Aston Villa 1-2 West Ham

[andy villa]

West Ham battled back from a goal down for a win at Aston Villa which ended a run of three Premiership defeats.

Lee Hendrie put Villa ahead with a deft header from Jlloyd Samuel's cross.

West Ham equalised early in the second half when Bobby Zamora powerfully headed home Paul Konchesky's well-flighted free-kick.

Marlon Harewood notched the winner from the penalty spot after referee Phil Dowd ruled Mark Delaney had blocked Hayden Mullins' shot with his arm.

West Ham should have opened the scoring after just two minutes, when Tomas Repka's cross created mayhem in the Villa box.

Zamora failed to make contact from four yards out and when the ball ran through to Matthew Etherington at the far post he stabbed it into arms of the grateful Thomas Sorensen.

As both sides looked for the early advantage, Milan Baros picked his way in from the right touchline but his left-foot shot was too weak to trouble Roy Carroll.

Villa took the lead on 28 minutes with a well-executed goal. They built carefully down the left where James Milner fed Samuel whose cross to the near post produced the deftest of glancing headers from Hendrie.

Shaun Newton and Etherington gave West Ham plenty of width but with their strikers showing little conviction in the box, Olof Mellberg and Sorensen dealt comfortably with the crosses.


Jlloyd Samuel and Shaun Newton battle for aerial supremacy

Villa almost caught West Ham on the break on the stroke of half time with Delaney leading the charge out of defence, but his cross just failed to find the lunging Baros.

West Ham enjoyed a spell of pressure at the start of the second half and equalised when Konchesky delivered a fine free-kick into the penaly area and Zamora got ahead of his marker to power his header past Sorensen.

Villa almost regained the lead immediately but Carroll showed great agility and reflexes to claw away Hendrie's looping header from Samuel's cross.

West Ham were now asking the questions, and Newton placed his shot too close to Sorensen after Harewood sent him clear.

Villa's reprieve was only temporary as referee Phil Dowd ruled Delaney charged Mullins' shot down with his arm, allowing Harewood to send Sorensen the wrong way from the penalty spot.

As Villa sought an equaliser, Baros shot straight at Carroll, and Mellberg headed over from a corner.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Aston Villa boss David O'Leary:
"In the second half we were outfought and second best to everything.
"We didn't defend our box properly from set pieces and and we really slipped back to our old ways.

"We've had a good run of late but all the good work we did over the Christmas holiday period has been blown away."


West Ham manager Alan Pardew
"I threatened to make two changes at half time but decided to give them a chance to redeem themselves.
"The players repaid that by turning the game round, the win was all their doing, and they can be proud of that performnce.

"We have a never-say-die attitude and this is more than just a good start ,we've been in the top ten all season."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Aston Villa: Sorensen, Hughes, Mellberg, Delaney, Samuel, Davis, Bakke (Hendrie 12), McCann, Milner, Baros, Moore (Angel 60).
Subs Not Used: Taylor, Ridgewell, Gardner.

Booked: Mellberg.

Goals: Hendrie 27.

West Ham: Carroll, Repka, Gabbidon, Ferdinand, Konchesky, Newton (Benayoun 71), Reo-Coker, Mullins, Etherington (Dailly 81), Harewood, Zamora (Katan 74).
Subs Not Used: Hislop, Clarke.

Booked: Mullins, Katan, Harewood.

Goals: Zamora 51, Harewood 60 pen.

Att: 36,700

Referee: P Dowd (Staffordshire).