Captain scores crucial winner once again

Bilic
Mark Noble scored the decisive winner for the second consecutive game to help West Ham record a crucial 1-0 win over Hull and make it back-to-back victories at London Stadium.

Slaven Bilic admitted the Club's season could turn around with two home wins over Burnley and Hull and that proved to be the case as Noble stole the headlines once again with another match-winning goal.

The Hammers manager will know his side were fortunate to come away with all three points after Hull hit the woodwork three times and saw a header cleared off the line.

But the players still showed the character to come away with a priceless victory after Michail Antonio was brought down inside the area by Tom Huddlestone and Noble made no mistake firing the spot-kick into the corner of the net.

It was the first time West Ham had secured back-to-back victories since April when they beat Watford and West Brom and Bilic will be hoping this will be the perfect confidence boost as the Hammers prepare for a busy festive period.

Former Hammers favourite Joe Cole and Hollywood star James Corden were in the crowd to see the victory and enjoyed their first visits to London Stadium.

Bilic was hoping to see his side record consecutive victories for the first time this season, but they struggled to find their best form and were fortunate to go in at half-time on level terms.

Hull could have opened the scoring on 19 minutes when Dieumerci Mbokani picked up the ball on the edge of the box and turned Cheikhou Kouyate before dragging a shot wide of the post.

Mbokani came even closer sixty seconds later following a poor backpass from Aaron Cresswell.

The Hull forward picked up the loose ball and struck ball past Darren Randolph, but his effort came back off the inside of the post.

The Hammers keeper had to be at his best to keep his side in the game on 24 minutes.

Robert Snodgrass corner picked out Harry Maguire who rose the highest in the box and saw his close-range header produce a superb save from Randolph diving away to his left.

Bilic knew he needed to do something at half-time to change the game around and made a double substitution bringing on Andre Ayew and Edimilson Fernandes to replace Manuel Lanzini and Obiang.

But Hull continued to create the best openings and were twice denied by the woodwork in the opening 15 minutes of the second half.

Andrew Roberton's cross on 58 minutes was turned against his own post by Mark Noble's diving header.

And just just two minutes later Robertson burst his way into the area and saw his powerful shot strike the post once again.

The Hammers finally woke up and could have broken the deadlock against the run of play on 64 minutes when Ayew saw his header cleared off the line by Robertson.

Hull must have sensed it was not going to be their day after Maguire saw his header cleared off the line by Fernandes.

And that proved to be the case as Noble scored the crucial winner on 75 minutes after Michail Antonio had been brought down inside the box by Huddlestone.

After missing from the spot against Burnley on Wednesday night, Noble made no mistake this time around sending David Marshall the wrong way.

Both Payet and Antonio had chances to seal the victory late in the game, but the Hammers held on for another crucial three points as they look to force their way into the top half of the table.

 

West Ham: Randolph, Reid, Cresswell, Kouyate, Carroll, Lanzini (Ayew 46), Obiang (Fernandes 46), Noble, Ogbonna, Payet (Nordtveit 90), Antonio

Subs not used: Adrian, Feghouli, Fletcher, Quina

Bookings: Obiang, Noble

Hull City: Marshall, Robertson, Maguire, Davies, Huddlestone (Bowen 86), Snodgrass, Clucas, Livermore (Henriksen 69), Mbokani (Diomande 69), Dawson, Elmohamady

Subs not used: Jakupovic, Meyler, Maloney, Weir

Bookings: Livermore, Dawson, Henriksen, Maguire

Referee: Lee Mason

Attendance: 56,952