Sunderland 0 West Ham 1

Behrami, playing on the left wing for a change, should have had two goals for West Ham in the first half but ended up with only one. Sunderland started the game the brighter of the two teams but did not create much in the way of chances.

West Ham themselves didn't look too threatening in possession and, as seems normal these days, frightened to put the ball in the opposition's box. However in the 19th minute West Ham won a free-kick on the right wing. For a change West Ham decided against passing the ball back from a forward position to midfield then to the defence and then finally to the keeper. For a change they decided to cross the ball into the box. The ball was cleared to Behrami on the edge of the box. He made room for himself to shoot and his low shot through the penalty area was deflected into the back of the net.

Sunderland almost hit back immediately when Cisse rose unchallenged for a header just six yards out but his header flew wide. For the last ten minutes of the half Sunderland created a bit of pressure on the West Ham box without really creating any clear cut chances and the best chance of the half actually fell to West Ham.

With Sunderland attacking, West Ham hoofed the ball clear from defence. Ferdinand tried to control the ball but lost it and Bellamy's pace allowed him to leave Ferdinand for dead. Bellamy ended up rounding the keeper and passing the ball back for the onrushing Behrami. However from 5 yards Behrami blasted the ball against the crossbar.

In the second half it was nearly all one way traffic, with Sunderland dominating possession and territory. However West Ham set up camp in front of their own box and largely forced Sunderland to knock balls into the box from deep. This tactic worked well for West Ham as Upson and particular Collins won nearly everything in the air.

The only save that I can remember Green having to make was in the 83rd minute when Whitehead managed a back flicked header from 8 yrds but Green managed to save the ball well.

With neither trainer having had to come on the pitch once and the game having flowed non-stop in the second half West Ham had to endure a few more minutes of defending when the fourth official conjured up four minutes extra time from nowhere. But West Ham held out to get their first win in eight games.