West Ham United 5 Burnley 3- match report
28 Nov 2009 - 17:24:15
West Ham United scored five goals for the first time under Gianfranco Zola to secure only their second home win of the season against Burnley.
But after relinquishing two-goal leads against Sunderland and Hull in recent weekes, they showed they have to score a considerable number of goals to make certain of the points.
Related ArticlesPremier League tablePremier League actionPremier League fixturesSport on televisionJack Collison and Junior Stanislas gave West Ham the early advantage before Carlton Cole converted a 43rd minute penalty.
Guillermo Franco continued the rout soon after the interval before Luis Jimenez scored West Ham's fifth from the game's second penalty. Steven Fletcher's two late goals and another in added time from Chris Eagles made for a nervous finale.
But Burnley finished with 10 men after Steven Caldwell was sent off in added time, for a professional foul on Zavon Hines.
The game began in lively fashion yet it was Burnley who look most likely to open the scoring before Collison's 18th minute goal.
In the fifth minute Robert Green, the West Ham goalkeeper, blocked a shot from Andre Bikey with his chest and then Chris Eagles delivered a dangerous cross but there wsa nobody available to convert.
Soon afterwards Clarke Carlisle was denied when his solid header, from an Eagles corner, was cleared off the line by Scott Parker, the West Ham captain.
But West Ham responded positively, firstly when Collison's cross was headed against the cross bar by Franco and, secondly, when Collison scored.
The goal was a touch cruel on Burnley, but they were caught out by the quick thinking of Parker. The midfielder was fouled by Wade Elliott and he took the kick immediately, his ball catching Burnley's defence by surprise and dropping invitingly to Collison, who finished with ease.
And seven minutes later Herita Ilunga offered Franco the chance to add a second but the Mexican international's header dipped just over the cross bar.
The pressure continued with Parker shooting over before the second goal, in the 34th minute. Franco chested the ball down before sending Stanislas through and, after his first attempt was blocked by Burnley goalkeeper Brian Jensen, then midfielder was successful with the rebound from an acute angle.
And with three minutes of the first half remaining, Burnley's Robbie Blake brought down Jonathan Spector and Carlton Cole converted the kick for his seventh goal of the season.
Having relinquished two-goal leads against Sunderland and Hull in recent weeks, the crowd were relieved to see a third. But Cole, injured before the penalty, failed to emerge for the second half, with Zavon Hines his replacement.
And within seven minutes of the re-start, West Ham scored their fourth and again it came from a free-kick. Stanislas's kick was weighted perfectly and Franco caught the Burnley defence out with a low header.
Burnley made a double substitution with David Nugent and Christian Kalvanes introduced, but it was West Ham who continued to control affairs and in the 64th minute substitute Jiminez, having been upended by Jensen, converted the game's second penalty.
Eagles set up Fletcher twice, in the 68th and 74th minutes, provoking closing nerves but the goals were of little consolation for Burnley, who had Caldwell dismissed before Eagles claimed Burnley's third.
