Result:
West Ham United (2) 2
- Everton (0) 2
Scorers: Kitson (10,
32); Branch (78), Ferguson
(90) -- Southall saves Kitson
penalty!
West Ham United: West Ham: Miklosko, Potts, Hall, Bilic, Ferdinand,
Lomas, Hughes, Porfirio (Rieper, 82), Moncur (Bishop, 87), Kitson, Hartson.
Subs Not Used: Sealey, Dowie, Rowland. Booked: Bilic.
|
Everton: Southall, Barrett, Unsworth, Watson,
Stuart, Ferguson, Speed, Thomsen, Branch, Ball (Barmby, 46), Dunne. Booked: Thomsen, Speed, Stuart. Subs Not Used: Gerrard, Hottiger, O'Connor, Hills. Unavailable: Hinchcliffe, Grant, Parkinson, Phelan (all injured); Short (suspended, and probably injured). |
 Ref:
P Alcock
|
Att:
24,545
|
League Position: 12th
|
Results
and League Table
|
Previous Match: Everton v Liverpool -- Next Match: Sunderland v Everton
SoccerNet (David Enery, The Mail on Sunday): Duncan Ferguson scored an equaliser three minutes into stoppage time to secure Everton's Premiership lifeline and leave West Ham still needing their own.
West Ham had looked set to win with a swagger after two first-half goals by Paul Kitson. But Neville Southall denied Kitson a hat-trick with a penalty save and canny player-manager Dave Watson turned things round for Everton by bringing Nicky Barmby on and pushing David Unsworth forward.
From being in complete control, West Ham were reduced to panic as Michael Branch pulled a goal back on 76 minutes following Ferguson's knock-down. West Ham survived a clamour for a penalty when Slaven Bilic seemed to foul Branch moments later but referee Paul Alcock responded only by handing Graham Stuart a yellow card for his protestations.
Everton's equaliser when it came was a tragedy for West Ham goalkeeper Ludek Miklosko who completely missed another wickedly flighted Barmby cross and Ferguson hooked the ball home. The amazing match almost took an even more sensational turn with the final kick when Michael Hughes' corner sped over the Everton defence and rebounded off the far post before a grateful Southall dived to smother it.
It had all seemed so easy for West Ham when they took a 10th-minute lead. Southall had flapped at Steve Lomas' long throw and it dropped at Kitson's feet to hammer home. Hartson's second was pure quality as Hugo Porfirio and Hughes supplied the ammunition for the Kitson to score his fifth goal in 10 matches since signing from Newcastle.
Five minutes after half-time the Hammers seemed certain to clinch all three points when Richard Dunne pulled down Porfirio and referee Alcock awarded the penalty. Kitson was eventually talked into taking the kick in the absence of regular penalty expert Julian Dicks but his softly struck effort was well saved by Southall diving to his left.
Guy McEvoy: The clock said 10:31 am. What a night! What a headache!!! I rolled back over to get another few hours sleep when in the depths of slowly ticking mind a series of quite horrendous thoughts abstractly came to me; it was Saturday; we were playing in London; my train was at 8:10 am; oh bugger.
Incredibly, unwashed and shell-shocked I made it to the train station by 10:52 and was able to jump on a train which was mercifully running late which was due to arrive in London at 2:25. I sat down and started to relax, I'd probably only miss a bit of the first half. I breathed a heavy sigh of relief and it was only then, after previously operating on pure adrenaline that I realised just how bad my hang-over was.
The train was swaying from side to side (or at least that's what it felt like), there was a kid screaming, I'd ended up in the smoking section and the air tasted like sandpaper. I broke into a sweat, and was forced to make the first of several lengthy and colourful visits to 'worship the porcelain god' that is the British Rail toilet.
The single most uncomfortable journey of my life ended with my arrival at Upton Park at about 3:15. I deeply apologise to anyone who was deluded for quarter of an hour into thinking that the empty seat next to them meant they had a nice bit of extra leg room and then was suddenly and cruelly forced to share their air with an unshaved, unwashed bloke who radiated a repugnant odour of a curious combination of stale alcohol, stale and fresh sweat and fresh vomit.
