CHAMPIONSHIP

West Ham 3, Derby 1

WEST HAM underlined their title credentials with a comeback win over Derby this evening at Upton Park.

The Rams came into the match on the back of a miserable run of form, but they shocked their hosts when Ipswich loanee Tamas Priskin fired them into a 33rd minute lead.

But Carlton Cole’s powerful header drew the Hammers level on the stroke of half-time, before a wonderfully executed second-half-volley from Kevin Nolan and a Mark Noble penalty put them with two points of the summit.

With news of Southampton’s surprise 2-0 defeat at Bristol City earlier in the day announced to great cheer among the crowd of 27,864 at the Boleyn Ground, the hosts knew a win would have them breathing down the Saints’ necks.

And they started with the bit between their teeth with a first effort on goal in the fourth minute as Julian Faubert turned on Carlton Cole’s flicked header, but fired well over.

And the hosts continued to turn the screw early on as Kevin Nolan found some space in the box from Sam Baldock’s knock down, but he steered his half-volley well wide.

The Rams, who came into the game on the back of three league defeats, set up with a cautious 4-5-1 with Ipswich loanee as their lone striker.

And their first sight of goal came after the hosts’ dominant start as Paul Green dropped his shoulder on the edge of the box and forced Robert Green into a routine catch.

A lacklustre 20-minute passage of play was finally punctured when Jack Collison’s shot on the turn from just outside the box drew a fine low save from Frank Fielding, who also recovered to gather the ball before Faubert could gobble up the rebound.

But it was the visitors who took a 33rd minute lead as Jamie Ward ended his driving run forward with a perfected weighted pass into the feet of Priskin, and he hit a measured, side-footed shot across Green and inside the post.

And the hosts drew level a minute before the break as Noble’s free kick was only half cleared to Joey O’Brien and his inviting cross was headed down and in via a last-ditch attempted clearance from John Brayford on the line.

It was a brave header from a striker who has been in fine form, and it inevitably put an entirely different complexion on Messers Clough and Allardyce’s half-time team talks.

Frederic Piquionne, a first-half substitute for the injured Baldock, flicked a free header from a Faubert corner wide after the restart.

The Hammers had a great chance to take the lead on the hour mark as Piquionne raced onto a ball over the top to go one-on-one with Fielding but the keeper spread his body well to save.

But it mattered not as three minutes later Collison flicked the ball high into the air which skipper Nolan tracked all the way to hit a text-book, first-time volley low into the bottom corner from 25 yards.

And they went further ahead with a disputed 73rd minute penalty as Piquionne tumbled under the slightest nudge from Craig Bryson and referee Colin Webster pointed to the spot.

It mattered not to Noble whether or not the infringement was outside the box as he drilled the ball high into the net to leave Fielding with no chance.

Only a goal-line clearance from Gareth Roberts prevented Piquionne’s header making it 4-1 late-on as the hosts saw the game out comfortably to claim a third league win in a row for the first time in four years.

West Ham (4-4-2): Green; O’Brien, Tomkins, Faye, McCartney; Faubert (Taylor 81), Noble, Nolan, Collison; Cole (Carew 75), Baldock (Piquionne 21).

Echo MOM: Carlton Cole: A menace in both boxes, the powerful striker held the ball up well, won countless flick-ons and gave the Hammers a winning platform with his brave headed equaliser on the stroke of half-time.