Fern Mc Costigan

Tuesday, December 4, 2018

The Hammers on the plus with back-to-back wins

West Ham United 3, Cardiff City 1

London Stadium, London

For Mauricio Pellegrini and his Irons, suddenly playing as the competitive squad many envisioned it since the beginning of this edition of Premiership, with two back-to-back wins we started to see a contender.

All of a sudden in these two wins the Academy of Football has seen a couple of its players coming out of their scoring droughts, with last week double from Mexican international Chicharito, this time it was Lucas Perez turn.

For the Spaniard delivering with a double that in the end became the difference maker in the game after his substitution early in the first half when the Irons top playmaker Marko Arnatouvic came out with an injury.

As manager Pellegrini putting a very offensive formation with Marko and Chicharito after his last week heroics, once again his formula worked wonders with this duo that in the end made a living hell out of the Bluebirds defense.

After all these two squads last weekend they were on a momentum after winning their respective matches and for the Welsh side emerging as a winner and out of the relegation spots, today a win would become wondrous.

With a doubtful call on penalty in favor of the visitors, for City midfielder Joe Ralls taking care of the penal but I did not count on Lukasz Fabiansky taking care of the shoot and stopping it cold and denying an early CCFC score.

As this match took a one sided approach with the Hammers playing a dominant football all game long that in the end netted them a valuable win as well moving up the standings, moving up to 12^th place and with 18 points.

Once again Robert Snodgrass and Arthur Masuaku became fundamental in this squad win with a couple of assists both to the man of the match Lucas Perez playing like possessed and scoring on the 49’ minute and later in the 54’.

Still there was to be another score from the Hammers Michail Antonio in the 61’ with Snodgrass assistance, scoring the go ahead and cushion goal in what seemed a valuable win for the locals that displayed a top-notch football at home.

Dominating this match in its entirety the Hammers had total control of the Bluebirds from start to finish with a whopping 61% control of the ball and seventeen shots at goal, and eleven at target.

In the end hail to a heroic Cardiff City backfield lucky of not getting a rout in London Stadium from an inspired Academy of Football looking to level their campaign and make a dash to the top six spots in the overall table.

Unfortunately, the clean sheet was lost on injury time with a lone CCFC goal from Josh Murphy coming as a substitute in the 64’ minute for Joe Ralls and with no time to mount a comeback.

Photos Credit and Property of © Copyright Premier League. com 2018

Sunday, December 2, 2018

The north of London town belongs to Arsenal

Arsenal 4, Tottenham 2

Emirates Stadium, London

With a one of a kind win and a double from Pierre- Emerick Aubameyang the local Gunners deliver mayhem over their cross town foes the Tottenham Spurs in the battle of England’s capital northernmost.

As the battle of words between Arsenal’s Unai Emery and Tottenham’s Mauricio Pochettino in the course of the week came down to today’s affair in Emirates and with a display of the local’s new game and those always celebrated bragging rights.

In a day filled with Derbies with the West London, meet between Chelsea and Fulham and in Merseyside this contest that bears the name of this affair between Liverpool and Everton and this longtime KO.

The odds of Poche Spurs after last week grand win over their London foes stopping their perfect run with a win in the capital derby in his mind he thought that he was about to net a consecutive win over the Gunners.

This time no luck or draw in favor of the Spurs that saw an inspired Gunner initial eleven that decimated the Spurs momentum after last week valuable win and today that excellent game these displayed now was left in the dark.

Starting with the match ten minutes into this affair suddenly Spurs Jan Vertonghen handball inside the area that opened the door to Emerick Aubameyang first of his two goals in the afternoon with a well-taken penalty kick.

Still this match was long over as the Spurs comeback with a goal in the 30’ minute by Eric Dier equalizing the match and later in a penal in favor of the Spurs exposing the game intensity and Harry Kane in the 34’.

As the second half started the game raise its decibels when a nice pass deflected by Aron Ramsey in the counter attack to put the game even at goals apiece in the 56’ minute with a beauty of a shoot from 25 yards.

No later came again the magic of the Welsh Aaron Ramsey passing to Alexandre Lacazette to put the locals ahead in the 74’ in a shoot that many thought would been stop by Hugh Lloris and going in to send the whole of Emirates in a frenzy.

As Emerick-Aubameyang magic once again made his reappearance with another valuable intervention assisting to a wide open Lucas Torreira that sent a volley out of reach from the Spurs goalkeeper to put the match away in the 77’ minute.

Hey say when it rain pours when Jan Vertonghen tackle sent Lacazette into the ground and the game official di not hesitated to show the red card and leave the Spurs with ten men on the field in a what became a somber day.

However, in Emirates, it was a day for celebration after scoring a rout and a KO to their north London foes and cutting their perfect streak of six matches for Pochettino and company, give Emery round one!

Photos Credit and Property of © Copyright Premier League. com 2018

West Ham accomplish the impossible at the Toon

Newcastle United 0, West Ham United 3

Saint James Park, Newcastle

A notable result put in display this weekend in the English Premier League with an all-around feat by the visiting Hammers looking to score a win on the road and these did it as well stopping the locals run with perfection.