The crowd seemed sympathetic to my plight. It was as if the tannoy announcer had said "A Mr McEvoy is about to arrive with a hang-over from hell. Can everyone please remain silent 'till it settles down a bit for him". Atmosphere? I've felt more tension at a village bowls knock-out. It was even more surprising given the hammers plight, and the fact that I'd apparently arrived after West Ham had already taken the lead.
As the half progressed I began to absolutely resent the extraordinary effort I'd shown in getting down to the game. This was not the Everton of Wednesday night, this was the Everton of Wimbledon away, York City away, Coventry away, etc. An absolutely clueless display that the Hammers several times looked likely to exploit. The only positive thing I could say about what I saw of the first half was that Dickie Dunne was a shining star. Did not miss a tackle and choose the right option every time.
Dunne's exploits were not enough though to prevent a second by Kitson after a bread-and-butter move by the Hammers was neatly put away. Everton ended the half two-nil down and -- on the evidence of the chunk I'd seen -- deservedly so, and fortunate not to be further behind.
A change needed to be made and Watson (or Willie depending on who you think is really in charge) shoved on the sidelined Barmby as a replacement for Ball who had been unable to impose himself as we know he can in the first half.
Barmby did add a much needed extra dimension to Everton's play but for a long period it looked to be no more than a helpful but insufficient change. Never did things look more bleak than when Dunne spoilt his copy-book a bit by handing out an obvious penalty. Kitson stepped forward to take his Hat-trick and the game beyond Everton's reach but a certain Mr Southall had other ideas as he guessed correctly with the dive and saved well.
This incident became an obvious catalyst and suddenly Everton sensed Hammers heads dropping.With quarter of an hour left, we were surging forward, the travelling fans decided to sing -- desperately making up for the earlier lack of atmosphere, and when Duncan flicked on Barmby's free kick for Branch to guide home we finally had a game of football on our hands.
West Ham proved they are a team singularly lacking in bottle. If they'd been flapping a bit before we scored, then once we got one back it was a case of simply hoisting up the white flag and awaiting the Nationwide. It wasn't a case of if but when Everton would equalise. All the Hammers could manage was to lie down, feign injury and try to waste time.
Branch was inexplicably denied a penalty but it didn't matter as deep in injury time another Barmby cross was met by the 'golden' boot of Duncan Ferguson with another very well-taken goal. All thoughts of a hangover were out the window, we went mad, and a rip roaring 'going down' chant was launched.
The home fans, distraught, returned briefly to their dejected silence, then all stood up and cheered at an incident I missed, but no sooner were they up than they collectively clasped hands on heads and slunk back down into the dejected silence. The big screen replay showed that Watson had jumped to clear a corner and managed a credible challenge to Short for 'own-goal of the season', thankfully the post got in the way and was kind enough to send the ball back to Southall.
All in all, it was a curious game, awful until the last fifteen but those were good enough to make the harsh journey down worthwhile and to help forget just how bad it had all been before that. So, for the second game in a row, we left feeling great content with a draw in the smug knowledge that it has seriously buggered up someone else's season.
Cheers from a still very ill....
Guy McEvoy
James Goddard: The day did not start well for me as I woke up with a hangover after going out celebrating the Div 1 East Anglia derby win over Norwich, and Ipswich very nearly in the play-off finals… And I very nearly missed the train due to my alarm clock -- it decided to break down for no bloody reason!
Anyway, I finally got the train and tube and forget the name for the pub we were meeting at but for some reason I decided to walk left and there before me was the pub where upon I meet some fellow Toffeenetters (Neil O' Brien, Billy, Andy and someone else who for the life of me I can't remember).
As soon as the game started, we were on the back foot and things did not look Good. After about ten minutes, they scored by one of the worst foul throws I have ever seen and, if that wasn't bad enough, the defending was useless, -- a traffic cone could of done better (ie, Hottiger).
