West Ham United were relegated on Sunday afternoon following a 3-2 defeat to Wigan Athletic, spelling an end to 6 consecutive seasons in the top flight of English football. West Ham knew that only a win would keep them in the Premier league, with 6 points needed from their final 2 games to give them any chance of staying up.
Knowing that only a win would do, the East London outfit started brightly at the DW stadium, and took an early lead, after only 12 minutes through Ba with his 6th goal of the season. Ba then made it 7 for the season when he doubled their lead on 26 minutes with a close finish. The Hammers looked as though they would take their survival hopes into the season’s final weekend of fixtures, leading 2-0 at half time.
After half time the game completely changed, West Ham suddenly looked nervous, with the pressure seemingly getting too much for some. Wigan came out of the blocks at the start of the second half with all guns blazing, looking like a completely different side to that, which finished the first half. Charles N’Zogbia pulled a goal back for the Latics on 57 minutes, and Wigan were soon level through Sammon’s composed finish wit 22 minutes left on the clock.
West Ham knew that they had to do something, from here the game opened up, with both sides attacking and showing little sign of any defensive quality; something that has seen both clubs in the position they are in now.
4 minutes were issued for stoppage time, and just as the game looked to be heading for a draw and relegation for the Hammers, Charles N’Zogbia popped up with a finish to confirm West Ham United’s relegation from the Barclays Premiership.
For Wigan, the result means that they have can fight for their survival on the final day of the 2010-2011 season; however for West Ham United manager Avram Grant, this was the end of the road for his tenure in the Upton Park hot seat as he was sacked as manager after the match.
In other football news, the first legs of the Football league play-offs concluded on Sunday evening with the second legs taking place this week. Despite a slow start and little action in the Championship play-offs fixtures, there was plenty of action and goals in the League 1 and 2 fixtures; the full results of all the Play-off games are sown below.
The Championship
Nottingham Forest 0-0 Swansea
Reading 0-0 Cardiff
League 1
Bournemouth 1-1 Huddersfield
MK Dons 3-2 Peterborough
League 2
Stevenage 2-0 Accrington Stanley
Torquay 2-0 Shrewsbury
Also on Saturday Manchester United recorded their 19th top flight title to overtake the record set by Liverpool; they drew with Blackburn at Ewood Park to receive the 1 point they need to secure the Premiership title. In the FA Cup final, Robert Mancini’s Manchester City beat Tony Pulis’ Stoke City 1-0 to win the cup, and the first silver wear since Mancini took over.
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