 The club finished third in the 2011 – 12 Football League Championship with 86 points and took part in the play @-@ offs . They beat Cardiff City in the play off semi @-@ final 5 – 0 on aggregate to reach the final against Blackpool at Wembley on 19 May 2012 . Carlton Cole opened the scoring , and although Blackpool equalised early in the second half , Ricardo Vaz Tê scored the winner for West Ham in the 87th minute . 
