West Ham boost hopes of avoiding relegation with derby win at Fulham

Posted Sunday, April 09, 2023 by PA

A Harrison Reed own goal gave West Ham their first away Premier League victory since August as they saw off Fulham to ease their relegation worries.

The Hammers had been thrashed by Newcastle in midweek but recovered to win 1-0 at Craven Cottage in a low-quality affair settled by Reed’s unfortunate first-half moment.

Not since a victory at Aston Villa in their second away game of the season had the travelling West Ham fans been able to celebrate three points – although history was on their side here, having won more away fixtures against Fulham than any other Premier League team.

Those supporters, though, still lambasted manager David Moyes with chants of “you don’t know what you’re doing” during the second half.

Fulham have now lost four league games in a row as hopes of European qualification continue to drift.

Head coach Marco Silva, watching from high up in Craven Cottage’s new Riverside Stand after being hit with a two-game ban following his red card at Manchester United, will be concerned about the slide – especially with talisman Aleksandar Mitrovic still to serve six games of his eight-match ban from the same encounter.

Moyes shuffled his pack following the 5-1 loss at home to Newcastle but in truth they were once again well below their best.

Fulham were lively in the opening exchanges without testing Lukasz Fabianski in the West Ham goal.

It was the away side who broke the deadlock in a tame London derby, Reed turning a low Jarrod Bowen cross into his own goal at the midway point of the first half.

Fulham’s response was not particularly noteworthy, although Antonee Robinson hit a rising shot over the bar as the interval approached.

Bernd Leno made a fine save to prevent Danny Ings doubling the lead 10 minutes after the restart with what was West Ham’s first shot on target of the afternoon.

Moyes’ decision to replace the striker with Flynn Downes soon after was greeted with derision from the away section.

Fulham hardly rallied but did have a great chance late on as Carlos Vinicius slid in Andreas Pereira, who tried to round Fabianski only for the West Ham goalkeeper to tip the ball off the feet of the Brazilian.

The Poland international then made a more routine stop to keep out Tosin Adarabioyo’s header as the game finally opened up in the closing stages.

Bowen should have done better with a low drive only to fire straight at Leno but the Hammers saw out the remainder of the contest to seal a vital three points.