REID BRINGS THE HOUSE DOWN THE RACE FOR EUROPE
Kiwi defender has last word as LVG’s Euro hopes falter
It was the grand old sendoff the place deserved. Dimitri Payet whipped in the free-kick, Winston Reid’s header simply overpowered David de Gea. Believers will say it was something more; or Moore. this was a fitting end to 112 years at Upton Park. West Ham 3 Manchester United 2. A cracking game, a spirited comeback — and the promise of great things to come with the possibility of European football at the Olympic Stadium next season.
And if it was an emotional night in east London it would have been quite overwrought in parts of east Manchester too.
For if the win ensured West Ham left their home with honour intact, it also gave Manchester City, resident in the regenerated east of their city, hope that they may hold off United for the fourth place.
If City win at Swansea on Sunday, there is nothing United can do about it. they will be condemned to the Europa League at best. In a season when English football could get five clubs in the Champions League that really would be too much to bear. too much for Louis van Gaal, in the long term? Possibly.
It was Michail Antonio who brought West Ham back to level terms just when the game seemed to have slipped away from them. It was a similar goal to the winner, Payet recycling the ball, United caught out, Antonio eluding his marker to head past De Gea. A wonderful finish, then, United having already fought back from a goal down to lead.
It was marvellous entertainment, West Ham dominating the first half, United coming back in the second once an old Upton Park favourite, Michael Carrick, had replaced Morgan Schneiderlin. the goal that gave them a 2-1 lead came from fine midfield work by Wayne Rooney — booed throughout, as ever — who picked out Marcus Rashford, the young man finding Anthony Martial, skipping past Reid to score his second of the night.
the crowd were momentarily silenced, West Ham’s players — and their season — looked done. But from somewhere they found the spirit for revival. the songs, the cheers have never sounded louder. You could hear them from parts of Manchester.
the fans — not all of them, but enough to cause the club huge embarrassment — having let the side down so spectacularly outside the ground, at least the team delivered on the occasion.
this is Upton Park as the majority here will want to remember it. Under the floodlights, ferocious in
atmosphere, with a high- energy performance that for a time halted Manchester United in their tracks. This being West Ham, however, they also contrived to frustrate and infuriate — that’s the bit where the bubbles fade and die in the club song. So they went in at half-time a goal ahead not three, or maybe four. Really, the second half should have been a party, not a contest.
Maybe Manchester United were more rattled by events outside the Boleyn Tavern than the pictures on board the team bus indicated. These showed players making light of the mayhem outside, all the while staying rather sensibly away from the windows and crowding in the centre aisle. It must have been unnerving though, with nine windows smashed and some lunatic apparently trying to butt the vehicle as it edged through the crowd.
For West Ham it would have been acutely disappointing. Co- owner David Sullivan crassly blamed United’s late arrival for the chaos, which was insensitive — although this is not the first time this season a kick- off in London has been delayed — yet deep down he must have been mortified.
At one stage it looked as if the much planned post-match celebration would have to be cancelled. What an embarrassment that would have been. As it was, the 8.30 kick-off would have played havoc with some of the fans’ departure times. At least when the game started it showed old Upton Park at its best.
And West Ham at their best, too. On two occasions during Sir Alex Ferguson’s time, they denied United the title here, and this was another game with a huge amount at stake for the visitors. Win, and with Bournemouth to play at home on Sunday, united would almost certainly qualify for the Champions League next season. In the opening 45 minutes at least, they never came close to achieving that aim.
It was pretty much all West Ham, from the 10th minute when they took the lead, in front of what regulars will remember as the old South Bank. The move was started by a quite magnificent pass by Aaron Cresswell, who picked out Manuel Lanzini on the left. He crossed and Diafra Sakho turned almost lazily and shot past De Gea. It seemed to happen in slow motion. As did United’s first half. Everything was happening in their territory. In the 19th minute, Antonio crossed for Carroll to head the ball down to Payet, whose shot was saved.
Then came the chance that turned the game. It really was poor defending from United. Chris Smalling caught in the wrong half, Daley Blind playing West Ham on, and Carroll suddenly with half the pitch to himself, running through, oneon- one. He didn’t look confident from that moment. His champions claim Carroll is so much more than a battering ram centre-forward. He isn’t. This showed it. It was like watching a centre-half getting a nose bleed placed in the same position. There was no finesse, no imagination, he ran forward and hit the ball straight, directly at De Gea. The Carroll for England campaign is sadly misjudged. Imagine if that was the chance, the one chance, against France.
The locals were no doubt cursing that the opportunity did not fall to a deadlier finisher, such as Payet. That little fantasy was exploded 12 minutes later. Martial made a mistake and was caught in possession by Mark Noble. He put Payet through and Upton Park waited for the inevitable second. And waited. Payet, missing his usual composure, sliced his shot well wide.
There were two other opportunities before half-time. In the 27th minute, Antonio found Lanzini, whose low shot travelled just wide; and then, with two minutes to go before the break, a Payet corner from the left found Sakho, who jumped too early and steered his header over. West Ham have rued missed chances against United once already this season and many feared a repeat. So it proved, six minutes into the second half.
United had been growing stronger throughout the game, without greatly threatening, but their equaliser was simplicity in the extreme. De Gea’s long clearance made its way to Rashford who picked out Juan Mata, the Spaniard skinning Angelo Ogbonna on the right. A low cross and there was Anthony Martial to finish at the far post.
WEST HAM UNITED (4-3-2-1): Randolph 5; Antonio 7.5, Reid 8.5, Ogbonna 6.5 , Cresswell 6.5; Lanzini 7 (Obiang 84min, 6), Kouyate 7, Noble 8; Payet 7.5 (Valencia 90), Sakho 7.5 (Tomkins 84, 6); Carroll 6.5.
Subs not used: Valencia, Collins, Moses, Emenike, Spiegel. Booked: Carroll. Manager: Slaven Bilic 7.5.
MANCHESTER UNITED (4-2-3-1): De Gea 5.5; Valencia 6 (Januzaj 87, 6), Smalling 7.5, Blind 5.5, Rojo 6.5; Schneiderlin 5.5 (Carrick 46, 6.5) Ander Herrera 6 (Lindgard 83); Mata 7, Rooney 7.5, Martial 8; Rashford 7.
Subs not used: Jones, Depay, Romero, Borthwick-Jackson. Booked: Martial, Valencia, Herrera.
Manager: Louis Van Gaal 7. Referee: Mike Dean 7.
Man of the match: Winston Reid. Attendance: 34,602.