On this day - 22 March

Classic match

Coventry City 1-3 West Ham United
Premier League
22 March 1997

Having slipped into the Premier League's relegation zone just four games previously, West Ham United were aware of the need to continue a run of promising form when they travelled to the Midlands to take on Coventry City.

Five points from three games against top half sides Chelsea, Aston Villa and Wimbledon had lifted the Hammers back up to 16th in the table and they rose a further position with this eye-catching victory against another side in the fight at the wrong end of the table.

Harry Redknapp's team had to recover from the blow of falling a goal behind to Dion Dublin's ninth-minute strike, but they battled back in style to be ahead by the break.

John Hartson notched the equaliser with 27 minutes played before Rio Ferdinand chipped in with his second of two goals for the club seven minutes later.

Hartson, who joined the Hammers earlier that month from Arsenal, made the points safe four minutes after the interval, getting his Boleyn Ground career off to a successful start witht the brace making it three goals in five games for his new club.

Although the Hammers were to go winless for the next three games - a run that dropped them back into danger - successive victories against Leicester City and Sheffield Wednesday would leave them safe by the season's end, four places but only two points clear of relegation.

Complete record - 22 March

1920 Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 West Ham United (Division Two)
1924 Everton 2-1 West Ham United (Division One)
1926 Notts County 1-1 West Ham United (Division One)
1930 West Ham United 3-0 Leeds United (Division One)
1947 Birmingham City 3-0 West Ham United (Division Two)
1952 West Ham United 3-1 Nottingham Forest (Division Two)
1958 West Ham United 2-0 Grimsby Town (Division Two)
1975 Sheffield United 3-2 West Ham United (Division One)
1977 Ipswich Town 4-1 West Ham United (Division One)
1980 West Ham United 2-3 Fulham (Division Two)
1983 Manchester United 2-1 West Ham United (Division One)
1986 West Ham United 1-0 Sheffield Wednesday (Division One)
1989 Norwich City 3-1 West Ham United (FA Cup sixth round replay)
1997 Coventry City 1-3 West Ham United (Premier League)
2003 West Ham United 2-0 Sunderland (Premier League)
2008 Everton 1-1 West Ham United (Premier League)
2014 West Ham United 0-2 Manchester United (Premier League)

Played 17, Won 6, Drawn 2, Lost 9, Scored 24, Conceded 28