The first half performance was like watching really bad amateur Sunday league Players (no offensive -- I am one!). So it was no surprise they got a second. Their second goal was due to good finishing and "Wake-Up" defending -- the most simple move I have seen and what does the Everton defence do (not including Dunne)? Go on, mate, have a shot -- you won't score… Oh bugger!
2-0 down and it should of been so much more than that -- we were awful. A change was needed and off went Ball to be replaced by Barmby. This was a brilliant move because once Barmby was on we started to play football. We actually looked like creating a chance. But then we returned to normality. Dunne brought down Hugo Porfirio after going nowhere and the game looked over… But some-say "past-it" Southall saved the day and made a cracking save which turned the game, and Everton looked like Everton again, thanks to big Nev.
With quarter of an hour left, we were going forward with that little something extra. The travelling fans decided to sing harder and even Duncan decided to put some effort in. When Duncan flicked on Barmby's free kick for Branch to put away, we at last had a game of football on our hands.
After that, it was wave after wave of Everton attacks. Branch, who was being shoved about all day, was inexplicably denied a penalty. This did not matter because, as the cross came in from Barmby, the West Ham goalkeeper missed the ball and there was the lazy/not-fit-to-run Duncan Ferguson with another very well-taken goal.
The game was not quite finished yet as Dave Watson decided to defend a corner in the last minute by heading the ball against the post… But the wonderful posts they have Upton Park decided to give the ball back to Nev.
All in all a funny sort of game that was worth the trip to see the Hammers Fans' faces when we got back on level terms.
A couple of points from the game:
Neill O'Brien: At 3:45pm yesterday, I was questioning my sanity. What really made me drive all that way to London to see Everton play like crap and fully deserve to be 2-0 down. I mean, was it not already a forgone conclusion that West Ham needed it more than us and would be well up for it?
Then I thought about the pro's, meeting up with Billy in the Railway Tavern (another story here, which I will tell once Billy explains about two Ausie Birds) celebrating with the Arsenal supporters in East Ham as the RS were being beaten. The excellent camaraderie with my fellow Everton supporters who were taking the piss out of the Quiet Home support. (Oh, and more importantly getting out of the Saturday shop with the missus).
So all in all I thought if we get beat, it's still been well worth it.
At 4:45pm the feeling of jubilation, the celebrations with the players and the faces of disappointed Hammer fans definitely made it worth going. It almost outshone Wednesday night -- only for a minute, honest!
Travelling back on the Tube to East Ham with the Home support was a like being in a mortuary, but the feeling of having been there with Everton on similar occasions, knowing what they were feeling, made me enjoy the moment even more. Sad, I know, but we've not had much to celebrate of late.
I'll leave the match analysis to the pro's and comment on my thought's of the game.
The game was ruined by some strange decisions given by the referee, but West
Ham fully deserved their lead at half time.
It was a good job West Ham passed the ball back otherwise I felt that 4,000
blues were going to invade the pitch given the quality of the decisions being
made.
Bilic on this performance looked over-rated and Branch gave him a hard time.
The performance of the day had to go the Everton supporters who never gave up and rallied the lads on.
Moment of the Match came when I announced that the penalty was going to be saved, and we would pull it back. This was greeted by a number of supporters who said they'd show their arse if this happened. Luckily we were spared this sight of seven hairy arses when Ferguson's shot hit the back of the net.
Laugh of the game, of which there were many, was when the game was restarted by Ludo after a injury, but the referee was still attending to the injured player and oblivious to the game passing him by. The linesman had to run over to the ref to get him to blow up. This incident summed up the ref.
It was nice to meet more Toffenetters before the game. We should try and make this a regular occurrence, perhaps even get tickets in the same seating area for away games.
Michael Staniforth, Electronic Telegraph: AN INJURY time equaliser by Duncan Ferguson robbed West Ham of the three points so vital to their struggle against relegation and which had seemed so certain after their convincing first-half performance. It was a match full of cruel twists and turns. In the space of 45 minutes Paul Kitson turned from hero to villain and West Ham dropped back into the bottom three of the Premiership.
