West Ham v Wimbledon 14/09/96 3.00West Ham (0) 0 Wimbledon (0) 2 FT Clarke 59 Ekoku 86 Andy Clarke and Efan Ekoku pulled off a classic one-two to make it three wins on the spin for Wimbledon and leave the Hammers among the early-season also-rans. The 29-year-old Clarke was on hand to claim the simplest of goals after Efan Ekoku had caught Tim Breacker napping at the back just before the hour. While the Hammers created their fair share of chances in a game that never hit any real heights of quality, Joe Kinnear's men, boosted by Chris Perry's calmness at the back and Robbie Earle's midfield composure, took control. Ekoku then ensured they would leave with all three points when he made the most of a Julian Dicks slip to slam home the second five minutes from time. And with the Upton Park crowd beginning to voice their frustrations at a start which has brought just five points and four goals, Harry Redknapp's troubles were compounded by the early exit of Portuguese star Paulo Futre. The Hammers' `United Nations' starting line-up representing seven countries was without Romanian Florin Raducioiu. Iain Dowie came in, and his lay-off gave Danny Williamson a sixth minute chance that flashed wide, before Dowie's fellow Ulsterman Michael Hughes glanced wide from Ilie Dumitrescu. Redknapp pushed Mark Bowen into midfield against the unchanged Dons but after that opening Wimbledon began to compress and control the game. Vinnie Jones' volley from Neal Ardley's 26th minute corner was kept out by Bowen's goal-line clearance, and Ekoku saw a header saved and a shot just wide. For all the huffing and puffing, there was little to get excited about, although Futre might have changed that. But when he went off after 34 minutes, complaining of a hamstring pull, after being stopped in his tracks by Chris Perry's excellent tackle, that possibility disappeared. Upton Park favourite Tony Cottee came on to give Dowie more conventional support, and the half ended with Dumitrescu forcing a diving save from Neil Sullivan and Ardley an even better one from Ludek Miklosko. Referee Roger Dilkes appeared after the break with last season's green shirt rather than this term's black presumably because of a clash with the Dons' darkest of blues but it was the Wimbledon switch, Clarke replacing Jon Goodman, which was to prove more important. Bowen was just too high with a left foot shot but then the Hammers were caught out by a typical Wimbledon sucker punch, Breacker daydreaming when the ball was pumped forward and Ekoku finding the unmarked Clarke eight yards out. Redknapp tried to alter things by sending on John Moncur for his first appearance of the season, and Stan Lazaridis for Dumitrescu and Breacker. But after Earle had got in the way of a Dicks piledriver Ekoku finished the Hammers off, first to react when Dicks lost his footing and striding on to crash past Miklosko. 
West Ham: (3-5-2) Miklosko, Breacker (Lazarides, 66), Dicks, Williamson, Rieper, Futre (Cottee, 33), Dowie, Dumitrescu (Moncur, 66), Bowen, Hughes, Bilic. Subs not used: Shilton, Ferdinand. Booked: Dicks. Wimbledon: (4-4-2) Sullivan, Cunningham, Jones, Thatcher, Earle, Ekoku (Blackwell (Clarke, 45), 87), Gayle, Perry, Goodman, McAllister, Ardley. Subs not used: Leonhardsen, Heald, Harford. Attendance: 21,294. Referee: L R Dilkes (Mossley, Lancs.). |
