West Ham take promotion place

They were the better side throughout, should have been in front during the first, but finally Bobby Zamora got the only goal of the game twelve minutes into the second half. Despite making substitutions Preston never really threatened to get back into the game and West Ham were even able to survive the loss of keeper James Walker who was stretchered off in the closing stages.

It all means a return to the Premiership for West Ham after two years, and a vital return given that they were set to lose their parachute payments had they not won today and that would have forced even more sales at the Boleyn Ground.

For Preston, it is their third play off final, and their third defeat. They lost to Bolton four years ago and they were also losers on the day before we played Stockport when they went down 4-2 to Wycombe Wanderers in the Division Three final.

Maybe they should have let Tom Finney play instead of him just leading them out.

West Ham take promotion place

Last updated : 30 May 2005 By Tony Scholes

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