West Ham crash out as Palermo turn on style
Carlton Cole came close but West Ham crash out
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Thursday, 28, Sep 2006 10:50
West Ham were brutally ejected from European competition as Italian side Palermo ran out 3-0 winners of the second leg of their Uefa Cup clash.
Having lost the first leg at Upton Park 1-0, Alan Pardew had spoken with confidence of his side turning the game around with an early goal away from home.
Diminutive Argentinean striker Carlos Tevez nearly granted his manger's wishes but saw his fifth-minute volley blocked by Palermo stopper Alberto Fontana.
Tevez joined Marlon Harewood and Carlton Cole in an attacking starting line-up and both his strike partners came close early on.
But with a host of spurned chances to look back on, the Hammers found themselves behind after 32 minutes.
Marco Bresciano's free-kick rolled into the path of Fabio Simplico who fired through a crowded penalty area and past Roy Carroll for a largely-undeserved lead.
Cole passed up an opportunity to give his side a glimmer of hope when he headed wide of the mark from a Lee Bowyer cross just after the break.
Simplico ended the contest with a cool finish on 62 minutes and David Di Michele heaped on the misery with a third six minutes later as the Upton Park outfit threw caution to the wind.