Penalty agony again for West Ham Masters

29 July 2010

KEN YOU BELIEVE IT? West Ham’s Kenny Brown takes on Michael Meaker.

WEST HAM'S Masters suffered the agony of a penalty shoot-out defeat for the second year running at Wembley Arena on Saturday night.

Last year, QPR prevailed in a shoot-out to decide the winners, and this time round it was exactly the same scenario, though the Hammers could claim to have snatched defeat from the draws of victory.

First-team coach Kevin Keen had stepped off a plane from Germany in the early hours of Saturday morning, but he was there to captain the West Ham side the same evening.

And the pocket rocket was in superb form as West Ham outplayed their west London rivals, with some excellent passing football.

In the final, Kenny Brown had given them the lead with a super shot, and Don Hutchison had latched on to Keen's pull back for the second, before Keen completed a memorable by meeting Hutchison's superb pass to make it 3-0.

Michael Meaker pulled a goal back for Rangers just before the break, but there seemed to be no worries for the Hammers until the very last minute of the match.

Then, tiredness seemed to catch up with them and two goals in 10 seconds from Meaker forced the game into a penalty shoot-out.

West Ham had aleady eliminated Chelsea in a sudden-death shoot-out in the group phase, but this time it was not to be.

West Ham's best player, Hutchison, missed the opening spot-kick and despite successful kicks from Keen and Brown, when Keith Rowland's effort was saved, Meaker fired home the winner for QPR.

Earlier, the Hammers had kicked off their campaign with a 3-3 draw against Chelsea.

Keen's superb back-heel and Hutchison's clever strike had levelled twice, before Rowland put West Ham in front, only for Chelsea to level in the dying seconds with a deflected goal.

The other group game with Fulham was equally close as Hutchison's early strike was cancelled out by Fulham who opened up a 2-1 lead despite being outplayed.

Kevin Horlock's equaliser, and Sasa Ilic's brilliant late save from Andy Melville meant West Ham were in a sudden-death penalty shoot-out with Chelsea for a place in the final.

After six successful kicks, Anthony Barness missed for the Blues and Rowland secured a final spot.

West Ham: Ilic, Brevett, Rowland, Hutchison, Horlock, Brown, Keen.