West Ham 3 Liverpool 1: Kenny Dalglish's bubble is burst by Scott Parker

28 February 2011 09:04
  West Ham sang of bursting bubbles as they climbed off the foot of the Barclays Premier League but Liverpool were left to wonder if the Kenny Dalglish adrenaline shot is starting to fade.[LNB]Dalglish's team were flat as they lost for the first time in eight, with a performance well short of the win at Chelsea on their last trip to London.[LNB]Next up are Manchester United at Anfield on Sunday and bullish talk of a late dash for the Champions League places seems far-fetched.[LNB]Birmingham's Carling Cup win also means one fewer Europa League spots next season, making it even harder to qualify for Europe.[LNB]Liverpool were out-passed and out-fought by the Hammers for all but a late 20-minute spell, a franticcomeback ended by Carlton Cole.[LNB] A stretch too far: Liverpool goalkeeper Jose Reina dives full length but can't prevent Scott Parker (out of picture) from opening the scoring for West Ham[LNB] Scott Parker and Demba Ba put West Ham two up at half-time before Glen Johnson pulled one back, and Cole struck on the break in stoppage time. 'The players have done fantastic and there was always going to be a time when they lost,' said Dalglish. [LNB]'Unfortunately this was it. They've deserved the credit they've had but they'll stand up and say they got what they deserved here and that's nothing.'[LNB]Defeat is a reality check for Liverpool, who were dominated for most of the game despite the return of captain Steven Gerrard from injury.[LNB]Not for the first time, Parker was outstanding, playing with a painkilling injection in a shoulder injured in training on Saturday.[LNB]'We thought he had no chance,' said boss Avram Grant. 'I prepared without him. Then he said hewanted to play. The medical team gave him 24 hours of treatment.[LNB] Great Scott: Parker celebrates his goal with Hitzlsperger[LNB] 'I don't know if many players would have done so. It was a bad injury. He turned and slipped in training - our training pitch is not so good. He couldn't walk or move his arms.'[LNB]Disciplined as ever in defence, Parker also opened the scoring with his first goal since November.Collecting the ball from Lars Jacobsen, he traded passes with Thomas Hitzlsperger and surprisedPepe Reina by taking his shot early with the outside of his right boot, curling it inside the far post from the edge of the area. [LNB]It was a goal of beauty and he dedicated it to his father, Mick. 'My Dad's not been well for a while and the celebration was partly to do with that.' [LNB]If West Ham stay up, it is largely thanks to Parker and he must be a Footballer of the Year contender.[LNB] Heads up: Demba Ba (left) celebrates after scoring his third goal in three games[LNB]Liverpool's three-man defence, so solid at Chelsea, struggled to contain Ba. Jamie Carragher was less comfortable in the centre than he was on the right and Danny Wilson was visibly nervous on hisPremier League debut.[LNB]A hamstring injury to Martin Kelly made matters worse. As Dalglish sent on Joe Cole and reshuffled, his team conceded the second. Ba beat Wilson in the air to a long kick from Robert Green, glancing his header wide to Gary O'Neil. No one tracked the Senegal striker's run into the penalty box, where he threw himself at the cross to score.[LNB] Agony: Another blow for Liverpool as defender Martin Kelly suffers a hamstring injury[LNB] [LNB]Joe Cole, back where his career started, looked generally unhappy. No ping in his passes and no zipin his legs, he looked sluggish.[LNB]Ba and Frederic Piquionne squandered decent chances before Liverpool finally stirred. Gerrard got hold of midfield, David Ngog injected some pace and Luis Suarez, non-existent in the first half, suddenly appeared interested.[LNB]Green denied Suarez with his fingertips, turned over a fierce volley from Gerrard and was finally beaten by Johnson in the 85th minute.[LNB] Enlarge  Jacobsen dithered over a high ball, allowing Ngog to sweep in, and Suarez set-up the England full back against one of his former clubs.[LNB]Dalglish detected a stolen point but Carlton Cole had the final word, powering past Martin Skrtel andscoring at Reina's near post.[LNB]West Ham remain in the drop zone but the bottom half is congested - six points cover 11 teams fromEverton in 10th down to Wigan.[LNB] Dead and buried: Carlton Cole makes sure of West Ham's victory with the third goal against Liverpool[LNB]This win, encouraging performances from recruits Ba and O'Neil plus Hitzlsperger provide hope forGrant with 10 games to go, and a tonic for co-chairman David Gold, who is ill in hospital. Gold, 74, missed his first game at Upton Park since arriving at the club last year.[LNB]'Our chairman is not doing so good, so I wish him all the best and get well soon,' said Grant. 'I knowhe saw the game on TV and I've a feeling he would have liked that.[LNB]'We want to win a few games in a row. We should not be at the bottom. Circumstances have caused us to be there but look at our football. We played football as if we weren't at the bottom. When we do the right things, we're not easy to beat.'[LNB] Grant: Hammers' captain marvel Parker could not walk hours before vital winWest Ham chief Gold misses Liverpool game after being taken to hospitalWest Ham v Liverpool - all the action from Upton Park as it happenedWest Ham outcast Faubert vows to quit Upton Park after huge bust-upPoulsen weighs up Anfield exit after Dane loses favour with boss DalglishAll the latest West Ham news, features and opinionAll the latest Liverpool news, features and opinion[LNB] [LNB]  Explore more:People: Jamie Carragher, Robert Green, Pepe Reina, Glen Johnson, Lars Jacobsen, Carlton Cole, Martin Skrtel, Danny Wilson, David Ngog, Thomas Hitzlsperger, David Gold, Joe Cole, Martin Kelly, Steven Gerrard Places: Liverpool, London, Birmingham, United Kingdom, Europe

Source: Daily_Mail