West Ham 1 - 0 Barnsley: Papa Bouba Diop’s early header seals three points for Allardyce’s men
IT was scrappy and a stray cat got the second-biggest cheer of the match – but at least Papa Bouba Diop’s early header was enough to get West Ham back to winning ways.
It was far from sweetness and light, however as the pressure got too much for gaffer Sam Allardyce at the end – and he was sent packing.
The flashpoint came when substitute Freddie Sears was certain he had earned a penalty five minutes from time when he was sent sprawling.
Not for the first time the home side got nothing – and Big Sam was handed his marching orders after kicking a plastic bottle and shouting at the linesman.
Allardyce’s men headed into the match on the back of what he called his “worst week” since taking over at Upton Park.
The Hammers were nursing bruised egos after slipping to two straight losses for the first time since dropping out of the Premier League.
Jeer
But 6ft 5in giant Diop’s sixth-minute goal was enough to get the home fans smiling again, even if they spent the rest of the match on edge and ready to jeer any player who misplaced a pass or missed a run.
Sure, the appearance of the moggy right after half-time was a bit of light relief, but it was clear the supporters would not have taken anything less than three points.
Left-back Dan Potts, the 17-year-old son of former Hammer Steve, was handed a place in the senior team for the first time following a pre-match injury to Senegalese defender Abdoulaye Faye.
Barnsley, on the other hand, had their eye on putting a week to forget in the past, after conceding five second-half goals against Ipswich last time out.
Tykes boss Keith Hill had swung the axe following that collapse, with four changes from the side that lost to the Tractor Boys.
Not that the shake-up did much good, as Diop charged in to nod home the Hammers’ opener, almost before Barnsley had got their bearings.
Mark Noble floated a corner into the box and Diop rose highest to turn the ball past Luke Steele. The home side had a strong shout for a penalty waved away 12 minutes later, as Rob Edwards appeared to trip Frederic Piquionne in the box, but referee Scott Mathieson was having none of it.
Sliced
Then defender James Tomkins came close to gifting the visitors an equaliser on 22 minutes when Craig Davies burst past him only to fire wide of the goal.
Carlton Cole should have made it two for the Hammers on the half-hour, but – having beaten a couple of defenders and the keeper – he sliced wide of an empty net from six yards.
Yes, it was a tight angle, but if he has any hope of breaking back into the England squad, he has to do better than that.
Five minutes before the break Piquionne found himself right in front of goal but again he had his legs taken out from under him before he could get a shot off.
Straight after the break the bizarre sight of a cat racing down the pitch didn’t distract keeper Rob Green from diving to get a hand to keep out Davies’ header from Jacob Butterfield’s free-kick.
And the moggy had the effect of easing the tension in the ground, as Barnsley increasingly looked like a beaten team.
Arsenal loanee Henri Lansbury made his first appearance in two months midway through the half, as Allardyce looked to crowd his midfield and sit on the one-goal advantage.
And Potts came close to writing himself into Hammers folklore when he attempted to lob the keeper on 80 minutes, but his shot went wide.
the mirror
West Ham 1-0 Barnsley: Sunday Mirror match report
The pressure of the promotion chase claimed Sam Allardyce at Upton Park yesterday.
Allardyce faces a touchline ban after he was sent to the stands by referee Scott Mathieson during the win over Barnsley.
Papa Bouba Diop headed the early winner but Allardyce was furious after a series of decisions went against his team and showed his frustration by kicking water bottles near the West Ham bench.
“I saw the red mist,” admitted Allardyce, who complained to fourth official Ian Cooper after Frederic Piquionne was denied a penalty, when debutant Dan Potts was poleaxed by a challenge from Barnsley’s Jim O’Brien and, finally, after Freddie Sears was brought down by the same player when through on goal.
Cooper summoned the referee to highlight Allardyce’s behaviour and the boss spent the last 10 minutes in the stand.
“It was definite penalty on Frederic, there should have been a red card for the challenge on Danny and Freddie was brought down,” claimed Allardyce.
“I haven’t been in trouble for 10 or 12 years. I was complaining to the fourth official and when I kicked the bottles it was the last straw for him.”
Allardyce, though, was delighted with the result from his patched-up team.
“Dan didn’t know he was playing until 20 minutes from the kick-off when Abdoulaye Faye picked up a calf injury in the warm-up,” he said. “ I don’t think anybody’s squad has been affected like ours with injuries and suspensions. It was a vital win.”
Barnsley manager Keith Hill said: “I was disappointed with the way we conceded from a set-piece because we knew the threat they would pose with the size of some of their players.”
The win helped West Ham bounce back after two defeats to share the Championship lead, but as his team looked to build on the lead given them by Diop, substitute Sears was sent tumbling in the area by O’Brien. Mathieson ruled no foul and Allardyce exploded.
The game started with two debuts. One was a ridiculous mascot called Hammerhead – when will the club owners realise that gimmicks and West Ham fans do not go together?
The other was of far more relevance. The late withdrawal of Faye meant a debut for Potts, son of former West Ham stalwart Steve, and someone who has shown an abundance of courage during his 17 years as he recovered from leukaemia.