A loss at home hurts and with the Hammers coming with the label of underdogs, as well seeing how Chicharito Hernandez double and a steep defending by the Irons over the locals decided this affair in the end.

For the local Geordies coming from a three game in the plus, suddenly their game plan became obsolete in the end held at bay and with a nullified offence as well a defensive game not effective in that saw this squad take a three goals rout.

As many thought that the Tyneside side was about to see an all-around revival in its game and returning to the top ten spots, now seats in 15^th spot with 14 points opposite to the Irons moving up to thirteenth place.

As another disappointment after another for the Tyne Daly fandom exposes how the Spaniard was right in requesting the club owner Mike Ashley to reinforce the team if he wanted to have a prolific campaign in the Toon.

So far, no good for Benitez and company seeing a lack of consistency in this squad posting positive results in the end and by taking advantage of squads not having a positive campaign these have to deliver.

Still if we have to see, the best game of the Magpies is to have it all in its initial eleven putting on a well-unified teamwork that in the end can deliver the desired results its manager wants.

For Newcastle United seeing how the counter attacking put in display by the visitors in conclusion became pure poison for them and seeing a striker in Chicharito Hernandez delivering with a double in the 11’ and 63’ and the go ahead by Felipe Anderson 90+3.

As Robert Snodgrass, Marco Arnatouvic and Jack Wilshere were the culprits to deliver mayhem to the local’s defensive backfield that in the end became unable to stop the push and pressure put in by the Academy of Football.

In the visitors’ locker room manager, Manuel Pellegrini expressing his satisfaction in how his squad played an amazing game both defensibly and offensively getting an important win on the road as well is uplifting his side confidence.

With a solid performance and creating several chances in the course of the match with an amazing game with a series of multiple counter attacks, the Hammers were able to come victorious and moving up the table.

For the West Ham next week compromise against Cardiff City at home, for sure this match will offer another opportunity for the Irons to add points and see a continuance of their positive streak in the remainder of the campaign.

The NIFL in its weekly recap headlines Ballymena United on the top

A contested campaign in the Danske Banke Premiership, with a match between the Sky Blues and the league leaders Linfield as the Belfast side was in need of a win to extend their lead in the top of the NIFL.

With another squad in the chase in Glenavon but getting a draw against Institute in a goal fest, but within three points of the top and the defending champions Crusaders just recuing a single point in their quest to regain the top.

Friday night football in the NIFL, this start of the weekend competition in league play was between the Bannsiders of Coleraine against Newry City AFC, as both squads looking forward for a win.

With the Showground’s of Coleraine in the background, the City lads via a first half goal by Mark McCabe in the 35’ and a brilliant defensive gem gave the AFC lads their first on the road win.

Coleraine 0, Newry City 1

In the Bangor Fuels Arena the local Ards looking for a win and add points to their cause, they had to settle to a frustrating draw against Warrenpoint Town and sharing the points.

For the local Red and Blues Michael McClellan scoring in the 50’ and later equalized by the point Eamon Scannell 51’ to settle for the draw in the end.

Ards 1, Warrenpoint Town FC 1

Back in Solitude, the local Reds of Cliftonville displayed a score fest against a decimated Dungannon Swifts, after these went up the scoreboard with an OG by the locals defender Jamie Harvey in the 5’.

The response of the locals was immediate when Rory Donelly scored three minutes later in the 8’ and 68’ followed by Christopher Curran 18’, Joe Gormley 35’ and 74’, seeing two of its players with a double.

Cliftonville 5, Dungannon Swifts 1

In Mourneview Park today all of its attendees came delighted after their exposure to a goal fest courtesy of their Lurgan Blues and the Stute Boys not surrendering an inch and getting their share of the points.

For Glenavon the scorers were Stephen Murray 6’, Andrew Mitchell 36’ and Conor McCloskey 87’ and for the Institute side Joe McCready 8’, Mark Scoltok 24’ and Michael McCrudden 55’.

Glenavon 3, Institute 3

In the Oval, the local Glens played host to the league defending champions Crusaders and sharing the points to a stalemate at two goals per side and with the Hachetmen not able to keep the lead.

After an opening goal by Paul Heatley in the 16’ minute the visiting Crusaders saw how the Glens John Herron in the 31’ tied the match and three minutes later these went up in the 34’ via goal from Rory Paterson and the equalizer came from Robbie McDaid 43’.

Glentoran 2, Crusaders 2

In the Showgrounds of Ballymena United, the local Sky Blues were to play the league leaders in what seemed to be a Derby for the top, after the Blues positive streak has kept them in the summit of NIFL.

With Linfield opening the score with just four minutes into the match via Andrew Waterworth , the reaction of the locals came with two unanswered goals by Jonathan Addis 52’ and Leroy Millar 59’.

Ballymena United 2, Linfield 1