Sakho seeks capital gains



Diafra Sakho is gunning for West Ham United's London rivals, after he notched his first Barclays Premier League goal of 2015 in the first of a quartet of capital clashes against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday. 

Sakho's ninth league goal of the campaign doubled the Hammers' advantage shortly after the hour mark at White Hart Lane, after his compatriot Cheikhou Kouyate had earlier headed the visitors in front. 

But the Senegal striker's joy was short-lived as Danny Rose and, in the seventh minute of added time, Harry Kane completed an improbable Spurs revival. So while Sakho and co would have to settle for a point, the 25-year-old was still pleased to get back on the goal trail.  

"It made for a real moment," he told West Ham TV. "I'd not scored in the league [for some time] - I'd only scored in the cup. I hope as well that it's the start and that I'm going to score again in the derbies to come. 

"We know that all the games are important and we've got Palace on Saturday, when I'll be trying to score again. I hope come the end we'll have won the game." 

Sakho's strike on the day was arguably the tougher of his two second-half chances, having earlier tried and failed to beat Hugo Lloris' defences at his near post. But when Mark Noble's deep cross picked out the No15, Sakho squeezed home from the acutest of angles. 

"I'd had one earlier chance that was a lot easier that I'd missed, so there I was thinking I've at least got to hit the target," he continued. "Fortune smiled on me and I scored. 

"It's a derby and an away one too. I came here having not played in one [against Spurs]. It was great for me, as a forward, and important for me to score a goal like that against Tottenham and, for sure, I'm happy with it." 

But two points dropped in such dramatic circumstances obviously rankle with the striker, who said his side need to find a way to close out matches. The Hammers suffered a similar fate against Manchester United a fortnight ago and Sakho wants this to be the end of it. 

He added: "It's difficult to take, particularly because that's the second time [it's happened], against Manchester United as well it was the same. We lead until the last minute and then conceded. It's becoming a habit! Now it's for us to rid ourselves of it and manage the game, as a group, until the end. 

"I think we lacked a bit of concentration at the end, but that can happen at any given moment. It's down to us to make sure it no longer happens, because as a result we've lost four points over the two games. And at the end of the season, all those points are important. I think that with the performance we produced on Sunday, even though we're frustrated to have drawn it, we can still reflect on a good game overall."