West Ham 3 Wigan 2 - The Day Zola Got It All Right - Well Almost!

Shall we try to ignore the fact that Zola had the choice between Spector and Daprela and chose The Wank, who promptly put Wigan ahead? Mind you, I'm still trying to work out how I didn't see it. It was right in front of me but nobody around me seemed to realise that it was an own goal. It looked soft, it looked as if Green was half asleep, it looked like a killer blow, but it didn't look like Spector put it in. Again, it just shows that watching live distorts the game; you get a much clearer picture on a TV and PC screen!

The goals we scored all looked good to me. Cole's run and cross for the first were impressive and, yet again, Ilan was in the right place at the right time in the box. That is a very useful knack! Mind you, outside the box, and it is less a case of Ilan's knack and more a case of Ilan's knackered; Franco looks so much more accomplished as a footballer. If you could roll the two together into one player, you would have a perfect foil for Cole.

Noble's free kick for the second was a beauty and Kovac was amazingly alert to get on the end of the rebound. I didn't want him in the team so well done to Zola for picking him!

And as for the third goal, well, wow! I have had a go at Parker for not scoring enough and, typically, the hit and hope effort against Chelsea was irrelevant. This one was special. The cushioned header back by Franco was first class and Parker's finish was sublime. I rate Kirkland and he was at full stretch and didn't have a prayer of reaching it.

Apart from those goals and Cole's effort cleared off the line, we didn't create much did we? A header bounced off the top of the bar and...nope, I can't remember anything else. Not surprising, I suppose, with Noble wide on the left, Behrami wide on the right and Kovac anchoring midfield. Parker apart, that was a utilitarian midfield in the extreme for a home game we were desperate to win against lowly Wigan. But full credit to Zola, he knows best! I don't think there was a single person in the stadium who agreed with his decision to retain 10 of the 11 who surrendered so abjectly at Anfield, so I guess that makes the team selection inspired. You have to wonder why we employ Clarke though, when we concede two goals from corners!

It wasn't a great performance, it wasn't a great result if you ignore the significance attached to those 3 points, but it was a great, great, day! On the way to the game I met a guy called Graham down from Glasgow to watch the game. It's fans like that, fans who travel the length of the British Isles to watch West Ham, that typifies our club, those and the East End maniacs around me, hugging all and sundry as each of those three precious goals hit the back of the net! What a day!

But how fickle were those wonderful fans at the end who, instead of singing Zola's name, broke into a chorus of "One Ian Dowie, there's only one Ian Dowie!" Kind of says it all doesn't it?

Player Ratings: Green 6 (One good save and one dreadful clearance that hit Da Costa!); Faubert 6, Da Costa 6, Upson 6, Spector 5; Behrami 5, Kovac 6, Parker 8, Noble 7; Cole 6, Ilan 6 (he scored!) Sub Franco 6