AFP News brief

Tevez puts Hammers on brink of safety

by Dave Green

Carlos Tevez fired West Ham to the verge of a remarkable and controversial 'great escape' from relegation by scoring twice and making his side's third goal in a 3-1 win over Bolton on Saturday.

The three points lifted the Hammers out of the relegation zone at the expense of Wigan, who were beaten at Middlesbrough and now look certain to take legal action over the Premier League's failure to impose a points penalty on West Ham for the serious rule breaches involved in the signing of Tevez and his Argentina team-mate Javier Mascherano last August.

West Ham's player of the season produced a virtuoso performance, scoring a fantastic freekick and a well-taken tap in, as well as supplying a great cross for the Hammers' third.

Three goals in the first half an hour were enough to see off a disappointing Bolton and Gary Speed's second-half consolation goal will do little to ease new manager Sammy Lee's fears his side may miss out on UEFA Cup football next season.

The Hammers' opener came after Bolton's Abdoulaye Meite brought down Tevez just outside the area. The Argentina international stepped up to take the freekick and curled the ball beyond Jussi Jaaskelainen into the top left hand corner of the goal.

West Ham's second typified the renewed vigour apparent in the side since Premiership survival became more than an impossible dream.

Captain Nigel Reo-Coker lost the ball in midfield but battled back to win it and release George McCartney down the left. McCartney fed Luis Boa Morte, running down the inside left channel between Campo and Meite, for the midfielder to slide the ball into the feet of Tevez, who slipped the ball under Jaaskelainen.

The third came with Bolton still reeling, Tevez's cross from the left being met with a great right-foot volley by the unmarked Noble at the back post.

Bolton's performance in the first half was tepid at best as their moves were snuffed out by a resolute Hammers' defence. James Collins was particularly hard to beat in the air, ensuring Campo's lofted freekicks, Bolton's primary outlet, rarely reached another Bolton player.

West Ham initially continued to make the running after the break but Bolton finally began to press when Nicolas Anelka's shot from the edge of the penalty area was tipped just wide by Robert Green.

With just under quarter of an hour left, Speed capitalised on poor defending to fire a left foot shot under the advancing Green but Bolton never looked likely to stem the home supporters' chants of "We are staying up."

© 2007 AFP - Andrew Yates

Carlos Tevez, seen here in action in December 2006, fired West Ham to the verge of a remarkable and controversial 'great escape' from relegation by scoring twice and making his side's third goal in a 3-1 win over Bolton on Saturday.

© 2007 AFP - Andrew Yates