Paul Disappointed

Paul Goddard admits that West Ham fell for two "sucker punches" in the defeat at Gillingham on Saturday.

"Good luck to Gillingham, they have worked their socks off but we were the fall guys - we have fallen for a couple of sucker punches," he admits.

Paul feels the defeat was for different reasons than the one against Rotherham - the only other reverse of the season - and explains: "It was slightly different; a disappointing performance and result but it all accumulated round the first goal, really, then Jermain obviously showed some indiscipline and got himself sent off.

"It is very important we don't allow an intimidating crowd and team get to us as we did on Saturday; we have lost because of that.

"He has been told how disappointed we are, and I am sure he will get more words; we have a disciplinary procedure and I am sure that will be part of it.

"Jermain has had a tough little period of time just lately but these things happen as a footballer and he has got to get his head round things and back to what he can really do.

"He has got to realise that he is a marked man in this league now and defenders and crowds are going to want to see him fail - he has got to be mature and take it on his shoulders when decisions go against him.

"He has to learn to deal with it; that is part of his development and unfortunately he has had to learn the hard way and it has hurt us badly. Trevor has said his piece to him, and I am sure more will be said.

"The service wasn't great but you get games like that and although we weren't playing fantastically well we felt we weren't intoo many problems until Tomas gave that free-kick away, showed dissent, and it was moved on 10 yards.

"That was vital and the boy bent a great free kick in. It probably wasn't a free kick, but the referee gave it.

"It certainly wasn't a booking but Tomas has ended up getting booked because he picked the boy up and these are things that we can't have happen.

"We have got to show discipline because everywhere we go the crowd is looking for us to fail and want us to fall on our face."

Paul does feel that Tomas has been having a good season, however, and adds: "Tomas has been super lately; he has slotted in at right back and I thought he was having a decent game on Saturday as well.

"But he has to be dealt with and he has got to learn - and we have to learn as a group of people - that we can't afford to have performances like that.

"The second goal, a ricochet, just summed the afternoon up, really - then with 10 men, chasing the game, you are asking too much."

Paul is hoping Neil Mellor can return to action sonoer rather than later, and says: "Without doubt he would have been a handy player for us on Saturday but he went down with a sore throat - we could have done with a bit of presence up there and I don't know if he will be back for Cardiff.

"We will see how he recovers from the medicine he has got."