West Ham United boss Gianfranco Zola highlighted the performance of Radoslav Kovac after victory over Portsmouth.

Kovac and Scott Parker ran the midfield for West Ham in the crucial triumph.

"I must mention Kovac, who was outstanding," Zola told whufc.com. "The last two games he has been incredible. I was more delighted than him, trust me. The goal was the final touch but the whole game was massive. He was digging in.

"It was a fantastic win. Massive I tell you, I rated this as a six-point game. Because it was so important for the table, for the morale, to give a bit of consistency and for the crowd. I'm pleased the boys won it with a lot of character and it will be a big boost for everybody."