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The last Hundred Yards is always the hardest to complete in any distance running, race leaders can be caught agonisingly close to the finish line as the rest of the pack sail past them, and it is much the same in elite football. Irrespective of where West Ham United finish in this season's Barclays Premier League, fans can be rightly proud of how their team has 'duked it out' with the big boys, despite having the least well equipped squad to deal with the challenge.

David Moyes's reluctance in using Conor Coventry alongside Tomas Soucek has perplexed many Hammers fans, but credit where due, captain Mark Noble has stepped up to the plate and put in a couple of stellar performances. Unfortunately he has joined what has become a burgeoning list of injured players for the medical team to deal with.

They knew it wasn't a case of if, but when, the medical emergencies would begin to rack up at Hammers' Rush (Goose) Green treatment room, and so it has come to pass. Apart from Michail Antonio's specially cordoned off 'hamstring area', due to the almost perpetual need to leave the space free in order to accommodate his huge thighs, there is the Yarmo (not there) crypto trade complex funded by his £115,000 per week wages.