Results tagged “Sunderland”

GEORGE McCartney has followed Anton Ferdinand out of Upton Park and joined Sunderland.

The Northern Ireland international sealed a return to the Stadium of Light late on Monday night, for a fee reported to be in the region of £6million.

THE SEASON can’t end soon enough for Alan Curbishley and his injury-ravaged West Ham squad.

Saturday’s (March 29) 2-1 defeat at Sunderland – courtesy of ex-Charlton star Andy Reid’s last-minute volley – was of less consequence than the loss of more players to the treatment table.

George McCartney and Freddie Ljungberg both picked up hamstring injuries, while Carlton Cole (sore foot) and John Pantsil (concussion) also suffered knocks.

It leaves Curbishley short of options with just six games of the season left to play. Matty Etherington and Julien Faubert were ruled out for the rest of the campaign last week and the Hammers travelled to Sunderland with just 17 fit players.

THE KIDS are coming through for Alan Curbishley as he blooded yet another West Ham Academy graduate in the first team.

Saturday’s (March 22) 1-1 draw at Everton saw defender James Tomkins make his senior debut, following in the footsteps of fellow teenagers Jack Collison and Freddie Sears.

Curbishley had no hesitation in pitching Tomkins into the side after injuries ruled out all his senior centre-backs bar Anton Ferdinand.

With Sears coming off the bench and almost snatching another away win for the Hammers with a late effort that hit the post, the fabled West Ham production line seems to be in full working order. And with the amount of money available to the manager to strengthen his squad this summer likely to be limited it’s timely.