Pardew waits on Etherington and Ashton

WEST HAM manager Alan Pardew is prepared to wait until an hour before kick-off to decide whether £7.25m striker Dean Ashton and winger Matthew Etherington will play in the FA Cup final against Liverpool.

Fears grew for the injured pair’s participation in the Millennium Stadium showpiece tomorrow when neither were involved in preparation at the club’s Chadwell Heath base yesterday but Pardew refused to rule them out.

Ashton’s hamstring strain, sustained in the win over West Brom at The Hawthorns 10 days ago, has been under constant treatment although a scan has revealed no major damage.