West Ham United 1 - Plymouth Argyle 0
Dean Ashton struck in injury time to send West Ham through to the next round of the carling cup. The Hammers hitman struck a sweet right footed volley from 18 yards, firing low into the far corner. Scott Parker came through the game unharmed and looked composed in his competitive Hammers debut.
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There are fresh concerns for injured striker Bobby Zamora who has been out of action for a number of weeks with a knee problem. Zamora had a similar problem in the run-in to The Great Escape last season but played through the pain contributing spectacular goals against Everton and Arsenal. Alan Curbishley said:
"Since the Bristol Rovers game Bobby's knee keeps swelling up. It's not the same problem he was struggling with last season but we have tried one or two things and it hasn't quite happened so we will have to re-assess that now. He has been out for three weeks and he is still not training."
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Birmingham City co-owner David Sullivan has launched a scathing attack on West Ham's board for "appalling" mismanagement of wages for staff and players.
Sullivan, who appears to read the tabloids, told the Guardian:
"I could see a scenario where the Icelanders, in two years' time or 18 months, making no money out of West Ham having cocked it up, they might want to walk away.
"They might want to say to me, 'Come and buy half the club and make it work for us,' because they have done some appalling things at West Ham. The wages they are paying both to staff and players - I cannot see how the business model works. And they have done it as an investment, no other reason."
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