Hammers capitalise on Boro mistake

13 April 2012

What a pity the Upton Park faithful could not be as magnanimous to Paul Ince as the former England captain was to Hammers goalkeeper David James.

The 34-year-old Middlesbrough midfielder was incessantly booed, still pilloried in the East End for the manner of his departure from West Ham more than a decade ago.

But he shrugged off the abuse in the accustomed way he has done over the past 13 seasons. On the pitch, he demanded the ball at every turn and may have given Middlesbrough victory midway through the second half with a rasping shot.

That he did not was down to the athleticism of James, who flung himself across his goal to paw the ball away. Shortly after, a sortie from his area by opposing keeper Mark Schwarzer ended in disaster when an ill-judged clearance was turned back towards goal by West Ham substitute Vladimir Labant and clinically guided home by Frederic Kanoute.

Ince knew where the blame lay for Boro's defeat. Not with Schwarzer, but rather his former Liverpool team-mate James, whom he believes should be given the chance to become England's first-choice keeper in this summer's World Cup.

Ince said: 'I'll get hold of him later and have a word. It was a great save and it just shows how he's come on with his game. I was with him at Liverpool and his head wasn't right then. He had to move to make himself a better goalkeeper.

'That save showed it today. I was devastated. I thought it was going in and then the big plaits flew across the goal.

'He was going stale at Liverpool. He'd been there a long time and didn't have as much interest as he should have done. He needed a new venture and you can see the rewards.

'He's 6ft 4in, so athletic and he kicks it long. He's got everything needed to be the No.1 goalkeeper in the world. All keepers make blunders.The Calamity James tag was unfair. He's happy now and focused. He's got a chance to be No.1 in the World Cup.' James defended the former West Ham favourite's honour which was savaged by the hounding he received from fans who still will not forgive his appearance in a Manchester United shirt before he had concluded his transfer in 1989. James said: 'My save from Incey was only as important as any other save in the game. Paul looked at me and I knew what he meant. I know those looks now. He didn't say anything but in his own way he was congratulating me. He's very experienced and he wouldn't have got where he did without being able to deal with situations like today.' The occasion seldom rose above the mundane. Mid-table and middling, it is hard to imagine either side moving far from their positions before the end of the season.

For Boro, there is an FA Cup quarter-final to come against the winners of tomorrow night's replay between Crewe and Everton.

Yet the harsh dismissal of Ugo Ehiogu, who also broke his nose and required stitches, for a second yellow card means manager Steve McClaren will be without the defender for the tie at The Riverside on March 10.

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David Jones (Footballer)

Hammers capitalise on Boro mistake

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