Source: Daily_Mail
Sunderland 1 West Ham 0: Jordan Henderson strikes to pile more misery on Hammers
The two seventh-place finishes achieved under Peter Reid a decade ago remain Sunderland's highest in the Barclays Premier League and on Sunday night Steve Bruce's side returned to those lofty heights. [LNB]It wasn't easy, it wasn't pretty and it was only the hosts' second Premier League win over West Ham, but it keeps Bruce's side on track for a top-half finish. They have piled the pressure back on Avram Grant after the Hammers boss had the rare break of two wins in a week. [LNB]Sunderland remain unbeaten at home in the league this season, a record equalled only by Manchester United. Only Grant's side have prevailed at the Stadium of Light this season, after a Carling Cup win here on their way to a semi-final place thanks to a shock 4-0 demolition of United last week.[LNB]One up: Henderson (No 10) is in the perfect place to meet Gyan's delivery and put Sunderland ahead [LNB]Bruce (below, with Grant) has no doubt which position he would prefer as he looks to build on his side's start and sustain a challenge for the European places. 'I wouldn't swap,' he said. 'I'd certainly rather be seventh than bottom of the league and once you're out of a cup, you're out. [LNB]'I have never had a cup run because I always seem to get one of the top four and always said I would love one, so who knows, it might come in the FA Cup. The immediate aim was to stop us being a yo-yo club. We are nicely placed in seventh and now we are looking to build on that.' [LNB]The Sunderland boss had dared to talk ofthe possibility of resting young midfielder Jordan Henderson as he comes to terms with his England elevation and an uninterrupted start to the season. Henderson's response was the winning goal, his first in a year. [LNB] Bruce admitted: 'Maybe he needs to stop reading the papers, because he trained all week like someone who was saying, "Don't dare leave me out". He was desperate to play. [LNB]'He's young and there will be a time to leave him out. He has had a meteoric rise and it is my job to look after him and protect him. That goal will do him the world of good. I was delighted for him.'[LNB]Bruce selected all three of his strikers. Danny Welbeck started on the left, Asamoah Gyan through the middle and Darren Bent on the right. A young midfield trio of Kieran Richardson, Lee Cattermole and Henderson ran behind. [LNB]Come together: Kieran Richardson (left) and Jonathan Spector battle for the ball during an entertaining clash[LNB]But the change in system needed time to work and Sunderland battled to make much early progress through Grant's two rigid blocks of four. Richardson, in particular, struggled to find his targets in an unfamiliar central role and one long ball had Bruce flapping his arms in a rage. [LNB]He looked even more distressed at the midfielder's woeful finish to a long Sunderland move, which he fired high among West Ham's sparse support. No wonder. It was Sunderland's first shot of the night, after more than 19 minutes on the clock. [LNB]Gyan's lethargy had Bruce screaming louder than the 36,940 fans. His rage did the trick. The Ghana star laid on Henderson's opener within a couple of minutes with a neat pass on the run. [LNB]There were few more chances. Welbeck, Gyan and Bent tested Robert Green from distance without seriously troubling the former England keeper and Henderson's teasing cross into the visitors' area somehow evaded all three strikers.[LNB]Up against it: Parker (right) and Cole can't hide their disappointment as things don't go their way[LNB]Sunderland did not improve after the break. Gyan produced a sky-high shot, Richardson shot tamely at Green and England pair Henderson and Bent lost possession easily during their attempted one-twos. [LNB]Bruce's men were lucky their long spells of inactivity were matched by incompetence from the Hammers, who lacked any creativity or spark. [LNB]The nearest West Ham came to scoring was when Green had to tap a wild sliced clearance from Parker over his crossbar. [LNB]MATCH FACTS Sunderland (4-3-3): Gordon 7; Onuoha 6, Mensah 7, Ferdinand 7, Bardsley 6; Henderson 7 (Elmohamady 86min), Richardson 5, Cattermole 7; Bent 6 (Malbranque 75, 6), Gyan 6 (Zenden 90), Welbeck 6. Sub not used: Mignolet, Angeleri, Da Silva, Riveros. Booked: Cattermole.West Ham (4-4-2): Green 6; Ben Haim 5 (Faubert 83), Tomkins 6, Upson 6, Gabbidon 5; Dyer 5 (Piquionne 69, 6), Spector 6, Parker 7, Boa Morte 5 (Hines 69, 6); Obinna 4, Cole 5. Subs not used: Stech, Reid, Barrera, Kovac. Booked: Boa Morte, Cole, Parker.Referee: Martin Atkinson 6.Man of the match: Lee Cattermole.Attendance: 36,940. [LNB]A moment of unexpected magic from Jonathan Spector almost brought an equaliser in the last minute of the first half. But after creating space with a drag-back and slipping past four men, the two-goal hero of the Carling Cup win over Manchester United slotted wide. [LNB]On the rare occasions they threatened Craig Gordon's net, West Ham missed. Carlton Cole dragged two efforts wide and Victor Obinna hit the outside of the post after Grant had thrown on Freddie Piquionne and Zavon Hines to play four strikers for the last 20 minutes. [LNB]West Ham's last away win in the league was the first game of last season. They are now back on the bottom of the table. Grant said: 'We did not play well in the first half and the second half was better, but this is not an easy place to play. [LNB]'I think only one team have won here all season. We have lost four in the last 12 and if we have this record for the rest of the season we will stay up. This is what we are looking at. We can close the gap if we continue to play like we have.' [LNB] [LNB] [LNB] [LNB] Peter Pannu says lost boy David Gold is welcome back to BirminghamAhead of Hammers reunion, Anton says: I'm not just Rio's younger brotherSUNDERLAND FC
