FULL TIME: Linesman costs West Ham victory (From East London and West Essex Guardian Series)

FULL TIME: Linesman costs West Ham victory

6:02pm Sunday 20th January 2008 in West Ham By Guardian-series

Man City 1
West Ham 1
(Barclays Premier League)

A CONTROVERSIAL Darius Vassell goal denied West Ham victory as they claimed a point at the City of Manchester Stadium.

Vassell struck from an arguably off-side position to cancel out Carlton Cole's early goal on Sunday.

Cole's well-executed overhead kick had given West Ham the lead after just seven minutes.

Mark Noble, in the thick of the action all afternoon, closed down Richard Dunne well on the edge of the area and fed the ball out to Freddie Ljungberg on the right wing.

Cole, 12 yards out with his back to goal, collected Ljungberg's cross, flipped the ball up into the air and with his left foot completed a spectacular bicycle kick into Joe Hart's right bottom corner.

Stirred into action after a slow start, City levelled six minutes later.

Martin Petrov's cross from the right came off Rolando Bianchi's leg in a scramble in the six yard box and, with George McCartney and Anton Ferdinand failing to clear, Vassell stabbed the ball home.

Much to the dismay of the West Ham fans the officials ruled Vassell, clearly offside when Petrov initially crossed, was inactive until the second phase of play and allowed the goal to stand.

The remaider of the first half was a fairly even affair, with the best of the chances falling to Man City's Bianchi, who fired high and wide from 25 yards when clean through on goal thanks to a fine pass from Elano.

West Ham upped the intensity in the second period, dominating both possession and chances for 45 minutes.

Noble set the tone when he fizzed an effort over the bar from 12 yards in the 49th minute and ten minutes later Mullins' shot from 20 yards was well-saved by a diving Hart.

From the resultant corner Cole would have scored his second, but for a block by Dunne.

West Ham had the ball in the net in the 74th minute but substitute Julian Faubert's close-range strike was ruled out after Lee Bowyer shoved Micah Richards in the box.

Three minutes later Hart pulled off a fine stop with his right foot to deny Noble from 18 yards, while at the other end Elano fired over the bar.

Cole could have sealed victory in the final minute of injury time as he leapt above Richards to head goalwards, but the in-form Hart fingertipped over the bar.

WEST HAM: Green; Neill, Ferdinand, Upson, McCartney; Ljungberg, Mullins, Noble, Bowyer(Spector 90) Cole, Boa Morte (Faubert 71). Unused subs: Wright(g), Collins, Reid.