Potts was not fazed as he settled comfortably into the re-shaped back four.
And the ingredients were there for a dream start to his career after just six minutes as West Ham took the lead, Diop heading home Mark Noble’s corner.
Diop has scored more famous goals – think Senegal against world champions France in the 2002 World Cup. But in the context of West Ham’s season, it was just what they needed. The Hammers then stayed in control and Barnsley barely troubled Robert Green
the star
WEST HAM 1 BARNSLEY 0: JOINT DIOP OF THE TABLE
Diop’s sixth-minute goal helped to ease the tension at Upton Park by sending his side joint-top of the table with Southampton
PAPA BOUBA DIOP’S early goal was enough to end West Ham boss Sam Allardyce’s worst week at Upton Park on a high note.
The Hammers headed into the match on the back of two straight defeats for the first time since they dropped into the Championship.
But Diop’s sixth-minute goal helped to ease the tension at Upton Park by sending his side joint-top of the table with Southampton.
The previous two defeats, attributed to failing to deal with free-kicks, had riled the Hammers boss to the extent that he had accused them of collective amnesia when it came to set-pieces.
To add to his bad mood, Joey O’Brien and Jack Collison were banned after getting sent off last week.
So Allardyce’s team had a patched-up feel to it, given the lengthy list of crocks and suspensions he had to deal with.
Allardyce said: “It was a fantastic win. I am not sure if there are any other teams that can have the amount of injuries we have and still win a game of football.”
Left-back Dan Potts, 17, son of former Hammer Steve, was handed a debut following a pre-match injury to Abdoulaye Faye.
But West Ham were soon ahead thanks to Diop’s goal as the Senegal midfielder made a diagonal run to slot home Julien Faubert’s cross from close range.
The Hammers had a strong shout for a penalty waved away 12 minutes later after Rob Edwards appeared to trip Frederic Piquionne.
And defender James Tomkins came close to gifting an equaliser on 22 minutes when Craig Davies burst past him only to fire wide.
Carlton Cole should have made it 2-0 but having beaten two defenders and the keeper, he sliced wide of an empty net from six yards.
In the second half, Hammers substitute Freddie Sears almost scored but was kept out by a one-handed Luke Steele save.
And Sears was certain he had earned a penalty when he went sprawling in the box but again the home side got nothing.
Allardyce was handed his marching orders late on after kicking a plastic bottle and shouting at the linesman.
He said: “I haven’t been in trouble for a long, long time. It was an accumulation of things and it came to a head when Jim O’Brien went in on Potts. It was reckless and dangerous.”
Barnsley boss Keith Hill said: “I was disappointed with the early goal but it is something we really should have dealt with.”
the telegraph
West Ham United 1 Barnsley 0: match report
Being sent off and series of poor referring decisions marred an otherwise pleasing afternoon for West Ham manager Sam Allardyce.
Having seen his side ship six goals in back-to-back defeats against Barnsley and Reading, a comfortable 1-0 win - courtesy of a Papa Bouba Diop header after six minutes - was the early Christmas present Allardyce would have wanted.
A red card seven minutes from time, for protesting that his side were denied a penalty, was not.
West Ham looked threatening going forward, but more importantly after recent results were solid at the back, despite a reshuffled back four which included 17-year-old debutant Daniel Potts, son of Upton Park hero Steve, at left-back after Abdoulaye Faye was ruled out 20 minutes before kick off with a calf injury.
With eight first team players unavailable due to injury or suspension even before Faye’s withdrawal, Allardyce praised his team’s character to win under difficult circumstances.
“I’m not sure anyone’s squad could be stretched like ours was today and win a game off football like that,” he said.
“Everything was against us today, but we have come through with an important victory.
“To get a clean sheet was a great credit to the whole team, the lads in front of the defence worked so hard today knowing our back four was weakened today.
“It was a great debut for Pottsy, he was very good defensively and in possession too.”
Barnsley were second best for much of the game and, despite an improved second half performance, failed to create any genuine goal scoring chances. Manager Keith Hill summed up the difference between the two sides.
“When you consider the strike force they have got and the physically ability of their players, it is going to be very difficult for teams like us to compete,” he said.
Allardyce said it was a culmination of poor decisions - a missed penalty on Frederic Piquionne in the first half and a clear foul on Potts from Jim O’Brien in the second - that led to his anger.
“The challenge on Potts was reckless and dangerous. The lad hasn’t played the ball and he has only jumped into the man. That is what flicked the red mist for me, as well as the Picquionne penalty was so blatant.”
Having taking the lead early from a corner, West Ham controlled the match and Carlton Cole should have doubled their lead when he out-muscled two defenders before firing wide from six yards, although he was off balance.
Barnsley’s best chance fell to Craig Davies, but he was denied by an excellent last-gasp challenge in the area from George McCartney.
Early in the second period, Rob Green preserved West Ham’s lead with a fantastic acrobatic save from a Rob Edwards header.
At the other end Freddie Sears, a second-half substitute for John Carew, and Mark Noble saw efforts go over the bar.
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