Guardian Unlimited Football | Match Reports | Hammers rise in anger as Healy falls

Hammers rise in anger as Healy falls

Sean Ingle at Upton Park
Saturday December 11, 2004

As widespread boos rattled round the Boleyn ground, David Healy slotted home an injury-time penalty which salvaged an unlikely point for Leeds United last night.
West Ham's players as well as their fans were incensed at the way Healy had gone to ground under an innocuous-looking challenge from Neil Lomas.
Until Healy's goal Leeds had looked set for their third successive defeat after Luke Chadwick had put West Ham ahead on 50 minutes. However, the home side wasted countless chances and probably only had themselves to blame.
West Ham came into the match on the back of two successive victories, so there was no surprise that the home side - buoyed by a near-capacity crowd - piled forward from the start and after only three minutes Neil Lomas's ferocious drive from 20 yards was palmed unconvincingly away by Neil Sullivan.
But, having weathered the initial storm, Leeds began to assert themselves and should have gone ahead on 12 minutes when Brian Deane capitalised on some monumental dilly-dallying by Darren Powell, only to crash his shot against the bar with Stephen Bywater to beat.
Bywater was fully tested two minutes later, when David Healy cut inside and hit a curler from 20 yards towards the bottom left-hand corner. Although it bounced awkwardly in front of him, the West Ham goalkeeper saved at the second attempt.
West Ham looked to have a case for a penalty midway through the half when Sergei Rebrov tripped Paul Butler, gained half a yard, and was caught by the Leeds defender's leading leg. The referee, however, pointed for a corner.
Initially, Leeds were happy to play on the break with Deane as the lone front man in a 4-5-1 formation but as the half progressed they became increasingly adventurous, with Healy, in particular, looking lively. Indeed, when Powell's errant header fell at Healy's feet, Bywater had to be at his best to tip the former Preston striker's 25-yard lob over the bar.
Leeds also felt they should have had a penalty when Healy played in Danny Pugh. But rather than stay on his feet and shoot, Pugh waited for the challenge of Anton Ferdinand before going down. Leeds bayed for a penalty to no avail.
Alan Pardew shook things up at half-time by introducing Teddy Sheringham for the disappointing Rebrov and within five minutes West Ham were ahead, though messily. Matthew Etherington's away-swinging cross bobbled off Matthew Kilgallon, hit Marlon Harewood on the way down, before Luke Chadwick finally poked home from close range.
Late on West Ham began to dominate for the first time and chances came and went in a blur: Lomas, put through by Harewood, could only shoot feebly at Sullivan, then Harewood's near-range header was deflected wide and a Sheringham flick was tipped over. It looked to be enough - until Healy's late, late, penalty.

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