West Ham 2 – 1 Blackpool

West Ham have become the 20^th team to join the Barclays Premier League for the 2012/2013 season.

It was not too much of a surprise to see 2 of the relegated sides in a closely fought playoff final. Similarly it was not too much of a surprise to see West Ham returning to the top flight once again. For 4 of the last 5 years, the team who finished 3rd in Championship has gone onto win the playoffs and Sam Allardyce’s men have made it 5 from 6.

West Ham started of as the brighter of the two teams with Nolan feeding a through-ball to Cole within the first minute. Although this proved unsuccessful in the opening stages, the Nolan-Cole-Connection would prove vital in dying embers.

Blackpool played an attacking 4-2-1-3 formation with Stephen Dobbie in the hole. Dobbie was a constant pest and struck from close range less than five minutes played. Rob Green did turn it onto the post as Dobbie grew in confidence as the game progressed. Dobbit could’ve even been considered greedy not finding a pass after leaving 2 West Ham defenders for dead.

Not to be outshone by Dobbie’s dribbling skill, Blackpool wideman Matt Phillips showed off dribbling finesse and finished with Blackpool’s first shot on target. Moments later, West Ham full-back, Demel, misjudged the bounce of the ball and Matt Phillips pounced on the mistake. M Phillips turned Winston Reid on the spot to get his shot away which fizzed past Robert Green’s goal when we all expected better.

West Ham had to wait just under the 20 minute mark for their first shot on target which came courtesy of a Matt Taylor effort that Gilks was more than equal to. West Ham favoured the left hand flank for the majority of the game and used Taylor to pump a long ball forward to find Vaz Te. It was one touch football from there with Cole and O’Neill interlinking and returning to Vaz Te to strike wide on Gilks’ right hand post.

West Ham’s first half efforts did not finish in vain. On the 35^th minute Carlton Cole struck. Matt Taylor ran for 70 yards after taking the ball off of Ince, his beautifully floated ball went over the head of Ian Evatt and Carlton Cole finished from 10 yards.

At half-time it was West Ham 1 – 0 Blackpool.

West Ham vs Blackpool

The second half didn’t take long to get started. Matt Phillips’ huge ball over the top to Ince was inch perfect. Ince’s first touch of the half found the back of net in a very similar situation to the West Ham goal of the first half.

With the scores level Blackpool came into their own and even centre-back Baptiste got in on the action attempting to chip Rob Green. His effort wasn’t a poor one and it required a goal-line clearance.

For the opening quarter-hour of the second half, Blackpool were in the ascendancy and it took a while for Gilks’ to be called into action. Gilks’ was eventually awakened by Cole as his turn and shot stung his hands a little.

Demel was forced to leave the pitch on 56 minutes and was replaced by Faubert. Although this decision was forced it brought about a tighter marking for Blackpool’s wingers. Faubert remained tight on Ince and he fizzled out of the match.

With Ince occupied and Kevin Phillips not performing to his highest standards, it fell to Dobbie. Literally. Eardley’s cross bobbled nicely to an unsuspecting Dobbie, but Dobbie couldn’t convert. Within moments, a corner kick bobbled nicely to an unsuspecting Matt Phillips, his effort was on target and it was another goal line clearance.

With the game looking in Blackpool’s favour, they chose to bring on Sylvestre at the expense of Kevin Phillips. Sylvestre’s passing looked exceptional as Blackpool completed a 20 pass move that concluded with Dobbie firing to the bottom left corner. Rob Green reminded us why he was selected for England as he pushed the effort round the post.

Speaking of posts, with just 10 minutes left to play, Kevin Nolan hit the woodwork. An attack from the left hand side resulted in a floated ball that Nolan smashed on the volley. Gilks’ was lucky to get a fingertip to it, but a fingertip was enough to turn it onto the crossbar.

Dobbie could’ve had a hattrick! An okay freekick isn’t enough to win playoff finals and an okay freekick it was. Plenty of swerve and Rob Green did scramble to get it, but it was on the floor and never had real pace.

And just as the game looked a ‘dead cert’ to get into injury time a penetrating attack from the left flank brought about a rare Nolan cross which got to Cole who had to battle with Crainey and Gilks to turn the ball into Ricardo Vaz Te’s path who smashed home the winner.

West Ham Playoff Winners 2012

It was 12 goals for the season for the West Ham number 12 and more than enough to see Blackpool out for just 3 more minutes. Ian Holloway immediately made a double substitution and even ran for the ball to take a throw-in a few seconds quicker. Holloway’s efforts were futile as the Hammers march on with the aim to start Sailing the Premiership next season.

In a day where the Champions of Europe is decided, we experience the first ever £1m non-league signing. Added to that, Sir Trevor Brooking watches West Ham return to the Premiership, it truly is a joy to be watching football in 2012.

Vaz Te may be the number 12 who scores 12 in 2012, but next season the only Hammers player you can expect to score as many as his shirt number is Robert Green… and even that’s optimistic.

West Ham: Green, Taylor, Reid, Tomkins, Demel (^Faubert), O’Neill (^McCarthy), Noble, Nolan, Collinson, Cole, Vaz Te

Blackpool: Gilks, Crainey, Eardley, Baptiste, Evatt, Ferguson, Angel Martinez (^Dicko), Dobbie (^Bednar), Ince, K Phillips (^Sylvestre), M Phillips

Goals

West Ham: Cole, Vaz Te

Blackpool: Ince

Man of the Match: Carlton Cole

Carlton Cole held the ball well and made the most of West Ham’s potent left wing. Getting his name on the scoresheet will put him in Hammer folklore like Bobby Zamora.