West Bromwich Albion 1-0 West Ham United
Barclays Premier League
West Ham United are still yet to secure their Barclays Premier League safety after falling to a 1-0 defeat at West Bromwich Albion on Saturday.
Saido Berahino's eleventh minute goal was enough to settle the match in West Brom's favour as the Baggies claimed the points they so desperately needed.
The Hammers made a bright start, but faded as the game went on and could not find a way past Ben Foster in the home goal.
The Hammers welcomed Guy Demel back into the starting line-up after he missed out last week with illness,and the Londoners started brightly as they looked to put the Baggies under early pressure.
With six minutes on the clock Stewart Downing delivered a corner from the right which dropped for Kevin Nolan at the far post. He held the ball up with his back to goal and Andy Carroll rammed the ball goalwards but Ben Foster stood up to block.
It looked as though West Ham were settling the quicker, but they fell behind with eleven minutes on the clock as Stephane Sessegnon made his way through the midfield too easily and slipped the ball through to Morgan Amalfitano. He spotted Berahino in the box and picked him out for a simple tap-in.
West Ham tried to respond through Carroll, who came so close with a 19th minute header following Downing's cross, but Foster got across brilliantly to parry the ball to safety.
At the other end Albion were a whisker away from a second on 26 minutes when Amalfitano delivered another dangerous cross from the right and Billy Jones headed a couple of feet wide.
Both teams had good chances in a frantic 30th minute as first Guy Demel was denied by Foster, then West Brom broke and Graham Dorrans should really have done better than drag his shot wide when he made space for himself on the edge of the box.
1-0 was how it stood at the break, but it should really have been two on the hour when an Albion break left West Ham exposed. The Hammers escaped when Berahino first could not get his feet sorted, then when the ball came back to him, he fired straight at Adrian.
The Baggies were really forcing the issue by now and Berahino was in the thick of the action again moments later when Mulumbu's off target fell to his feet. It was a sharp chance, but he couldn't bring the ball under his spell and Adrian pounced.
West Ham were being frustrated in their attacking efforts, but they were within the width of the crossbar of equalising on 71 minutes when Carroll rose unchallenged to meet Matt Jarvis' corner but sent his header crashing against the woodwork.
Adrian had to dive down to his right to turn Sessegnon's low volley to safety, and the Hammers introduced Carlton Cole from the bench, but there was to be no response from the Hammers as they slipped to a fourth straight loss.
West Bromwich Albion: Foster; Reid (Morrison 45), Dawson, Olsson, Jones; Mulumbu, Dorrans; Amalfitano, Sessegnon (Anichebe 81), Brunt; Berahino (Yacob 90)
Subs: Myhill, Lugano, Vydra, Thievy
Goal: Berahino 11
West Ham United: Adrian; Demel, Tomkins (Collins 33), Reid, McCartney; Nolan, Noble, Diame; Downing (J.Cole 67), Carroll, Jarvis (C.Cole 79)
Subs: Jaaskelainen, Armero, Vaz Te, Nocerino
Booked: Collins
Referee: Mike Dean