The £2.3 million investment in Kitson appeared to have been repaid with interest as he scored twice in the first half to take his tally to five in 10 games. Salvation beckoned as the Hammers, confidence revived, began to stroke the ball around with "Academy" nonchalance.
Five minutes after the interval Kitson was handed his hat-trick opportunity as the ebullient Hugo Porfirio was upended in the box. But the former Newcastle striker, a reluctant deputy as penalty-taker in the absence of the injured Julian Dicks, saw his kick pushed away by Neville Southall and with it went West Ham's bottle.
What should have been a canter now turned into an uphill struggle with Everton vastly improved under the promptings of half-time substitute Nick Barmby. It was Barmby who provided the cross from which Michael Branch pulled a goal back and then, two minutes into stoppage time, the England midfielder's free-kick was volleyed in by Duncan Ferguson.
A certain three points had become one and West Ham, facing the prospect of a final game at Old Trafford, were back in the relegation mire. "Kitson is not a penalty taker," fumed manager Harry Redknapp. "John Hartson should have taken the kick.
"We are in a relegation battle, not some testimonial when a striker is given the chance to finish his hat-trick. If we had scored that penalty the game would have been over." In his defence Kitson twice declined to take the penalty but was finally cajoled into it by his team-mates. That misplaced generosity, however, may have condemned West Ham to the end of their six-year tenure in the top flight.
It had all started so well when a long throw by Steve Lomas was missed by Southall but pounced on by Kitson from close range. A second followed shortly afterwards, an alert snap shot ended a move prompted by the excellent Porfirio.
With Europe having dominated the news all week it seemed appropriate that Porfirio and Slaven Bilic should be the men who stood out in that first-half tour de force. But after the penalty miss West Ham faded collectively despite a Michael Hughes' corner rebounding off a post at the death.
Instead the force was with Everton from then on, their inspiration taken from their caretaker-manager. Dave Watson it was who rescued an overhit cross which had been given up by everyone else and after contributions from Barmby and Ferguson, Branch stole in at the far post with West Ham claiming offside.
When Ludo Miklosko missed Barmby's free-kick, Ferguson earned Everton a point, not so much won as handed to them. "West Ham should have won that game," acknowledged Watson afterwards. "They'll never have a better chance to get three points and away from relegation than today."
That is backed up by a look at the fixture list. West Ham now entertain Sheffield Wednesday and Newcastle, both still fighting for a place in Europe, and have to travel to Leicester and Manchester United. The Everton penalty debacle may yet be remembered as the moment which unhinged their season.
Report Copyright The Electronic Telegraph
Rob Steen, The Sunday Times: IT MADE you want to weep. Ron Greenwood had every right to look down from the Upton Park stands and believe that his legacy had not, after all, been betrayed. Passionate yet thoughtful, urgent yet polished, West Ham United had taken this match by the scruff of the neck and, as it wriggled away, clung on like terriers. Then Duncan Ferguson snatched an equaliser at the death and crests fell. As a consequence, West Ham may be on the verge of an even heavier drop.
The postmortem, unsurprisingly, found sufficient steam coming out of Harry Redknapp's ears to fuel the Flying Scotsman. Words such as "amateurish" spewed out, and with some justice. That Ludek Miklosko had flapped at Nick Barmby's free kick to give Ferguson his goal was grievous enough. Worse was the fact that Paul Kitson had fluffed a penalty at the start of the second half, one that should have completed his hat-trick, putting West Ham out of sight.
A couple of hours earlier, bubbles were being blown with no little vigour on the District Line tube from Victoria. The eyes of the lusty-voiced carousers, mind, carried more bravado than conviction. "One Trevor Brooking, there's only one Trevor Brooking," they chanted, seeking solace in former glories. Their sons looked suitably bemused. Gallows humour abounded. They have been this way before. "Going down, going down, going down," teased a lone Everton fan. "So are we, so are we, so are we," came the reply.
West Ham estimate that relegation would cost them £5m. Judging by last weekend's fibre-free display at Southampton, the players had been frozen by such an onerous responsibility. Not yesterday. From the off, they were first to everything and last to buckle when the tackles bit.
