

The price of pacifism: Refusing to go to war is finally being recognised as a brave act

The price of pacifism

From the Second World War refusenik to the 19-year-old Israeli, Holly Williams talks to five people who risked shame and suffering to take a stand as conscientious objector.
'It was mass hysteria': Jason Isaacs on groupies, theatre bores and snogging James Bond

Jason Isaacs: Groupies, theatre bores and James Bond

To millions, Jason Isaacs is one of Harry Potter's arch enemies – but his wife prefers him as a Scottish TV detective.
Notes from a small island: Is Sealand an independent 'micronation' or an illegal fortress?

Sealand: 'Micronation' or illegal fortress?

Thomas Hodgkinson spent a week at the tiny platform off the Suffolk coast to find out.
Not a bad bone: Mark Hix cooks with cutlets and ribs

Mark Hix cooks with cutlets and ribs

If you ignore cutlets and ribs, you'll risk missing out on some delicious and easy meals, says our chef.
The experts' guide to summer: From getting fit for the beach to recreating that Olympic buzz

The experts' guide to summer

From getting fit for the beach to recreating that Olympic buzz
Sex, drugs and fast cars: The legend of James Hunt has set Hollywood hearts racing

Legend of James Hunt has set Hollywood hearts racing

Early glimpses of Ron Howard's film Rush suggest it will portray Hunt as a high-living lothario, with an insatiable appetite for partying.
Macklemore: 'I don't have moderation when using drugs and alcohol. It was hurting my life'

Macklemore: 'I don't have moderation'

The next Vanilla Ice or the next Eminem? Macklemore doesn't have a record contract – but he does have the UK's biggest-selling single of the year.
Don't be shy: Bill Granger's Sri Lankan recipes

Don't be shy: Bill Granger's Sri Lankan recipes

Sri Lankan cuisine is light, sunny, wonderfully spiced – and so easy to cook from scratch. Just as soon as you've broken into the coconut, that is.
Sir James Dyson’s latest project: Cleaning up hospitals

Sir James Dyson’s latest project: Cleaning up hospitals

Doctors are hailing the revamp of a Bath neonatal unit, where babies sleep more and feed better, as the model for patient care
One man returns to Argentina's town that drowned

One man returns to Argentina's town that drowned

Epecuen was submerged under 10 metres of water in 1985. Now the floods have gone – and 83-year-old Pablo Novak has moved back in
The real thing? Historian publishes Coca Cola's 'secret formula'

The real thing?

Historian publishes Coca Cola's 'secret formula'
Gordon Ramsey's worst nightmare: A restaurant he cannot save

Gordon Ramsay's worst nightmare: A restaurant he cannot save

The pugnacious chef finally met a shambolic restaurant he couldn't save. John Walsh on when TV makover refuseniks fight back
Join Ryanair! See the world! But we're only paying you for nine months a year

Join Ryanair! See the world! But we're only paying you for nine months a year

Glamorous myth of the flight attendant lifestyle undermined by angry employee's claims of 'exploitation'
Braising saddles: Did the recent furore scupper sales of horse meat? Neigh, far from it!

Braising saddles: How to cook horse meat

Did the recent furore scupper sales of horse meat? Neigh, far from it! Will Coldwell hoofs it to the kitchen.
Why bitters are back on the bar: A few little drops pack a big punch in cocktails

Why bitters are back on the bar

A few little drops pack a big punch in cocktails. No wonder we're learning to love them again...