The last time West Ham United were at The Hawthorns their fans were baying for Sam Allardyce’s head; on Tuesday night they were chanting about winning the league. Such is the fickle nature of football but, after recovering from going behind to embellish their best start to a Premier League season with goals from Kevin Nolan and James Tomkins, the West Ham manager could bask in the relative glory of his team staying fifth in the table, a point outside the Champions League places.
“We’re going to win the league now,” Allardyce quipped, reminded of that visit here in April. “That’s long in the past now. The game moves on very quickly. Our summer of hard work and recruitment is paying off. Our strength in depth is standing us in good stead because we’re having to use our squad to the maximum. Twenty-four points at this stage of the season – that’s one hell of a total when you think this time last year we were almost in the bottom three.”
Saido Berahino’s goal when the teams last met had ended West Bromwich Albion’s fears of relegation last season but not enhanced Pepe Mel’s job prospects. Now Alan Irvine, the Spaniard’s successor, is having to fight off fans’ criticism after four straight defeats. “I can’t control that,” the West Brom head coach said. “It comes with the territory. We’re a lot stronger when everyone’s pulling in the same direction.”
Two points above the relegation zone, Albion’s next three games look critical: at Hull City on Saturday, at home to Aston Villa and then away to QPR. It is hard not to feel sympathy for Irvine, who inherited a messy situation with 11 players out of contract in the summer, but despite dominating the second half last night there was a tangible lack of conviction as Albion attempted to stick to their beliefs in playing a patient build-up.
The game ended with the bizarre sight of Ben Foster wandering around in the West Ham half but when a fine flying volley from Graham Dorrans fizzed past Adrián’s post, West Brom knew, yet again, that it was not their day.
Yet they had started brightly. Irvine recalled Victor Anichebe to play alongside Berahino with Stéphane Sessègnon just behind and, when the former Everton forward, bustling his way towards the corner of the penalty area, was brought down by Tomkins, Dorrans delivered a devilish inswinging free-kick for Craig Dawson to head powerfully home.
This was the first time a West Brom player had scored in 370 minutes of Premier League action – Esteban Cambiasso’s own-goal had sealed their three points away to Leicester City – and the only negative at this stage for Irvine was that the breakthrough appeared to stir West Ham from their slumbers.
With both teams playing diamonds the midfield became very congested but West Ham always threatened from set pieces. From Stewart Downing’s corner in the 19th minute Tomkins headed down and Foster saved superbly from Nolan’s overhead kick before denying Cheikhou Kouyaté on the rebound.
This sequence was repeated in part after Chris Brunt was cautioned for felling Nolan. Tomkins this time headed down Downing’s free-kick, Foster parried Andy Carroll’s bicycle kick but Nolan – back in as captain for the injured Mark Noble – stooped to head in his first goal of the season on only his fourth league start.
To add insult in injury time Brunt had to be withdrawn with a damaged hamstring and West Ham went ahead. Again it was from a delivery from Downing, the most creative player in the Premier League so far this season, that Tomkins was able to win the first ball, this time heading home directly. This was a better use of his head than when he went down clutching his face when tapped by Everton’s Kevin Mirallas 11 days ago.
West Brom’s diminishing confidence levels have been reflected in the form of Berahino who had not scored in the previous four games since his call-up to the England squad and his arrest on suspicion of drink driving. So, even when the home side started the second half bullishly, progress was undermined when their leading scorer took an airshot at Joleon Lescott’s downward header and then Dawson slashed his shot wide from 10 yards.
West Ham, defeated only once in their last eight games now, defended resolutely to seal the victory that their first-half dominance merited. “It’s not often I’ve been involved in a more one-sided half where you don’t get something out of the game,” Irvine reflected. “It’s not so long ago Sam was going through a difficult period, Alan Pardew, you name a manager. You’ve just got to keep doing the things you believe in.”