Only 10 minutes had elapsed when Steve Lomas launched a colossal throw from the left, Kitson knocked it down at the far post and thundered home through the melee. Slaven Bilic might be on his way to Goodison Park at the end of the season, but his glee was shamelessly unconfined.
With Hugo Porfirio tormenting all and sundry, and Michael Hughes a Duracell on legs, chances were created but spurned with unnerving philanthropy before Kitson converted Hughes's cross with a crisp volley after 32 minutes.
One glorious loping run from Rio Ferdinand ought to have yielded a third before the break, but the final pass to Kitson was lacking. No matter. Even when Neville Southall saved Kitson's telegraphed spot-kick, there seemed little cause for concern.
Hither too meek and feeble, Everton, however, had been perked up by the arrival of Barmby, and Michael Branch's far-post header with 12 minutes left was fair enough. Then came Ferguson's strike, which was not, although there was still time for Hughes's corner to rebound back into play off a post. Fortune, patently, was not only hiding but sniggering.
Report Copyright The Sunday Times
Dave Hadfield, The Independent: If the two points squandered in injury time at Upton Park on Saturday cost West Ham their Premiership place, Harry Rednapp will have a choice of scapegoats. There is Ludek Miklosko, whose uncannily accurate David James impersonation presented Duncan Ferguson with an equalising goal. Or perhaps Marc Rieper, brought on to bolster the defence in the last ten minutes, but whose main contribution was to concede needlessly the free kick from which Nick Barmby supplied the ammunition.
Or maybe Paul Kitson, who spoilt what should have been a memorable afternoon for him by missing the penalty that would have put the Hammmers 3-0 up early in the second half. On further investigation, though, Kitson was regarded not so much as hero turned villian as the victim of misplaced generosity.
With Julian Dicks ruled out - significantly, a knee operation will keep him out for the rest of the season - John Hartson was due to take any penalties. But Kitson's striking partner insisted on handing him the ball, which outraged Rednapp.
How he would have felt had Kitson duly completed his hat-trick is the sort of hypothetical question that managers, like politicians in an election campaign, dislike answering.
When Neville Southall dived to his left to smother Kitson's shot, however, it guaranteed that Hartson would top Rednapp's poll of wrongdoers. West Ham were not obliged to surrender their two-goal lead thereafter, but there was no doubt in the manager's mind over what had started the rot.
Not only did Everton's two goals in the last 14 minutes do untold harm to his side's survival prospects, they also obscured much of the good work that had gone before. In the first half, West Ham had played what must have been their best football of the season, the lethargic visitors having no answer to the incisiveness of Kitson, who broke a five-match scoreless streak with two splendid goals.
There were other bright spots. Hugo Porfirio relished a free-ranging role, while Michael Hughes had an exceptional match on the wing, delivering a steady stream of precise crosses which should have guaranteed victory. But, given the psychological boost of Southall's save and, encouraged by the panic that crept up on West Ham after that, Everton snatched that lifeline away.
Mark Redding, The Guardian: Typical West Ham United. Against Everton the Irons showed that they have not lost their traditional knack of snatching near-disaster from the jaws of victory. This time they surrendered a two-goal lead and even fluffed a penalty before settling for a draw which plunged them back into the relegation zone. They now have only four games to play and will go to Leicester on Wednesday in desperate need of a win.
Paul Kitson was the reluctant culprit. The 2.3 million pound striker from Newcastle had already given West Ham what looked like an unassailable lead with two sharp goals in the first half when Everton's inexperienced defender Dunne was lured into a trip on Porfirio in the 50th minute.
In he absence of West Ham's captain and penalty-taker Julian Dicks, out for the rest of the season with a knee injury, Hartson had agreed to take the spot kicks, yet the Welsh striker handed the ball to Kitson instead.
'At the time I thought it was a nice gesture,' said Hartson. 'I just thought at 2-0 up I should give it to Paul and he will be delighted to get his hat-trick.'
