Bristol City hold Hammers

West Ham lost further ground to npower Championship leaders Southampton after drawing 0-0 against lowly Bristol City.Boss Sam Allardyce has this week brushed off criticism of his side's style of play, claiming teams that gain promotion need to know how to win ugly.But a stalemate at home to the side who kicked off propping up the division will be hard to stomach for the second-placed Hammers.In fairness they would surely have won at a canter had Frederic Piquionne's radar not deserted him in front of goal, while Kevin Nolan was twice denied by David James and Freddie Sears was a whisker away when he rattled a post.But City, full of confidence after a first win under new boss Derek McInnes on Saturday, were themselves a threat on the break and also hit the woodwork.
Julien Faubert and substitute Carlton Cole both missed late chances in a frantic finish, and Yannick Bolasie fired narrowly wide in the 89th minute as the Robins claimed a morale-boosting point.

Seagulls suffer Hammers blow

Brighton's early-season pace-setters have, by contrast, tumbled down the table after their winless run was extended to seven games.
The Seagulls could count themselves unfortunate, though, having created a host of chances to cancel out Nolan's 17th-minute strike. And they were architects of their own downfall after a bad mistake from Liam Bridcutt gifted West Ham what proved to be the winner.
Brighton manager Gus Poyet likes his team to play the ball out from the back, but not when they end up handing it on a plate to a player of Nolan's ability on the edge of the area. Bridcutt's heavy touch allowed the midfielder to nick the ball off him, stride forward and lash his shot past his old Newcastle team-mate Steve Harper.
Veteran keeper Harper had only joined Brighton on loan a few hours earlier and obviously did not have time to get his bearings, standing far too close to his near post and offering Nolan the rest of the goal to aim at.
Sam Allardyce's side had to see out eight minutes of stoppage time, following a nasty injury to Brighton's Gary Dicker.

West Ham Hammer Blackpool

Three goals in eight second-half minutes ensured a resounding 4-0 victory for West Ham as Blackpool's defence endured a torrid time.John Carew set the Hammers on their way with a 12th-minute header and Blackpool collapsed after the break as a Sam Baldock double and Jack Collison's strike completed the rout.
West Ham boss Sam Allardyce had spoken during the week of his bitterness at being dismissed by Blackpool after leading them to the brink of promotion in 1996 and he gained some revenge with a dominant display at Upton Park.Blackpool had gone into the game high on confidence after winning 5-0 last time out and they actually looked the better team until West Ham opened the scoring.The Hammers needed just two minutes of the second half to double their lead as Matthew Taylor's header put Baldock clean through, and the striker held his nerve to slot coolly past Matthew Gilks.It was all over four minutes later and Matthew Hill was at fault as the ball was allowed to bounce in the area before Carew flicked the ball over Gilks and Baldock tapped in on the line. Collison then grabbed the fourth with a deflected volley.

West Ham 1 Aldershot 2

Danny Hylton's 89th-minute winner sent 10-man West Ham crashing out of the Carling Cup and put League Two side Aldershot into the second round.The Hammers led through a curling shot from Junior Stanislas but had debutant Callum McNaughton sent off for a professional foul after the break.That changed the game and Luke Guttridge equalised from close range after Ruud Boffin denied Alex Rodman.Hylton snatched victory from 12 yards out after a goalmouth scramble.That gave Aldershot their first win in this competition since the club reformed in 1992 and returned to the Football League in 2008.Holdsworth considers Sam Allardyce his mentor after playing under him at Bolton for four yearsBut for the third time this season West Ham were left to rue conceding an important late goal at Upton Park.Hammers boss Sam Allardyce made nine changes from the team that were held at home by Leeds in the Championship on Sunday and initially his side struggled to settle.It took took a superb save from Boffin to deny Jake Taylor when he ran through but West Ham weathered the storm and took the lead with a strike of real quality from Stanislas.The Shots were given hope when McNaughton scythed down Hylton after 47 minutes.And Dean Holdsworth's side piled on the pressure before Guttridge pounced to level with 12 minutes to go, reacting quickly after Boffin blocked Rodman's shot.

With West Ham hanging on, Michael Rankine and Jermaine McGlashan went close to winning it for Aldershot before Hylton found the bottom corner with a low angled shot.

Matt Taylor came close to equalising in stoppage time but could only fire into the side netting after latching on to a flick.

Match Report: Watford 0 West Ham 4

Carlton Cole and Scott Parker were on target to help West Ham to victory at Watford and make it back-to-back wins in the Championship.Sam Allardyce gave Cole his first start of the season and the striker, who is still expected to leave before the end of the month, grabbed his first goal since February.England midfielder Parker, another player whose future remains uncertain, put the seal on a convincing display late on.The unlikely figures of defenders James Tomkins and Joey O'Brien had put West Ham two up at half-time.
The relegated Hammers won only two away games all last season, but they have matched that tally after just two road trips this term.They beat Doncaster with a fifth-minute goal on Saturday, and opened their account even earlier at Vicarage Road.

