First-half goals from West Ham pair Ian Pearce and Frank Lampard effectively
ended Nottingham Forest's Upton Park challenge to leave them still four points
adrift at the foot of the Premiership table.
Time is running out for Forest, who now have just 13 games to survive
seemingly inevitable relegation.
While they were by far the better side in the second half they had already
lost the game by half-time.
Both sides had capitulated in humiliating defeats by top-class opposition the
previous week.
It was obvious how the two sides had shipped 12 goals between them seven days
previously as both defences creaked under the slightest pressure.
Hammers centre-backs Rio Ferdinand and Pearce both gave away balls from
defence.
And Forest goalkeeper Dave Beasant mysteriously fired a clearance at defender
Jon Olav Hjelde's back which mercifully fell to safety.
But while both defences stuttered, West Ham possessed some cutting edge and
using the wings to good effect they overstretched the Forest back line.
After a quarter of an hour the Hammers should have taken the lead through just
such a move.
Paolo Di Canio and the enterprising Stan Lazaridis combined well on the left
as the winger outstripped American veteran John Harkes.
The ensuing cross found England Under-21 captain Frank Lampard unmarked in the
six-yard box, yet he nervously poked wide.
Just one minute later Di Canio himself messed up as he hoisted a free ball
yards over following Steve Lomas' inch-perfect pass.
Twenty minutes had elapsed before the goals came. Again using the left-wing
danger channel, Lazaridis sweetly knocked the ball for Eyal Berkovic to chase,
beating the offside trap. His byline cross found Pearce alone beyond Beasant and
his head duly converted the chance.
Just five minutes later came the home side's second. Di Canio's pacy run up
the right wing provided Trevor Sinclair with the opportunity to cut back from
the byline. The simple ball found Lampard in the box and this time he made no
mistake.
Yet although the first half was undoubtedly theirs, complacent West Ham were
lucky to hang on to their lead for 90 minutes.
Forest boss Ron Atkinson belatedly chose to introduce Steve Chettle and Nigel
Quashie and they breathed new life into the visitors.
Rather than forever wasting possession with speculative long-range efforts
like Alan Rogers' chance on the stroke of half-time, Forest pushed up anew and
the second period belonged to them.
Following opportunities for Pierre van Hooijdonk, who fired wide from the edge
of the box after 51 minutes, and a carbon copy Neil Shipperley effort 10 minutes
on, Forest deservedly got their consolation.
An 84th-minute van Hooijdonk free-kick found Hjelde unmarked and his
eight-yard header was always goalbound.
Teams:
West Ham: Hislop, Ruddock, Ferdinand, Pearce, Lomas, Sinclair,
Lampard, Berkovic (Cole 77), Lazaridis (Minto 89), Kitson,Di Canio.
Subs Not Used: Potts, Foe, Forrest.
Booked: Kitson.
Goals: Pearce 35, Lampard 39.
Nottm Forest: Beasant, Harkes (Quashie 67), Hjelde, Rogers,
Stensaas (Chettle 57), Palmer, Stone, Johnson,
Gemmill (Porfirio 77), Van Hooijdonk, Shipperley.
Subs Not Used: Darcheville, Crossley.
Booked: Johnson, Van Hooijdonk, Rogers.
Goals: Hjelde 84.
Att: 25,458
Ref: R Harris (Oxford).
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