Everton's Wales goalkeeper Southall duly saved the shot. 'It was a bad penalty,' Kitson admitted, 'but, to be honest, I didn't want to take it.'
Indeed he twice tried to hand the ball back but colleagues urged him on, a philanthropic approach to team-work which caused apoplexy in the dug- out.
'I can't believed what happened,' fumed the West Ham manager Harry Rednapp. 'We were amateurish. They were acting like it was a testimonial, giving him the ball to get a hat-trick.
'Hartson was the penalty-taker. I asked Kitson in mid-week if he was interested in taking penalties and he said no. I'm annoyed at the whole situation. If we'd have scored the whole game would have been over, but we've thrown two points away that would have made a massive difference to us.'
Until that point West Ham had looked runaway winners. They played five in defence and three in midfield but, with the wing-backs Potts and Hughes surging down the flanks and Bilic piling into the attack at every opportunity, the visiting dogs of war were left chasing their own tails.
Everton had to strive hard to avoid being overrun but at half-time they brought on their 5.7 million pound substitute Barmby, who woke up their ideas considerably. Now West Ham began to dig in anxiously on the edge of their penalty area in order to protect their lead.
Twelve minutes from the end the visitors found themselves back in the game when Ferguson headed down Barmby's cross for Branch to bundle home, and two minutes into injury-time they were level. Rieper, a substitute for Porfirio, needlessly fouled Stuart on the right, Mikosko came for Barmby's free-kick and missed it, and Ferguson cleverly volleyed home.
Report Copyright The Guardian
Brian Glanville, The Times: THIS was a game, if you like, of two schizophrenic halves: West Ham United all over Everton in the first; missing a penalty and falling to bits in the second. If that missed penalty was, without doubt, the watershed of the game, it still does not excuse the way West Ham, desperate for points, subsided. Nor can it take away Everton's achievement in rising from the ashes.
The credit for this, in ample measure, must go to Nick Barmby. Since joining Everton from Middlesbrough, he has had a thin time of it, but there is no doubt of his talent - he is potentially one of the best young attackers in the country, intelligent, adroit and inventive. Both Everton goals came from his efforts: a long cross from the right for the first, a long free kick for the second that the towering Czech goalkeeper, Miklosko, somehow missed.
With Barmby on at half-time, there was suddenly a mind at work in what had been a boring and brainless Everton side. Two-up at half-time, both goals scored by an incisive Kitson, West Ham had the chance to make it three five minutes after the interval. Dunne brought down the tricky little Portuguese, Porfirio, as he cut in from the left. Kitson insisted twice that he did not want to take the penalty, but sentiment prevailed. His team-mates were equally insistent, so take it he did, and missed. Southall dived to his left and pushed the ball away.
To say that Harry Redknapp, the West Ham manager, was incensed would be to put it mildly. "We threw two vital points away today," he lamented. "No doubt about that. You don't get people to take penalties who don't take penalties. That was the trouble. Three-nil and it's finished. I can't believe what happened. It can't happen in Premiership football and it shouldn't happen. John Hartson was the penalty taker."
From that moment, there was no holding Everton. The half-time reshuffle by their doughty player-manager, Dave Watson, not only brought on Barmby, but pushed Unsworth up to attack down the left. West Ham, surprisingly, did little to stop him and, by sharp contrast with the first half, when the towering Ferguson had nothing to work with, he now had crosses aplenty.
Ironically, the one that counted was a poor one. After 77 minutes, Unsworth over-hit his centre to the far flank. Watson retrieved the ball, Barmby crossed again, Ferguson got his head to it and Branch nodded in from close range, compensating for the fact that he probably should have gained a penalty when he was fouled by Hall.
West Ham, admirably crisp and fluent in the first half, had gone ahead inside ten minutes. A mighty throw-in by Lomas from the left was flapped at by Southall, the ball came out to Kitson and he drove it in. After 32 minutes, Kitson scored his second. Porfirio found Hughes on the left and Kitson walloped in the cross. What price Everton? Yet the tide turned and, in injury time, after a pointless foul by Rieper, Barmby's free kick, Miklosko's miss and Ferguson's finish gave Everton their point.
