Match report of this afternoon's home win in the clash against Derby County
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West Ham United may have beaten already relegated Derby County but they still departed to a crescendo of boos.
And after substitute Carlton Cole's 77th minute winner gave his side all three points, that left injury-hit Alan Curbishley wondering just what more he has to do to placate his fellow East Enders.
Following a hat-trick of defeats, the manager made seven changes to the team that slumped at Bolton Wanderers last weekend as Lucas Neill, Mark Noble, Freddie Ljungberg, John Paintsil, James Tomkins, Freddie Sears and Julien Faubert returned to face a Derby side that they had beaten 5-0 at Pride Park last November.
Of course, Aston Villa had gone one better last weekend with a six-goal rampage but, even so, Paul Jewell made just two switches as Darren Moore and Emanuel Villa were relegated to the bench, while Dean Leacock and Mile Sterjovski were recalled.
West Ham had the lion's share of the first half as George McCartney had a shot blocked, while Scott Parker sent a rising 25-yarder high and wide before Tomkins headed over.
With a goal difference of minus 58 and just three draws on their travels all season, it was no surprise when the dreadful Derby defence conceded for the 75th time this campaign on 20 minutes.
McCartney - making his 50th successive appearance - floated over a right-wing free-kick which the unmarked Bobby Zamora met with a downward, six-yard header that gave flat-footed, ex-Hammer Roy Carroll no chance.
Having seen Zamora bag his first goal of the season, Tyrone Mears, Kenny Miller and Robbie Savage each threatened, but it was merely token resistance in a first half dominated by West Ham.
The home supporters were expecting more of the same after the break too, but they were to be disappointed after Jewell's interval pep-talk spurred his side into action.
On the hour, Robert Green had to race from his goal and dive bravely into the feet of the marauding Mears, who then found himself in a similar position just four minutes later.
Hossam Ghaly sent the ex-Hammer clear and this time around he showed Ljungberg a clean set of studs before rifling a 15-yard shot wide of the helplessly exposed Green to level in spectacular style.
It was all too much for the home crowd to take and when tiring, young substitute striker Sears was withdrawn in favour of the fresh-legged Cole, Curbishley was heckled with chants of 'You don't know what you're doing'.
Clearly he did though as just three minutes after stepping from the bench, the substitute smashed his sixth goal of the season into the net from a couple of yards after Ljungberg played a clever one-two with Noble and cut back from the byline.
With nothing to lose, Derby forced a frantic finale that created enough East End jitters to herald the home jeers at the final whistle that saw the confused Curbishley depart with three points and those boos ringing in his ears. |
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