Matt Taylor's free-kick was turned behind at full stretch by Hornets goalkeeper Scott Loach, and when Taylor swung in the corner Tomkins planted a firm header inside the far post after two minutes.Former Bolton midfielder Taylor was inches away from doubling the lead when he curled a free-kick over the wall and inches wide.But Watford looked dangerous themselves early on and Marvin Sordell's turn and shot forced a fine save from Hammers keeper Robert Green.Hornets skipper John Eustace then shot straight at Green from close range following a corner, and Chris Iwelumo put the rebound over the top.West Ham should have gone further ahead on the half hour when Mark Noble played Taylor's corner back across goal and centre-half Winston Reid, from all of three yards out, poked the ball wide.

The visitors got stronger as the first half drew to a close strongly with Noble fizzing a cross narrowly out of the reach of Kevin Nolan, Jack Collison heading Parker's cross over and Loach denying Cole.And their pressure told in added time when O'Brien, another of Allardyce's ex-Bolton brigade, burst forward from the halfway line, reached the penalty area and drilled a low shot across Loach and into the far corner.Watford are still looking for their first win of the season, but there was no way back for the hosts after Cole tucked in number three in the 70th minute.Left-back Herita Illunga crossed and Cole was on hand to sweep the ball past Loach.

Parker wrapped up the victory with a classy finish from 20 yards in stoppage time as the duo sent a timely reminder to one or two top-flight clubs with the transfer window closing soon.

Burnley set To Sign West Ham Striker

Zavon Hines is set to sign for Championship club Burnley after failing to land the contract he wanted at West Ham, according to reports.The 22-year-old striker has been out of contract at the club since the end of last season and looked certain to leave  some months ago.However at the beginning of last month it looked as if the two parties were edging towards a deal when Hines told his followers on Twitter that he hoped to remain at West Ham and was hopeful of signing a new deal.But despite being involved in the latter stages of the club's pre-season talks fell through, and the former England under-21 is now said to be set to join West Ham's Championship rivals Burnley for a nominal fee.Hines, who was named Young Player of the Year by KUMB.com readers at the end of the 2009/10 season made his first team debut under Alan Curbishley in West Ham's 4-1 Carling Cup defeat of Macclesfield - a game in which he also scored.Having failed to make any further appearances for the first team that season he played 15 times in 2009/10, making his first start for the club in the 1-0 defeat at Wigan in September. However his season ended abruptly in December 2009 when he was forced to endure surgery to fix a long standing knee problem - an injury that kept him out until November the following year.Sporadic appearances under Avram Grant despite being fully fit led  to Hines criticising the manager via his Twitter feed back in May, whilst the arrival of Sam Allardyce gave hope that his career at the Boleyn could be salvaged.

However that hope was short lived and his departure is expected to be confirmed by both clubs shortly.

West Ham keen on bringing McCartney back

West Ham are keen to take George McCartney back to Upton Park after emerging as the main club interested in signing the out-of-favour defender.Sunderland are desperate to offload the high-earning left-back and are willing to let the 30-year-old leave either on a permanent deal or on loan.But so far the Hammers are the only club who have held talks with Sunderland over McCartney - one of four defenders the Black Cats are actively looking to sell.McCartney, who spent much of last season on loan at Leeds, has been unable to rediscover the form from his first spell at the Stadium of Light since returning to Sunderland in a £6.5million deal from West Ham three years ago.But new boss Sam Allardyce, a good friend of Sunderland boss Steve Bruce, is on the lookout for fresh recruits as he plots a return to the Premier League.The Hammers are short of options at left-back after former England man Wayne Bridge returned to Manchester City following last season’s loan spell at Upton Park.

Congo international Herita Ilunga was at fault for Cardiff’s last-gasp winner in West Ham’s opening day defeat on Sunday and Allardyce feels McCartney would offer a more assured presence.

McCartney was held in high esteem from his two-year stint in the East End and West Ham are one of the few clubs in the Championship who would be able to pay the former Northern Ireland international’s wages in full

Match Report:West Ham 0 Cardiff 1

West Ham were given a rude welcome to life in the Championship , as a last-gasp Kenny Miller goal condemned them to a shock opening defeat.Sam Allardyce's first match in charge of the Hammers, who are favourites for promotion back to the top flight, was heading towards a damp squib of a goalless draw as the rain lashed down at Upton Park.But Miller crashed a dramatic winner on his Cardiff debut as West Ham were given a stark reminder that the Championship may not be the cakewalk the bookmakers are predicting.
Their midfield pairing of Kevin Nolan and Scott Parker would not look out of place in most Premier League teams but for various reasons they find themselves in the second tier.Nolan is captaining the Hammers after contract talks with Newcastle broke down while Parker, named in the England squad to face Holland on Wednesday, is apparently happy to stay unless Tottenham or a top-four club come in for him before the end of the month.Yet the illustrious duo could not break down a well-organised Cardiff side with a new manager of their own in Malky Mackay.Parker should have put the home side ahead after 10 minutes when he found himself bearing down on goal but his touch let him down and Anthony Gerrard was able to make the challenge.Further chances came and went for Frederic Piquionne, Nolan and Freddie Sears, with Robert Green only being tested once as he clawed away Don Cowie's header.After the break Matt Taylor, another of Allardyce's summer recruits, tried to breathe some life into his new side.

But as the clock ticked into stoppage time Miller, who had hardly had a sniff all game, collected a pull-back from substitute Rudy Gestede and lashed the ball past Green.