West Ham went down to a narrow 1-0 loss away to Sunderland and are now bottom of the Premier League as they failed to keep a clean sheet for the 16th time on their travels. The Black Cats have always found West Ham a difficult team to beat having only been successful once in eleven league meetings prior to this afternoon's clash.
A first-half goal by Jordan Henderson proved sufficient to beat the struggling Hammers. Danny Welbeck hit the crossbar as the visitor's rarely threatened in the first half.
The win maintains Sunderland's unbeaten home record in the league as West Ham came out fighting after the break and fought hard to find an equaliser.
Sunderland move up to seventh while Avram Grant's outfit go bottom below Wolverhampton Wanderers on goal difference.
Referee: Martin Atkinson
Venue: The Stadium of Light Attendance: 36,940
Sunderland scorers: Henderson 34 West Ham scorers:
SUNDERLAND 01 Gordon 02 Bardsley 03 Richardson 05 Mensah 15 Onuoha 29 Ferdinand 06 Cattermole (yellow card) 10 Henderson (Al-Muhammadi 86) 11 Bent (Malbranque 75) 17 Welbeck 33 Gyan (Zenden 90+1)
Substitutes 22 Mignolet, 12 Angeleri, 14 Da Silva, 07 Zenden, 08 Malbranque, 16 Riveros, 27 Al-Muhammadi
WEST HAM 01 Green 03 Ben-Haim (Faubert 83) 04 Gabbidon 05 Tomkins 15 Upson 18 Spector 07 Dyer (Piquionne 69) 08 Parker (yellow card) 13 Boa Morte (yellow card) (Hines 69) 09 Cole (yellow card) 33 Obinna
Substitutes 29 Stech, 02 Reid, 20 Faubert, 12 Barrera, 14 Kovac, 26 Hines, 30 Piquionne
