West Ham 1 Newcastle United 0

Aaron Cresswell the hero as West Ham edge past 10-man Newcastle

West Ham 1 Newcastle United 0
Aaron Cresswell 56'


West Ham's Aaron Cresswell scores past Newcastle goalkeeper Robert Elliot in the Premier League

If you cannot be good, be lucky. For long spells, West Ham searched in vain for inspiration as they tried to find a way past Newcastle United’s defence and end a run of three matches without a win. There were crosses, runs and set pieces but nothing was working.

So, instead, they settled for a fluke, shading a tight game when Cheikhou Kouyaté’s scuffed shot somehow reached Aaron Cresswell, who scored his first West Ham goal. Sam Allardyce was not complaining about a victory that lifted his side into fifth place but there was a sense of what might have been for Alan Pardew after the end of Newcastle’s six-match winning streak. His side fought bravely after losing Moussa Sissoko to a late red card.

“I have to give Aaron Cresswell a huge amount of credit,” Allardyce said. “He was quite lucky to get the chance but he never gave up on it.”

Newcastle are a different proposition from the side that was such a mess a couple of months ago. Although their squad have been stretched to the limit by a massive injury list, there was plenty to admire about their approach work before they reached the final third and their pace made them dangerous on the break, with the surging runs of Sissoko reason for encouragement. Ayoze Pérez also troubled James Collins and James Tomkins with his nimble footwork and movement, although the West Ham centre-backs stuck to their task commendably.

Both sides were crying out for a cutting edge. Newcastle’s best chance arrived in the third minute when Pérez turned sharply in the area before firing wide of the right post in the first minute, while West Ham lacked poise without the injured Alex Song, Diafra Sakho and Enner Valencia.

The temptation to seek out Andy Carroll with high, early balls was often too alluring for West Ham to resist but the striker’s main contribution in the first half was accidentally kicking Tomkins in the face. It revived memories of West Ham’s creativity crisis last season. Newcastle were coping even without their injured captain, Fabricio Coloccini, and a sign of West Ham’s frustration came when Cresswell slashed over from 30 yards early in the second half. Carroll and Stewart Downing both looked at the left-back with a mixture of anger and bemusement.

Cresswell held his hands up, shook his head and then made amends brilliantly by giving West Ham the lead in the 56th minute. Kouyaté’s mishit volley was not intended to reach Cresswell but he anticipated where it would fall and made the most of his good fortune with a slick finish past Rob Elliot with his left foot. Elliot, in goal for Newcastle because of Tim Krul’s ankle injury, had made only one save until that point but it was the break that West Ham needed, although not necessarily one they deserved.

Newcastle felt aggrieved to be behind and their day went from bad to worse when Sissoko was sent off for two bookings. First he kicked the ball away when he was penalised for pushing Tomkins – the shove caused West Ham’s defender to handle in the area – and a minute later he was walking off after fouling Carroll. Pardew shook Sissoko’s hand as he left the pitch. “Moussa was frustrated,” Pardew said. “It’s not like Moussa. He has to learn from that but he isn’t a malicious player. He’s been absolutely superb.”

West Ham then missed a host of chances to wrap up the game and, in time-honoured fashion, did their best to throw it away. There were a few anxious moments in the closing stages but it was not Newcastle’s day.