Teddy Sheringham's late intervention kept West Ham's push for the Coca-Cola
Championship play-offs on track as he slotted home with time running out to sink
Burnley at Turf Moor.
For long spells there was little entertainment on offer as the two sides
cancelled each other out and far too often wasted the ball in the final third.
But with seven minutes left former Manchester United man Sheringham, who
turned 39 this week, once again proved he has not lost the ability to turn matches as he
latched onto Marlon Harewood's ball across the area to tap home the only goal.
Burnley - who made just one change to the side that won 3-1 at home to Watford
on Saturday with goalkeeper Danny Coyne coming in for Brian Jensen - started
brightly.
Ade Akinbiyi posed their early threat and could perhaps have made more of an
opening after four minutes when he sprung the offside trap only to see the ball
hacked away.
West Ham, though, gradually settled to their task and Sheringham got his first
sight of the target with a dipping volley after 16 minutes that only just
cleared the crossbar.
Mark Noble was pulling the strings from midfield for the Hammers and five
minutes later he set away Harewood to fire in a low piledriver that Coyne did
well to turn round the post.
But at other end, the visitors were almost caught out by a breakaway from Mo
Camara as the Guinea full-back sprinted away down the left and crossed for
Graham Branch to head tamely at goal.
Two minutes later Camara was involved in the action again - this time for the
wrong reasons - and became the first player in referee Keith Friend's notebook
after reacting to the official's decision to award a free-kick.
Then Akinbiyi got away from his marker in the final minute of the half only to
steer the ball wide of the target.
Having survived that let-off, West Ham came out with greater purpose after the
break.
Harewood was busy in the immediate aftermath of the interval and screwed a
shot wide of the post when well placed.
Yet in truth, there was very little end product from either side.
As Burnley took up the fight, James O'Connor summed up what was fast becoming
a very dull game as he sliced a shot from just outside the area out for a
throw-in.
And even when the hosts did break through, their delivery was found wanting as
Camara raced away on the left after 69 minutes only to see Hayden Mullins hack
his cut-back away.
Sheringham was trying his best to inject some sort of life into proceedings
and five minutes later he blasted a 20-yard effort wide of the target before
glancing a header from Mark Noble's corner over the bar.
Then finally, with seven minutes left, the veteran striker's persistence paid
off as Harewood raced away to take the ball round Coyne in the area and squared
back for the former Manchester United man to side-foot home.
Teams:
Burnley Coyne, Sinclair (Grant 87), McGreal, Cahill, Camara,
Oster (Valois 83), Hyde, O'Connor, Branch (Duff 75), Bowditch,
Akinbiyi.
Subs Not Used: Roche, Jensen.
Booked: Camara.
West Ham Walker, Ward, Repka, Ferdinand, Powell, Newton,
Reo-Coker, Mullins (Fletcher 76), Noble (Etherington 76),
Sheringham, Harewood (Zamora 85).
Subs Not Used: Bywater, Williams.
Booked: Mullins, Reo-Coker.
Goals: Sheringham 83.
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