Source: Northern_Echo
Sunderland 1 West Ham United 2
IT might have been the case that Steve Bruce wanted to win the Carling Cup this season, but Sunderland's players failed to mirror the manager's ambitions last night.[LNB] There was to be no injurytime salvation from Darren Bent like there was in the Premier League draw with Arsenal on Saturday, just the disappointment of a third round defeat at the Stadium of Light to West Ham United.[LNB] The Hammers had not won on their travels in more than a year, although that did not stop the Black Cats from being regularly outplayed and outfoxed on their own patch.[LNB] There was hope for a disjointed Sunderland four minutes before half-time when Asamoah Gyan marked his first start since his £13m move from Rennes with a predatory header to cancel out Frederic Piquionne's clinical opener.[LNB] But when West Ham's Victor Obinna, on loan from Inter Milan, coolly put his side ahead for the second time on the hour, there was no way back for a frustrated Bruce, who had hoped to lead Sunderland to their first League Cup final since 1985.[LNB] While the Hammers' manager Avram Grant opted to make seven changes to the team that drew with Stoke, Bruce used the occasion as the opportunity to pair Gyan and Bent up front.[LNB] The Sunderland boss has been mulling over the idea of playing with a three-pronged attack which he has adopted a few times this season more regularly, but this provided the evidence to suggest he is still tempted to use the more orthodox 4-4-2 system.[LNB] And within quarter of an hour, the most expensive strikeforce in the club's history should have heralded its first goal.[LNB] A clever, lobbed pass down the line from Ahmed Elmohamady set Bent free. But, with Gyan unmarked in the penalty area, the England marksman's centre had too much on it for the outstretched boot of the Ghanaian.[LNB] That was the first real sign of any trouble to the West Ham rearguard, who must have been surprised by the amount of possession that fell the visitors' way.[LNB] But West Ham struggled to create chances until the first goal, with striker Piquionne's wayward long range strikes all they could muster.[LNB] Nedum Onuoha, playing in his more preferred central defensive role as a replacement for Titus Bramble, had also threatened to find the net at the other end. His diving header, from Jordan Henderson's corner, rose inches over from eight yards.[LNB] When Sunderland pushed forward, they tended to create something.[LNB] The problem, however, was they did not test goalkeeper Marek Stech enough. That was highlighted again when Cristian Riveros, left in space, fired high from Danny Welbeck's lay-off.[LNB] Stech's opposite number, Simon Mignolet, was not spared such generosity. He had to make a crucial double save on the half hour when Piquionne drilled low into his body after the Belgian had initially denied Nigerian Obinna with a strong-handed stop.[LNB] Obinna's speed of mind created the opener. He was alert to roll in behind a static Sunderland defence and Piquionne made rounding Mignolet and slotting in to an empty net easy ten minutes from half-time.[LNB] That rattled Sunderland, who could quite easily have been further behind before the break. In fact, when Mignolet made a fine save down to his left to thwart Scott Parker's poked shot, just seconds had elapsed since the first goal.[LNB] It was not until Gyan's equaliser that it became apparent how important that save was, and the leveller arrived six minutes later. Henderson's corner was floated to the near post, Gyan shrugged off his marker and Stech was unable to prevent the African's powerful header from hitting the net.[LNB] Sunderland should have took the initiative on the back of that and, after some enterprising work down the right from Bardsley, Gyan was disappointing when he missed the target from 12 yards.[LNB] From that moment on Gyan faded considerably, which led to his departure on the hour, but not before West Ham had regained the lead with a terrific goal.[LNB] Parker, the architect, fed winger Pablo Barrera and when Obinna picked up the pass, the Nigerian stroked the perfect finish in to Mignolet's bottom right corner.[LNB] Gyan's exit helped Bruce's decision to revert to a threeman attack, but that failed to have the desired effect, with Sunderland still second best in many areas.[LNB] It said it all in the closing stages when Bardsley, Sunderland's best outfield performer on the night, was almost the saviour when his bursting run and wall-pass off Welbeck ended with a shot that trickled wide.[LNB] There was also time for Stech to deny Malbranque with a point-blank save, which proved to be the last serious test for the visiting goalkeeper as Sunderland surrendered cheaply.[LNB] Matchfacts Goals: Piquionne (35mins, 0-1); Gyan (41, 1-1); Obinna (60, 1-2) Bookings: None Referee: Howard Webb (Rotherham) 7 Attendance: 21,907 Entertainment: **[LNB] SUNDERLAND (4-4-2): MIGNOLET 7; Bardsley 7, Onuoha 6, Ferdinand 5 (Da Silva 40, 5), Richardson 6; Elmohamady 6, Riveros 5, Henderson 5 (Zenden 71), Welbeck 5; Bent 5, Gyan 6 (Malbranque 60, 5). Subs (not used): Carson (gk), Colback, Angeleri, Reid, Da Silva.[LNB] WEST HAM UNITED (4-3-2-1): Stech 6; Faubert 6, Da Costa 7, Tomkins 7, Ben Haim 6; Boa Morte 5, PARKER 8, Kovac 7; Obinna 8 (Dyer 72), Barrera 6 (Noble 90); Piquionne 6 (Cole 79). Subs (not used): McCarthy, Boffin (gk), Brown.[LNB] MAN OF THE MATCH Scott Parker the former Newcastle man dictated the play in the middle for the Hammers.[LNB]
