London: West Ham striker Ricardo Vaz Te scored with three minutes remaining on Saturday to take his team into the English Premier League with a 2-1 win over Blackpool in the promotion play-off final.
Vaz Te lifted the ball into the roof of the net from close range after a goalmouth scramble to end the Hammers' year-long absence from the Premier League.
The victory guarantees millions of Pounds in revenue for West Ham and should help them keep hold of their best players, including England goalkeeper Rob Green and Vaz Te, who scored 24 goals this season.
"It wasn't about my goal, it was about our togetherness," said Vaz Te.
Striker Carlton Cole put West Ham ahead in the 35th minute, finishing coolly from a delightful Matthew Taylor pass after Stephen Dobbie had earlier hit the post for Ian Holloway’s side. But Blackpool's Tom Ince equalized three minutes into the second half with a composed finish.
Blackpool were forced to make one change from the semi-final after Gary Taylor-Fletcher picked up an ankle injury, meaning veteran striker Kevin Phillips made the starting line-up. Roman Bednar made the bench while Lomana LuaLua was left out of the squad.
Sam Allardyce named an unchanged side from West Ham’s comfortable victory over Cardiff, with Cole and Ricardo Vaz Te starting up front, and midfielder Jack Collison keeping his place despite dislocating a shoulder against the Bluebirds.
West Ham almost worked an early opening after Kevin Nolan looked to feed a pass through to Cole within the first thirty seconds, but it was slightly strong and Matt Gilks collected the ball comfortably.
But it was Blackpool who had the first real opening. Taylor failed to deal with a long ball, and Stephen Dobbie was able to gather the loose ball, firing from a tight angle, forcing Robert Green to parry his effort onto the post.
Holloway’s side then had another opening after some fine passing in midfield let Matt Phillips loose for a one-on-one, but the young winger rushed his finish and rolled the ball straight into the arms of the grateful Green.
Phillips had a second glorious chance moments later after a poor mistake by Guy Demel. The 21-year-old collected the ball, worked it on to his right foot and bent a curling effort which looked destined for the far corner until it flashed inches wide of the post.
The game was in full flow and providing sensational entertainment for the Wembley crowd. As the clock flew past the half hour, the Hammers enjoyed a lengthy attacking spell, winning corner after corner, but Allardyce’s men couldn’t make the pressure pay.
Just as it looked like Blackpool had weathered the storm, West Ham took the lead ten minutes before the break. The Hammers broke quickly and Taylor played a superbly chipped ball over to Cole, who brought the ball down confidently, shrugged off Ian Evatt’s challenge, and steered the ball past Gilks.
It was nearly two just moments later when another angled ball from the midfield found Vaz Te, but the 25-year-old could only drill wide from 18 yards.
Angel Martinez blasted a long-range effort over as the Tangerines looked to restore parity, but chances weren’t forthcoming as the game moved towards half-time.
But the second half started explosively for the Tangerines. Matty Phillips played a long angled ball over the West Ham defence, and Ince stroked the ball across goal with an excellent first-time finish to level the scores only two minutes after the break.
Holloway’s side then should have taken the lead almost immediately. Kevin Phillips lofted a delicate pass to find Alex Baptiste in unfamiliar territory, but the centreback was unable to guide the ball past the onrushing Green.
George McCartney replaced Gary O’Neil early in on in the half, with Allardyce shuffling Taylor forward into midfield, while Julien Faubert came on for the injured Demel.
Cole then forced a fine save from Gilks just past the hour, bringing the ball down on the edge of the area from a Faubert pass, and firing a low strike across goal which the Blackpool shot-stopper did well to parry away.
Neal Eardley then burst down the right flank, pulling back across the box to set up a gilt-edged chance for Dobbie, but the on-loan midfielder scuffed the chance wide. Dobbie won a corner for Blackpool with a deflected effort moments later, and Matt Phillips deflected Ian Evatt’s shot towards goal, which Noble had to clear off the line.
Ludovic Sylvestre came on for the hard-grafting Kevin Phillips with twenty minutes to go, before the lively Dobbie then struck another effort from distance, which needed a fine save from Green to turn it around the near post and keep the Hammers level.
As the match entered the last ten minutes, Allardyce’s side almost went back ahead in spectacular fashion. Collison’s ball from the left was met by Nolan, who showed magnificent technique to unleash a rasping volley towards goal, and Gilks produced a stunning acrobatic save to tip the ball onto the crossbar.
James Tomkins had an effort late on with a header which looped over the bar, before the telling moment of the match. Cole was almost through on goal when he was challenged by Gilks, but the ball cannoned off the 'keeper and fell into the path of Vaz Te, who hammered the ball into the roof of the net and send the West Ham fans into ecstasy.
Holloway threw on Roman Bednar and Nouha Dicko as Blackpool looked to push for an equaliser in injury time, but the Hammers kept the ball well and saw out the win to return to the Premier League and pocket the £90million bonus that goes with promotion.
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