He was quickly into the action stretching to head over a cross from
He was quickly into the action, stretching to head over a cross from Bergkamp, who then had a free-kick well saved by Craig Forrest. West Ham responded with a low shot from Frank Lampard which Seaman saved down at his near post.Then Eyal Berkovitch worked the ball through a square Arsenal defence and Paul Kitson set off in pursuit. Being out of Europe, slipping behind in the League and facing a tricky FA Cup third-round replay at Port Vale has given this competition a new lustre for Arsenal.It was even worth Glenn Hoddle's attendance, primarily to see Wright's duel with Rio Ferdinand. Wright, looking sharp on his return from suspension, won comfortably. Neither has played well since the onset of winter, but amid the mud and rain of Upton Park they rediscovered their form of autumn.To an extent the match was won in midfield where West Ham were missing key players, but Wright and Bergkamp made the crucial difference, underlining Arsenal's reliance upon them.Wright, set up by Bergkamp, put Arsenal ahead seven minutes after Hartson's error.
They continued to trouble West Ham's defence and the pressure told when Marc Overmars was gifted a second after 52 minutes. Although Samassi Abou pulled a goal back with 15 minutes left, the home team had been left with too much to do.Arsenal had previously fielded such weak teams in this competition that they had had to give some unsuspecting spectators their money back Last night they fielded their best available XI. John Hartson, once of Highbury but now a Hammers hero, put his former employers on their way to the Coca-Cola Cup semi-finals when he fluffed a penalty 18 minutes into the quarter-final. Then the men who barred his way at Arsenal, Dennis Bergkamp and Ian Wright, showed just why Arsene Wenger was prepared to let Hartson go. Arsenal's dying season was unexpectedly revived last night when the spectre they feared would return to haunt them transpired to be a benign ghost.
He was a fine cricketer and in 20 years' playing for Yorkshire he proved it. I played with him last September for the Lord's Taverners and he seemed as cheerful as ever."Bairstow's main attribute was his sheer will to win, as Ray Illingworth emphasised. Janet herself is numb and does not want to say anything at all."The couple's children, Jonathan, eight, and 17-year-old Rebecca, went to school as normal yesterday, while Bairstow's 22-year-old son from his first marriage, Andrew, was travelling from his home in Manchester to comfort the family.Bairstow's career began in extraordinary fashion in 1970 when he made his first-class debut against Gloucestershire on the same day as sitting an A-level examination.Brian Close, the captain who gave him his chance, said yesterday: "He always had the right attitude. The former England manager and ex-Yorkshire captain said: "There were better wicketkeepers but put in his temperament, enthusiasm, team spirit and never-say-die attitude and he was the best."Since retiring in 1990, Bairstow had worked for with a sports merchandise business and in the media, where Fred Trueman, the former Yorkshire and England fast bowler, was among his colleagues."He was always positive, jovial, liked a story, liked his golf," Trueman said on BBC Radio Five Live "I just remember his love of life I can't believe it.". His contribution to Yorkshire's cause could be measured in almost 14,000 first-class runs as well as 1,099 wicketkeeping victims.