LONDON: West Ham clinched promotion to the Premier League as Ricardo Vaz Te’s late winner sealed a dramatic 2-1 victory over Blackpool in the Championship playoff final at Wembley yesterday.
Sam Allardyce’s side survived a nervous start to take the lead through Carlton Cole’s first half strike, but Tom Ince equalized soon after the break and Blackpool had several good chances to go ahead.
Portuguese forward Vaz Te made the Seasiders pay for their profligacy when he struck from close-range in the 87th minute to ensure the Hammers returned to the top-flight just 12 months after relegation. Vaz Te’s winner was crucial for a club who had invested heavily in winning promotion and the east London outfit’s place in the Premier League will rake in between £45 million and £90 million in increased revenue according to varying reports.
“Blackpool were every bit as good as us but we just swung it in our favor. It’s 49 games this season and it’s the first time we’ve won a game in the last few minutes,” Allardyce said.
“I’m just delighted to be back in the Premier League. It means everything to me because I had been in the Premier League for 10 years or so (before being sacked by Blackburn in 2010).
“It was difficult at the start to turn this club around but we have come good at the end.”
Blackpool boss Ian Holloway added: “Sometimes in life it goes against you but you have to congratulate your opponents.
“I thought my lot gave a great account of themselves, we created more than enough chances to win the game. We’ve got to get on and bounce straight back.”
Defeat was cruel on Blackpool, who almost made the perfect start when poor defending from Matt Taylor allowed Stephen Dobbie to squeeze past him and drive in a low strike that Robert Green pushed onto his near post.
That narrow escape seemed to unsettle West Ham and their defense parted with alarming ease as Matt Phillips surged clear, only to shoot tamely at Green with just the goalkeeper to beat.
West Ham’s nerves were on show again when right-back Guy Demel made a hash of clearing on the edge of his own penalty area and Phillips stole possession before curling just wide with the goal at his mercy.
But West Ham, making their first appearance at Wembley since 1981, gradually grew into the match and, after Vaz Te fired just wide, Allardyce’s team took the lead in the 35th minute.
As Blackpool appealed in vain for a foul on Ince, Taylor looked up and dinked a sublime diagonal pass over the Seasiders defense toward Cole, whose perfect first touch brought the ball under control before his second guided a cool strike past Matt Gilks.
West Ham finished third, 11 points ahead of fifth-placed Blackpool, but spent most of the season struggling to cope with the demands of their fans and directors, who had both expected automatic promotion.
And they looked like cracking again as Ince fashioned a fine equalizer early in the second half.
Ince’s father Paul has never been forgiven for posing in a Manchester United shirt prior to moving to Old Trafford from West Ham and the young winger was taunted by the Hammers fans at Wembley.
They were silenced in the 48th minute when West Ham’s defenders failed to deal with Phillips’ long pass toward Ince, who produced a superb first-time strike angled across Green into the far corner.
Alex Baptiste should have given Holloway’s men the lead seconds later when he ran onto a Kevin Phillips pass, but the defender’s prodded effort was cleared off the line by Taylor.
Blackpool threatened again as a flowing move cut through the Hammers defense to set up Dobbie, who clutched his head in frustration after scuffing woefully wide from Neal Eardley’s cross.
But West Ham captain Kevin Nolan hit the bar with a ferocious volley in the closing stages.
And it was Nolan who proved the catalyst for West Ham’s winner as he found the energy to sprint down the left before whipping over a low cross that caused havoc in the Blackpool defense.
Baptiste failed to clear and Cole flicked the ball toward Vaz Te, who had the simple task of firing high into the empty net from close-range to spark wild celebrations.
West Ham sinks Blackpool to clinch promotion
West Ham sinks Blackpool to clinch promotion
Al-Fateh grab second win on the trot, Al-Taawoun keep up pressure in title race
- Al-Fateh win 2 consecutive games for the first time this season and move to 11 points
- Al-Taawoun grab late winner against last-placed Al-Najma to stay within 4 points of Al-Nassr
RIYADH: Matchday 12 of the Saudi Pro League got underway on Monday with Al-Khaleej hosting Al-Fateh in the first of the evening’s three fixtures.
Despite producing a strong display in a 3-2 loss to Al-Hilal last week, Al-Khaleej lost 1-0 to Al-Fateh, with Matias Vargas scoring the decisive goal.
Al-Fateh’s strategy was clear: Moroccan midfielder Sofiane Bendebka would be flanked by Mourad Batna and Vargas in a fluid attacking set-up, allowing him to drift between a second-striker role and deeper midfield positions.
The free-flowing forwards enabled Al-Fateh to take control of the final third, with Batna cutting in from the right flank proving to be a dangerous asset in Al-Fateh’s arsenal.
That combination paid dividends in the 41st minute, when Batna delivered a diagonal ball across the pitch to find Vargas, who calmly chipped the ball over Anthony Moris to open the scoring.
It marked the Argentinian’s fourth goal in three matches, with his recent form directly contributing six points — more than half of Al-Fateh’s total this season.
Al-Khaleej were unable to replicate the same intensity shown against Al-Hilal, despite the introduction of club top scorer Joshua King after the break and Pedro Rebocho’s marauding role down the left.
Their clearest opportunity came in the 68th minute, when Rebocho squared the ball to Giorgos Masouras only for his effort to hit the post.
Al-Fateh then adopted a more cautious approach, looking to exploit Al-Khaleej on the counter. They nearly doubled their lead in the 88th minute when Vargas teed up Bendebka, but the midfielder’s powerful backheel crashed against the woodwork.
The defeat marks a slowdown for Al-Khaleej after an encouraging start to the campaign, with this being their third consecutive loss, now leaving them on just 14 points from 11 matches.
Elsewhere, Al-Hazem travelled to the capital to face Al-Riyadh, securing a 2-1 victory thanks to goals from Nawaf Al-Habashi and Omar Al-Somah.
The Syrian striker netted his 157th Saudi Pro League goal, extending his lead over Abderazzak Hamedallah at the top of the all-time scoring charts and helping Al-Hazem move further clear of the relegation zone.
In Qassim, third-placed Al-Taawoun edged bottom side Al-Najma in a tightly contested encounter. A late strike from Roger Martinez in the 85th minute sealed a 1-0 win, Al-Taawoun’s ninth of the season, keeping them firmly in the title race.
Pericles Chamusca’s side have exceeded expectations with their stellar start to the season. The Wolves move into second with 28 points, two ahead of Al-Hilal in third and two behind league leaders Al-Nassr, with both sides still holding a game in hand.
It marks the best start to a Saudi Pro League season in Al-Taawoun’s history, a run that continues to surprise in a league filled with established stars.
Matchday 12 on Tuesday starts with Al-Ahli vs. Al-Fayha, followed by Al-Ettifaq vs. Al-Nassr and Al-Okhdood vs. Damac later in the evening.
