West Ham promoted to the Premier League
Published: Today at 16:51
RICARDO VAZ TE smashed a £90million late winner to put West Ham back in the Premier League.
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The striker ruined Blackpool's Championship play-off final dream after Thomas Ince had cancelled out Carlton Cole's opener.
Vaz Te pounced on 87 minutes to win football's biggest jackpot — a place in the top-flight and all the TV riches that go with it.
West Ham boss Sam Allardyce said: "Blackpool were equally as good as us today but it was about finishing power.
"Funnily enough this was the first time in 49 matches this season we've won a match in the last few minutes.
"I thought it was a magnificent game. It means everything to me."
Allardyce added: "It was difficult for me to turn things around at the club but we've done it.
"I'll look forward to the celebrations first before I start worrying about the Premier League.
"I'm just delighted for everyone at West Ham because it means so much."
Blackpool, though, will rue their ample share of possession and some gaping chances — notably from Stephen Dobbie — in a tight yet lively contest.
Dobbie needed just three minutes to underline his pivotal role for the Seasiders since his loan return from Swansea.
He accelerated onto Matt Taylor's hesitant attempt at a chest-pass back and lashed a right-footer that Hammers keeper Rob Green palmed onto the near post.
Blackpool, in particular, were more cavalier than cautious in the early stages.
And their edge in fluency conjured a second clear opening on 14 minutes.
Kevin Phillips and Dobbie combined quickly and slickly to send Matt Phillips darting through. But the young striker hit his weak shot too close to the out-rushing Green.
But Matt Phillips created another glorious chance for himself moments later.
He pounced on Guy Demel's dozy control at left-back to cut inside two players and swerve a 12-yarder just wide of the far post.
That finally sparked Allardyce's men into some decent, concerted passing, Vaz Te drilling into the side-netting from their first true passing move and Carlton Cole heading over on 21 minutes.
Then the Hammers produced a clutch of high-ball corners around the half-hour mark, James Tomkins regularly threatening in the air.
But it was West Ham's other muscular menace, Cole, who made a 35th minute breakthrough.
Seasiders winger Ince — finally showing flashes of his jinking danger down the right — was robbed on halfway.
And a lightning counter-raid led to Taylor angling a pass into the box for Cole to take down and clip home past the upstretched arms of keeper Matt Gilks.
Vaz Te nearly stole in for an immediate second as West Ham exploited their extra physical presence and slightly more direct approach.
But two minutes after the interval Blackpool poached an even better breakaway goal than the Hammers' opener.
Matt Phillips robbed Cole deep in the Seasiders' half and lofted an amazingly precise long ball for Ince to nip between two defenders and hook a low leveller inches inside the far post.
And, with Blackpool's belief soaring, centre-back Alex Baptiste burst through the middle, lifting the ball over the advancing Green but not beyond a clearing defender on the line.
Winston Reid soon nearly sliced the West Ham defence just as wide as the Seasiders' tide of attacking play increased.
The Hammers had to wait until the hour-mark for their first serious response of the second period, Jack Collison just failing to get a decent touch to Vaz Te's inviting pull-back.
Then Cole spun brilliantly to thump the sweetest of shots that Gilks somehow pawed away at full-stretch.
But by far the clearest opportunity fell to Dobbie midway through the half, when he mis-hit wide despite being un-marked 12 yards out.
Ian Evatt and Baptiste sparked more penalty-area panic with efforts cleared from near the line to show how Blackpool seemed to have regained control.
But the Hammers came back into it in the closing stages.
And on 80 minutes Kevin Nolan crashed a near-perfect volley that Gilks flicked onto his bar.
Seven minutes later, though, Nolan crossed for Cole to bundle through and nudge the ball on for Vaz Te to smash the clincher.
Blackpool: Gilks, Eardley, Baptiste, Evatt, Crainey, Ferguson, Dobbie, Angel, Ince, Matt Phillips, Kevin Phillips. Subs: Southern, Sylvestre, Cathcart, Dicko, Bednar.
West Ham: Green, Demel, Reid, Tomkins, Taylor, O'Neil, Noble, Nolan, Collison, Cole, Vaz Te. Subs: Henderson, McCartney, Maynard, Faubert, Lansbury.
Referee: Howard Webb (S Yorkshire)
