West Ham 1-0 SunderlandDiafra Sakho 88
The new Sunderland manager Dick Advocaat urges on his side against West Ham United at Villa Park.
Dick Advocaat has been around long enough to know that football is a cruel game. It had looked like Advocaat’s first game in charge of Sunderland was going to end in a dull stalemate here and there had been a few encouraging signs for his new side, a missed chance here, a flowing move there.
Sunderland had also shown resilience in defence throughout a tight second half, until that crucial moment, with two minutes left, when Mark Noble lifted a pass over the top and Diafra Sakho drilled a low finish past Costel Pantilimon from the right of the area.
Relief for West Ham, Sakho’s goal ending their search for a first win since 18 January, but agony for Sunderland. Advocaat has eight games to secure their Premier League status and it will not be straightforward.
While the intrigue over what approach Advocaat would adopt for his first match was considerable given that the latest Dutch manager to join a Premier League club has not had long to familiarise himself with his new squad, it was clear that Sunderland simply could not afford a first half as wretched as last Saturday’s farcical offering against Aston Villa. It was an afternoon when Sunderland’s players suffered a collective loss of application and discipline, allowing Villa to score four times before half-time, and it was the final nail in Gus Poyet’s coffin.
Yet Advocaat does not lack self-belief. There were a few raised eyebrows when it emerged that Adam Johnson was on the bench after his club suspension was lifted following his arrest on suspicion of sexual activity with a 15-year-old girl – cue tasteless chants from both sets of supporters – and on the pitch Sunderland were adventurous, with Connor Wickham dangerous in his roving role behind a front two of Steven Fletcher and Jermain Defoe.
It was an attack that had the potential to unnerve a West Ham defence that had Cheikhou Kouyaté, who is primarily a midfielder, alongside James Collins at the heart of it because of injuries to Winston Reid and James Tomkins and Sunderland twice threatened to take an early lead, Wickham’s volley stinging the palms of Adrián and Defoe firing over after beating a rickety offside trap. You would have put your house on Defoe scoring as he drew back his right foot and prepared to shoot, but it was a poor miss from the former West Ham striker, one that betrayed Sunderland’s anxiety.
Another problem for the visitors had to overcome was Wes Brown limping off in the 12th minute. Brown was replaced in the centre of their defence by Santiago Vergini, who was soon shanking a clearance out of play and then losing a battle of strength with Sakho.
West Ham began to create chances. Sunderland’s 4-3-1-2 formation meant that there was space on the flanks and West Ham almost opened the scoring with a winger-to-winger goal, Matt Jarvis inches away from connecting with Stewart Downing’s fizzing low centre from the right.
Pantilimon also had to be at his best to push away Alex Song’s volley from 25 yards and when Aaron Cresswell swung in a cross from the left, Sakho’s glancing header just wide. Pantilimon was at full stretch, but he was not getting there, and half of the ground thought that was in.
At least a goalless first half represented progress of sorts for Sunderland, but a team in their position needed more. They had started the match knowing that Burnley and Leicester City had already lost and this was a chance to construct a valuable cushion between themselves and the bottom three.
Advocaat also had the satisfaction of seeing Allardyce make a substitution at half-time, recognition, perhaps, that Sunderland’s plan was working. Jarvis, who promises much but produces little, was replaced by Carlton Cole as West Ham sought to beef up their attack and soon Sakho was sending another header wide.
However, West Ham have misplaced the spark that had made them contenders for a European spot at Christmas. While their performances have been encouraging on the whole, their results have dipped since the turn of the year and they have sunk into mid-table, their season rather grinding to a halt of late.
Upton Park was a frustrated place at times and the discontent was audible when Kevin Nolan sent a pass astray.
Not much was happening. Johnson was introduced to loud boos with 17 minutes left, but it was Sakho who had the last word.
Guardian
