Source: Daily_Mail
West Ham 0 Stoke 1: Ricardo Fuller strikes to put Gianfranco Zola on the brink
West Ham's Barclays Premier League future is hanging by a thread after they crashed to a sixth consecutive defeat.[LNB]Stoke striker Ricardo Fuller came off the bench to score a brilliant solo goal after 69 minutes to send West Ham spiralling towards the relegation trap-door.[LNB]Hull's victory over Fulham at the KC Stadium meant West Ham's cushion has been lost with only goal difference keeping them out of the bottom three.[LNB]West Ham co-owner David Sullivan had blasted the midweek 3-1 defeat to Wolves as 'pathetic' and 'appalling' and there was little evidence of an improvement today.[LNB] Hammer blow: Ricardo Fuller celebrates after firing the winner[LNB]In an open letter to supporters Sullivan also pointed to West Ham'slack of quality players and, Scott Parker and Carlton Cole apart, thatwas clearly evident as they once again lacked passion and ideas.[LNB]Gianfranco Zola made five changes from the Wolves defeat, a couple of which raised more than a few eyebrows around Upton Park.[LNB]Mido, who came in for Benni McCarthy up front, spent most of thegame off the pace and missed a sitter while Manuel Da Costa was atfault for Fuller's goal.[LNB]Kieron Dyer came into the team but only lasted until half-time while the industrious Mark Noble was sacrificed early but Zola preserved with Mido.[LNB]Stoke, who moved up to 10th place with the victory, featured twochanges with Liam Lawrence and Mamady Sidibe both promoted into thestarting team.[LNB]It was the visitors who had the first attempt on goal after JonathanSpector's attempted clearance on the edge of the West Ham box hadcrashed against Lawrence's arm.[LNB]Referee Andre Marriner waved play-on as Lawrence pounced on the loose ball but his shot flew over the bar.[LNB] That sinking feeling: Scott Parker looks dejected as West Ham lost their sixth successive match[LNB]West Ham dealt well with Rory Delap's long throws - helped by theinstallation of some new advertising hoardings - but were less thanconvincing in defending corners and were fortunate Abdoulaye Fayesquandered two chances.[LNB]Dave Kitson's flick fell to Faye at the back post but Mido dived in at the last minute to block his shot.[LNB]When Matthew Etherington, on his first return to Upton Park sinceleaving West Ham for Stoke, whipped in another corner Faye rose highestbut directed his header wide.[LNB]Parker sparked a West Ham counter-attack with another run throughthe heart of the Stoke midfield and he slid a perfectly-weighted passthrough for Cole.[LNB]But Stoke keeper Thomas Sorenson was off his line quickly and hesmothered the chance just as Cole looked to touch the ball past him.[LNB]West Ham had 19 shots on goal against Wolves, managing only a hollowinjury-time consolation, and they were similarly profligate today.[LNB]Cole and Parker apart, West Ham lacked the quality and composure inthe final third as chances went begging, with Mido twice the guiltyparty.[LNB][LNB]Under pressure: Gianfranco Zola rallies his troops[LNB][LNB]Cole unleashed a fierce left-footed strike from the edge of the boxwhich Sorenson did well to block but Mido made a hash of the rebound.[LNB]Mido was 10 yards out and with only a sprawling keeper to beat buthe could not bring the rebound under control and it ricocheted away offhis thigh.[LNB]Parker fed Valon Behrami on the left of the Stoke box but the Swissinternational midfielder blasted his shot wide of the near post. [LNB]Dyer was replaced at half-time by Alessandro Diamanti and Stoke wereforced into a change two minutes into the second period when TuncaySanli came on for the injured Kitson.[LNB]Parker raced out of the wall to block a Robert Huth piledriver andtook the ball flush in the face but picked himself up to continue asWest Ham's heartbeat.[LNB]Cole needed treatment but continued and jinked his way into spacebefore attempting to curl a 25-yard effort round Sorenson but it hardlytroubled the Stoke keeper.[LNB]Cole was then hauled down by Glenn Whelan and Diamanti tried hisluck from 35 yards out but blasted his shot high into the Bobby MooreStand and then held up his hands in apology.[LNB]Behrami launched a counter-attack after West Ham had dealt with aStoke free-kick and he ran 70 yards but could not find space either toshoot or pick out Cole and was eventually crowded out in the box.[LNB]Fuller was sent on for Etherington and within two minutes he had scored the winner with a brilliant solo effort.[LNB]Fuller collected the long ball from Collins on the left edge of thebox, left Da Costa flailing, cut past Parker and inside Matthew Upsonbefore rifling his shot past Robert Green.[LNB]West Ham desperately chased an equaliser but fired blanks.[LNB]Cole saw a header drift just wide and Diamanti drilled a last-minutefree-kick straight into the wall - symptomatic of West Ham's lack ofquality.[LNB] Gianfranco Zola insists he won't quit West Ham after clash with SullivanStoke star Etherington calls for Zola patience as he heads back to HammersWEST HAM UNITED FC
