Mullins Marks Magnusson's Arrival

Icelandic businessman, Eggert Magnusson, enjoyed his first home game since taking over West Ham United, as their new chairman, by seeing the Hammers edge past Sheffield United, with a valuable 1-0 victory over the Blades, in an important bottom of the table clash. The deadlock was broken on thirty five minutes, as Matthew Etherington’s right wing corner was headed on by Anton Ferdinand and Hayden Mullins followed up to the nod the ball into the roof of the net. But it was backs to the wall for the irons throughout the second half, as the Hammers protected their slender lead, and escaped a few close scares, as Christian Nade skidded the ball wide of an open target in the sixty third minute, and then Nicholas Law had an effort deflected inches wide of Robert Green’s right hand post, as Sheffield United increased the pressure, a minute later. Claude Davis then saw a headed effort clawed away by Green in the sixty seventh minute, as the Blades kept up the threat on the Hammers goal. Another chance went begging, when Colin Kazim Richards curled the ball around Green’s right hand post in the eighty eighth minute. But against the run of play, Mullins was unable to crown his first half goal, as he squeezed his effort into Kenny’s body on the stroke of full time. But it was West Ham, that breathed a huge sigh of relief, deep into stoppage time, as Mikele Leigertwood had a disallowed goal, for an infringement on Green.

“Its hard to take, I thought we had great opportunities second half. I thought we could win the game at half time, let a lone get a point. I was disappointed that we weren’t more on top, and I still believe we could have won the game and should have won the game,” said a disappointed Blades boss, Neil Warnock.

“I just think it was one of them days where you see why we are down at the bottom of the league, we don’t take our chances and we commit suicide with probably the only opportunity, I think they had really,” added Warnock.

The only sour note for West Ham manager, Alan Pardew, was the loss of Danny Gabbidon with a strained hamstring, which required Carlos Tevez being substituted for Teddy Sheringham, to defend at set plays. But it was Tevez’s actions afterwards, which upset Pardew, who commented:

“He’s gone straight home today, after the game and I’m very disappointed about that, it hasn’t given me a chance to explain why I subbed him. It’s only happened to me once before and I’m disappointed in that.”

But in a results business, the goal by Mullins, put a smile back on the manager’s face, as he said:

“It was a well worked set play and we scored obviously like that against Blackburn, almost the identical goal so it was good timing and an important goal for us at that time because we started to look a little bit nervous and under pressure but the result was everything today, and if someone had said to me 1-0 with a clean sheet but you wouldn’t play particularly well, would you take it – all day, all day long.”