Source: Daily_Mail
West Ham 1 Sunderland 0: Ilan is the toast of Upton Park after firing Hammers to first win in eight
[LNB]From the self-proclaimed 'Academy of Football' came a lesson in winning ugly.[LNB]Gianfranco Zola said he is a stubborn man but it seems the West Ham manager has finally abandoned his purist principles in favour of earning precious Barclays Premier League points.[LNB]It was a simple long free-kick from Manuel da Costa, a flicked header from Carlton Cole and an astute finish from Ilan that wrapped up three points against Sunderland.[LNB]It was route one stuff but it worked.[LNB] Priceless: Ilan (left) fires West Ham's winner[LNB] [LNB]'For me, that's all West Ham had,' said Sunderland manager Steve Bruce.[LNB]MATCH FACTS WEST HAM (4-4-2): Green 6; Faubert 6, Upson 6, Da Costa 6, Spector 6; Stanislas 5 (Franco 74min, 5), Kovac 6, Noble 8, Behrami 7; Ilan 6 (Daprela 90), Cole 6. Booked: Spector.[LNB]SUNDERLAND (4-4-2): Gordon 5; Ferdinand 6, Turner 5, Da Silva 6 (Benjani 88), Richardson 6; Henderson 6, Cattermole 7, Meyler 6 (Jones 63, 6), Malbranque 5 (Zenden 72, 6); Campbell 6, Bent 6. Booked: Gordon, Campbell, Cattermole.[LNB]Man of the match: Mark Noble.Referee: Mike Jones. [LNB]'I'm angry at the goal we gave away. We spoke about it at half-time.A big kick up the pitch to Cole, a flick-on and we didn't deal with it.That's unforgivable in the Premier League.'[LNB]Zola said: 'The team has found new belief and (a new) way. We are just getting the best out of that.[LNB]'We changed the way from last year a little bit. Last year wefound a way of playing nice football and getting results. This year, weare working more as a team, more defensively. We are getting thepoints.'[LNB]Left back Jonathan Spector agreed with his manager, saying: 'We knowwe need to work harder, to fight and to battle because it's coming downto the last few games.[LNB]Happy Hammers: West Ham hail Ilan's strike[LNB]'When we can we need to play our football but you've got to do the ugly things first. Once we do that we can play from there.'[LNB]In the absence of the influential Scott Parker, who served the firstof League a two-match suspension for picking up 10 yellow cards, WestHam opted to bypass the midfield wherever possible. [LNB]However, it was Mark Noble who shone in Parker's central midfieldposition. The 22-year-old's tackling was well timed and committed, andhe fed the ball forward with some style.[LNB]All smiles: West Ham are now four points clear of the relegation zone[LNB] [LNB]Zola's decision to give his players three days off after their sixthconsecutive defeat has certainly been vindicated. West Ham have pickedup four points in their two games since taking some time out.[LNB]With Burnley beating Hull City on Saturday, the Hammers are fourpoints above the relegation zone with four games to play. Carlton Colesaid: 'Sometimes you need a little break to get out from the turbulence.[LNB]'We had a lot of stuff thrown at us, which is sometimes unfair, but sometimes you need it as well.[LNB][LNB]'You need some criticism to progress, and I think we are on the route to doing what we set out to do over the next games.'[LNB]Bruce criticised referee Mike Jones, who had a poor game.Sunderland were stopped from taking an early free-kick after a WestHam effort had been dubiously disallowed for handball against GuillermoFranco.[LNB]With the West Ham players off celebrating, Sunderland would have hadevery chance of an equaliser, but Jones felt this would have been'unsporting'.[LNB]Bruce said: 'The poor decisions were just one after the other afterthe other. We can all play badly but he had a shocker today, you haveto say. You have to be honest.'[LNB]West Ham's win confirmed Portsmouth's relegation, and Zola added: 'Iam sorry for them. I feel for Avram Grant and his players but that ispart of football. I have to think about my life and still I am notsafe.'[LNB] Fabio Capello's debt to Tony Carr's West Ham production lineFulham boss Hodgson looks in the clear over 'weak team' complaintWEST HAM UNITED FC
