Sam Allardyce

Championship: Ipswich Town 5 West Ham United 1

To send a link to this page to a friend, simply enter their email address below.

The message will include the name and email address you gave us when you signed up.

Email address

  Send link

To send a link to this page to a friend, you must be logged in.

The Hammers were simply ploughed into the ground by the Tractor Boys as they crashed to their heaviest defeat of the season at an icy Portman Road.

An early strike by Michael Chopra and a Daryl Murphy header put Paul Jewell’s struggling side on the way to victory over the table-topping visitors and, although Jack Collison reduced the arrears, Lee Martin’s penalty ensured that they were well in control by the break before Jay Emmanuel-Thomas netted twice in the second half.

There was no sign of reported deadline-day targets Ricardo Vaz Te, Ravel Morrison and Nicky Maynard but Big Sam knows that he will need to shuffle the pack ahead of Saturday lunchtime’s clash with Millwall if his side are to keep their fellow promotion rivals at bay.

The Hammers boss had made two changes from the side that beat Nottingham Forest ten days ago as fit-again Matt Taylor and Henri Lansbury came in for Papa Bouba Diop (hamstring) and substitute Sam Baldock.

In the midst of a win-less, seven-game streak stretching back to mid-December, 21st-placed Ipswich made two changes from the side that had lost at Leeds United last time out as Chopra and Arran Lee-Barrett came in for suspended ‘keeper Alex McCarthy and Jason Scotland, who took his seat on the bench alongside ex-Hammers Richard Wright and Jimmy Bullard.

And the recalled Chopra wasted absolutely no time in justifying Paul Jewell’s faith in him, when he ghosted behind James Tomkins to blast a defence-splitting pass from Emmanuel-Thomas beyond the helplessly exposed Robert Green from 12 yards.

With less than three minutes on the clock, an eighth goal of the season from the Ipswich striker was certainly not the start that Allardyce had expected but shortly afterwards, his own top-scorer almost conjured up a quick-fire equaliser of his own.

Eager to show just what the Hammers have been missing down the left touchline, Taylor whipped over an inch-perfect cross towards Carlton Cole, who saw sent his looping header back through the Siberian-like Suffolk air and onto the far post.

Midway through the half, Taylor also bent over a corner that the leaping Lee-Barrett clawed out from under his crossbar before Cole embarked on a powerful charge into the Ipswich box, where he finally ran out of road.

Then just before the break another Taylor flag-kick fell to Tomkins, who could only steer his header wide, while at the other end only the outstretched left leg of the falling Green prevented the hosts from doubling their lead, when Andy Drury’s low cross into the danger-zone eluded attackers and defenders alike.

But the Hammers relief was short-lived, for on 44 minutes Tommy Smith climbed highest to nod on Drury’s corner and Murphy headed over the line from close-range.

West Ham pulled an instant response out of the bag, when Mark Noble fired a deep, left-wing free-kick into the Ipswich penalty area, where the climbing Collison glanced his third goal of the campaign into the bottom right-hand corner from ten yards.

The East Enders looked to have grabbed themselves an interval lifeline but in an action-packed first-half finale, Jewell’s side incredibly still found time to maraud back into West Ham territory and restore that two-goal advantage in the second minute of stoppage time.

Just as he had started the opening period causing problems, breaking Chopra was still threatening at the end of it, too, and when he was nudged over by the consequently-cautioned George McCartney, Martin coolly converted the resultant penalty to leave the Hammers – who also had skipper Kevin Nolan booked for kicking the ball off the spot – with a mountainous 45 minutes ahead of them.

Baldock replaced Noble for the restart but the pacy striker’s arrival had minimal impact and, indeed, only a smart, low save from Green prevented Emmanuel-Thomas from inflicting even more damage with a low thunderbolt that was destined to serve as a warning of things to come.

On the hour-mark, the advancing Lee-Barrett bravely smothered point-blank shots from Baldock, Cole and Lansbury and that trio of successive blocks effectively ended any slender hopes that the Hammers and their 2,063 frozen fans had of salvaging anything from this contest.

For on 65 minutes, the orange-booted Emmanuel-Thomas tangoed Big Sam’s side with another 30-yarder that thudded off the base of the groping Green’s left-hand post and into the net to put the game well beyond their reach.

Although Lansbury, Baldock and Nolan forced Lee-Barrett to make some late saves it was left to Emmanuel-Thomas to show them the way to goal, once more, when he collected from substitute Scotland and stroked home his second strike in stoppage time.

That left the Tractor Boys basking in the glory of home and away victories over the Hammers this season and as Allardyce’s troops trudged away to chants of ‘Top of the league? You’re having a laugh!’ the West Ham United boss headed home to London knowing that his side simply cannot afford to have any more nights like this if they are to retain their place at the Championship summit.

HAMMERS: Green, Faubert, McCartney, Reid, Tomkins, Collison, Taylor (Hall 70) Lansbury, Noble (Baldock 46), Nolan, Cole (Nouble 70). Unused Subs: Faye, O’Neil.

IPSWICH TOWN: Lee-Barrett, Edwards, Cresswell, Sonko, Smith, Drury, Murphy, Martin, Hyam, Emmanuel-Thomas, Chopra (Scotland 78). Unused: Wright, Delaney, Leadbitter, Bullard.

Booked: McCartney (45+2), Nolan (45+2), Martin (90+2).

Referee: Fred Graham.

Attendance: 22,185.