MX23RW : Thursday, October 31 23:33:17| >> :120:4857:4857:
[monks data]
West Ham logo
Premier League
May 2, 2015 at 3pm UK
 
Burnley logo

1-0

Noble (24' pen.)
FT(HT: 1-0)

Match Analysis: West Ham United 1-0 Burnley

Sports Mole analyses the Premier League match between West Ham United and Burnley at Upton Park as the Clarets lose 1-0 to move closer to relegation.

Burnley moved a step closer to being relegated from the Premier League with a 1-0 defeat against West Ham United this afternoon.

The Clarets were reduced to 10 men and left facing a penalty midway through the first half when Michael Duff brought down Cheikhou Kouyate inside the box.

Mark Noble further punished them by scoring from the resulting spot kick to give the Hammers the lead.

Enner Valencia and Carlton Cole missed further chances to score a second for West Ham, but they still ended a four-game winless run.

Here, Sports Mole takes a closer look at the events that unfolded at Upton Park.

Match Statistics:

WEST HAM:
Shots 29
On Target 7
Possession 60%
Corners 13
Fouls 11

BURNLEY:
Shots 8
On Target 2
Possession 40%
Corners 3
Fouls 7

Was the result fair?

There can be no denying that West Ham deserved to pick up the three points this afternoon, although the result hinged on a controversial red card for Duff in the first half. The defender did trip Kouyate inside the box and a penalty was the right call, but his sending off was extremely harsh, given that there seemed to be defenders covering. It allowed the Hammers to take control and they had plenty of chances to score further goals, but a resolute defensive display from the visitors kept the score down.

West Ham's performance

The Hammers did not get off to the best start and the atmosphere was rather subdued at Upton Park. There was a real lack of confidence and their poor recent form seemed to be hampering the players. Once they took the lead, they tried to stamp home their advantage and make the game safe, but they were unable to really punish their opponents. The three points are all that will have mattered to Sam Allardyce after his team failed to win throughout the whole of April.

Burnley's performance

Burnley will feel aggrieved at how things went for them today, in such a vital match. They created some of the best opportunities of the game in the early stages, but, once Duff was sent off, it was a different story. They were forced to defend deep for long periods and could only rarely threaten on the counter-attack. Despite putting in a display full of effort and courage, they are now eight points away from safety and will be relegated if they fail to beat Hull City next weekend.

Sports Mole's man of the match

Jason Shackell: Despite ending up on the losing side, the Burnley captain was an inspiration to those around him and was a rock at the heart of the defence. He made a number of vital blocks and was strong in the air throughout the 90 minutes.

Biggest gaffe

Duff must take the blame for giving away the penalty for a trip on Kouyate inside the box, although his dismissal was incredibly harsh. The West Ham attack also get a mention for only scoring one of their 29 shots on goal.

Referee's performance

It was not the best showing from Jonathan Moss, who gave West Ham a controversial penalty. He had adjudged Duff to be the last man, but there were defenders covering inside the box. He also handed out a couple of soft bookings and he is sure to come in for some heavy criticism.

What next?

West Ham: The Hammers return to action next weekend with a trip to FA Cup finalists Aston Villa.

Burnley: The Clarets are also playing away from home next weekend, when they will take on Hull at the KC Stadium.

ID:220604: cacheID:220604:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:5760:No Data Analysis info
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Mark Noble of West Ham United scores his team's first goal from the penalty spot during the Barclays Premier League match between West Ham United and Burnley at the Boleyn Ground on May 2, 2015
Read Next:
Noble penalty enough for West Ham
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Manchester CityMan City97202091123
2Liverpool97111751222
3Arsenal95311710718
4Aston Villa95311611518
5Chelsea95221911817
6Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton94411612416
7Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest9441117416
8Tottenham HotspurSpurs94141810813
9Brentford94141818013
10Fulham93331212012
11Bournemouth93331111012
12Newcastle UnitedNewcastle9333910-112
13West Ham UnitedWest Ham93241316-311
14Manchester UnitedMan Utd9324811-311
15Leicester CityLeicester92341317-49
16Everton92341016-69
17Crystal Palace9135611-56
18Ipswich TownIpswich9045920-114
19Wolverhampton WanderersWolves90271225-132
20Southampton9018619-131


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!