There was still time for Watson to divert Hughes's corner against a post, but the ball ended in Southall's hands.
Report Copyright The Times
Thursday, 24 April 1997
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 1-0 MIDDLESBROUGH 29,947 Sinton(71)
Wednesday, 23 April 1997
DERBY COUNTY 0-0 NOTTINGHAM FOREST 18,087
LEICESTER CITY 0-1 WEST HAM UNITED 20,327
Moncur(75)
Tuesday, 22 April 1997
BLACKBURN ROVERS 4-1 SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY 20,845
Berg(5) Sherwood(23) Carbone(pen:83)
Le Saux(39) Flitcroft(58)
LEEDS UNITED 0-0 ASTON VILLA 26,897
SUNDERLAND 0-1 SOUTHAMPTON 21,521
Ostenstad(22)
WIMBLEDON 0-1 CHELSEA 14,601
Petrescu(14)
Monday, 21 April 1997
COVENTRY CITY 1-1 ARSENAL 19,998 Dublin(2) Wright(pen:19)
Saturday, 19 April 1997
ARSENAL 1-1 BLACKBURN ROVERS 38,086
Platt(18) Flitcroft(89)
ASTON VILLA 1-1 TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 39,339
Yorke(81) Vega(54)
CHELSEA 2-1 LEICESTER CITY 27,723
Minto(13) Hughes(73) Sinclair(og:47)
LIVERPOOL 1-3 MANCHESTER UNITED 40,892
Barnes(19) Pallister(13,42) Cole(63)
MIDDLESBROUGH 0-1 SUNDERLAND 30,106
Williams(45)
NEWCASTLE UNITED 3-1 DERBY COUNTY 36,553
Elliott(12) Ferdinand(52) Sturridge(1)
Shearer(75)
NOTTINGHAM FOREST 1-1 LEEDS UNITED 25,565
Van Hooijdonk(6) Deane(66)
SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY 3-1 WIMBLEDON 26,957
Donaldson(42) Trustfull(78,83) Goodman (85)
SOUTHAMPTON 2-2 COVENTRY CITY 15,251
Evans(27) Ostenstad(47) Ndlovu(62) Whelan(74)
WEST HAM UNITED 2-2 EVERTON 24,525
Kitson(10,32) Branch(78) Ferguson(90)
Table after 23 April 1997
Club P W D L GF GA GD Pts | Max Manchester United 34 20 9 5 69 39 30 69 | 81 Arsenal 36 18 11 7 59 30 29 65 | 71 Liverpool 35 18 10 7 58 33 25 64 | 73 Newcastle United 34 17 9 8 67 40 27 60 | 72 Aston Villa 36 16 10 10 44 31 13 58 | 64 Sheffield Wednesday 35 14 14 7 48 44 4 56 | 63 Chelsea 36 15 10 11 56 54 2 55 | 61 Wimbledon 35 13 10 12 45 44 1 49 | 58 Tottenham Hotspur 36 13 7 16 42 47 -5 46 | 52 Leeds United 36 11 11 14 27 37 -10 44 | 50 < Mathematically Safe Derby County 36 10 13 13 42 54 -12 43 | 49 Everton 36 10 12 14 43 52 -9 42 | 48 Blackburn Rovers 35 9 14 12 40 37 3 41 | 50 Leicester City 35 10 10 15 39 50 -11 40 | 49 Southampton 36 9 11 16 48 55 -7 38 | 44 West Ham United 35 9 11 15 34 45 -11 38 | 47 Coventry City 36 8 14 14 35 51 -16 38 | 44 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Sunderland 36 9 10 17 32 52 -20 37 | 43 Middlesbrough 34 9 9 16 44 54 -10 33*| 45 Nottingham Forest 36 6 15 15 30 53 -23 33 | 39 * Includes 3 pts deducted from Middlesbrough for illegal match postponement
This League Table Update provided by Lawrence "Leagueman" Breakey