Source: Northern_Echo
West Ham 1 Sunderland 0
West Ham 1 Sunderland 0[LNB] WEST HAM'S matchday programme described Sunderland as the Premier League's sole representatives from the North West.[LNB] The Hammers' programme editor appears to have as poor a grasp of geography as Sunderland, who lose their bearings every time they venture out of the SR5 postcode.[LNB] An opening day victory at Bolton suggested that Steve Bruce had built a Sunderland team possessing the nous to eke out results away from home.[LNB] But 16 games hence and the travelling hordes from Wearside are yet to taste a second Premier League win.[LNB] How can the same side who played Champions League candidates Spurs off the park a week earlier perform like relegation strugglers when they pitch up at West Ham[LNB] Gianfranco Zola's outfit looked every inch a team who'd lost six of their previous seven matches. Nervous and low on confidence from the kick-off, they should have been easy fodder for Sunderland.[LNB] But Zola's side possessed one element absent from the visitors that ultimately proved decisive a purpose.[LNB] Before the game Bruce and his players had spoken without much conviction that they were battling to end the campaign in tenth position.[LNB] That would be a significant achievement for a club who have escaped relegation by the seat of their pants in the last two seasons.[LNB] But contesting the Premier League's also-ran positions with Stoke and Blackburn will not warrant an open-top bus parade down Fawcett Street. It has also failed to inspire Bruce's players.[LNB] With Sunderland's topflight status all but assured following the 3-1 win over Spurs, Saturday's game showcased a squad easing down before their summer holidays.[LNB] Bruce's side have shown they can match the best teams in the division, such as in the home games against Arsenal and Liverpool and at Old Trafford, only to lose their way against teams struggling for form.[LNB] If they are to fulfil Ellis Short and Niall Quinn's dream of contesting a Europa League place then addressing an alarming inconsistency must be Bruce's number one objective before the start of next season.[LNB] The Hammers lacked quality but their fear of relegation gave them an edge.[LNB] Sunderland had a couple of early chances to put their stamp on the game but this was a performance when they went through the motions.[LNB] The biggest talking point of the first half was whether Craig Gordon should have been shown a red card for hauling down Carlton Cole in the penalty box.[LNB] Fortunately for the Scotland No 1 the referee had spotted Cole's foul on the keeper in the build-up to the incident.[LNB] A set-piece honed on the Hammers' training ground sealed the Black Cats' 12th away defeat of the campaign.[LNB] Manuel Da Costa's soaring free-kick was nodded down by Cole for Ilan to send an uncontested prod past Gordon.[LNB] Lee Cattermole flashed a drive over the bar, Henderson drove in a free-kick and Darren Bent lost his footing when put through on goal by Kenwyne Jones as Sunderland struggled to give Robert Green a chance to prove he is England's No 1.[LNB] Bruce bemoaned referee Mike Jones' decision to hold up play rather than let Sunderland take a free kick, while West Ham's players celebrated a late disallowed Cole strike.[LNB] But the gaffer accepted that, yet again, his hit-andmiss team had spurned an excellent opportunity to take three points.[LNB] Am I angry with my players[LNB] No, but we gave a poor goal away. We had spoken about it at half-time.[LNB] The long ball and the flickon from Carlton Cole was about all West Ham had, but we didn't deal with it.[LNB] In the Premier League that is unforgivable and we have to take our medicine. But Gianfranco is a marvellous, wee man and I wish him the best of luck, said Bruce.[LNB] We've had a few chances and we didn't take them. But we come away from the game wondering how the hell we didn't take anything from it.[LNB] I could say that about half a dozen games this season at least, where we ended up frustrated and disappointed.[LNB] Our mentality has to be better than that, and we have to eradicate the silly stupid mistakes that we make.[LNB] At the end we had every attacking player we had out there on the pitch to try and score a goal. I think we deserved something out of the game.[LNB] I couldn't fault their honesty and their endeavour that was there for everyone to see. We were so comfortable in the first half.[LNB] Comfort, however, is not a state that brings out the best in Sunderland.[LNB] Bruce should put the fear of God in his players ahead of Saturday's visit of Burnley; a game the West Ham programme might bill as a North-West derby.[LNB] Match facts Goals:[LNB] 1-0: Cole (51, stabbed home inside the penalty area after Cole had nodded down Da Costa's free-kick)[LNB] Bookings: Cattermole (26, foul), Spector (34, foul),Gordon (35, deliberate handball),Campbell (84, foul)[LNB] Referee Mike Jones (Chester): Earned Bruce's wrath for holding up play while the Hammers celebrated a disallowed goal 4[LNB] Attendance: 34,685[LNB] Entertainment: [LNB] WEST HAM (4-5-1): Green 6; Faubert 6, Upson 6, Da Costa 7, Spector 5; Stanislas 6 (Franco 78), Kovac 6, NOBLE 8, Behrami 8 Ilan 7 (Daprela 90); Cole 6. Subs (not used): Kurucz (gk), Gabidon, McCarthy, Diamanti, Spence[LNB] SUNDERLAND (4-4-2):[LNB] 5 Gordon: Handball earned him a yellow and nearly saw red on a jittery afternoon[LNB] 5 Ferdinand: His poorest performance since making the switch to full-back[LNB] 6 Turner: Looked pretty solid after passing a late fitness test[LNB] 6 Da Silva: Was caught out for pace a couple of times but read the game well[LNB] 6 Richardson: Delivered some quality crosses as Sunderland looked like taking an early lead[LNB] 6 Henderson: A shadow of the player who had bossed Spurs a week earlier[LNB] 5 Cattermole: His influence waned after he was shown a yellow card[LNB] 6 Meyler: Worked hard but lacked composure when in possession[LNB] 7 MALBRANQUE: Sunderland's key creative force until his inevitable substitution[LNB] 5 Campbell: Worked his socks off as an attacking midfielder with little reward[LNB] 5 Bent: Snatched at the odd chance that came his way[LNB] Subs:[LNB] Jones (for Meyler 62): Not given the service to make much of an impression 6[LNB] Zenden (for Malbranque 72) Benjani (for Da Silva 87) (not used): Carson(gk), Bardsley, Kigallon, Hutton[LNB] MAN OF THE MATCH[LNB] MARK Noble slotted into the role left by the suspended Scott Parker.[LNB]
