West Ham boss Alan Pardew has vowed to keep faith with two-goal hero Bobby Zamora for the Coca-Cola Championship play-off final.

Zamora's second-half brace broke Ipswich hearts at Portman Road and fired the
Hammers into a £20million showdown for a Premiership place with
either Preston or Derby at the Millennium Stadium on May 30.

The 24-year-old has been serving as stand-in for the injured Teddy Sheringham,
but his three goals over the two legs of the semi final have convinced Pardew he
is the man to fire the club back into the big time.

Veteran Sheringham, who has spent the last four weeks on the sidelines with a
hamstring problem, will return for the final but will have to settle for a place
on the bench despite his 21 goals this season.

His manager confirmed: "I think Teddy will be fit, but I don't think he will start
because Bobby has taken his chance.

"If you are going to say to players 'come into the team whatever your age'
then you are also going to say to them 'if you play well then you stay in the
team'.

"I was pleased for Bobby because he has taken as much criticism as I have at
times. He has had a tough ride.

"He is a West Ham fan and he takes that pressure into every game, and every
time he comes off the pitch he has family and friends badgering him, and he has
had to deal with it.

"But he is looking more comfortable, and over the two legs he
has looked different class, while his second goal was a special goal."

It took 61 minutes for the deadlock to be broken in a game that was fast and
furious, and although low in skill, it was high in entertainment.

Forward partner Marlon Harewood was the supplier on both occasions for Zamora,
with his first delivery a low, incisive ball through the six-yard box that was
tapped home at the far post.

His second 11 minutes later was a delightfully-weighted pass from the right
wing that dissected covering defenders Fabian Wilnis and skipper Jim Magilton.
Zamora who finished with a left-foot volley from 15 yards for his 12th
goal of the season.

For the Hammers boss, a three-time play-off loser - twice with Reading in 2001 and 2003,
and most notably last season when West Ham were beaten by Crystal Palace in
the final - there is a score to settle.

"This will be my third final, and I have previously lost twice, so I am
hoping it will be third time lucky," added Pardew.

"We are still carrying hurt from last year, but we will prepare thoroughly, although we did that last year and lost, but the one thing that pleased me about last night was the professionalism of the
players.

"If we play in the final like we did last night and add that professionalism and keep our heads, then we will win.

For Royle, beaten in successive seasons at the semi-final stage by West Ham,
it is back to the drawing board following a summer in which everyone connected
with Ipswich will try and overcome a fifth play-off defeat in nine years.

"We are obviously all disappointed, but I don't think I can argue that West
Ham had a bit more in most departments than we did," said Royle.

"There is no time for criticism, recriminations or to point a finger because
the players have done brilliantly, and at the end of the day the difference was
their multi-million pound strikers.

"This will not be easy to get over, and it is hard to digest because we have
been up there all season, and led the table for a couple of months.

"But that is the system. If you had promised me the play-offs before the
start of the season then I would have taken it with both hands.

"To finish third and to then lose out, there is a sense of injustice. But the
play-offs are a cup competition, a lottery, and you take that.

"But the players have done Ipswich proud. They have a six-week break now, and
we will see what transpires as to who will be here and who won't be."