A James Beattie brace helped Stoke beat West Ham 2-1 and heap more pressure on Gianfranco Zola.
Beattie nets twice, Upson gets goal for Hammers
A James Beattie brace helped Stoke beat West Ham 2-1 at the Britannia Stadium and heap more pressure on under-fire boss Gianfranco Zola.
Beattie put the Potters ahead from the spot-kick in the 11th minute - his first goal of the season - after Julien Faubert brought down Matthew Etherington in the box.
But the Hammers were level on 34 minutes when Matthew Upson rose unmarked to head home a Mark Noble corner from the left.
In the second period, Thomas Sorensen had to save twice to deny Alessandro Diamanti before Beattie got the winner in the 69th minute against the run of play.
His goal came after Ricardo Fuller got round Upson on the right and his shot could only be parried by keeper Robert Green, with Beattie then outmuscling Faubert to tap in at the far post.
His strikes ended a run of four Premier League matches, which included successive home defeats to Chelsea and Manchester United, without a win for the Potters.
It was also only their second victory in 14 matches against West Ham, who themselves have not won since the opening day of the season and are only one place off the bottom of the Premier League.
That former Hammers winger Etherington, who left Upton Park in January, should have a major part in the breakthrough was no surprise.
Go down
He played a one-two with Fuller, whose backheel sent him racing into the penalty area only to go down under a challenge from Faubert.
Referee Martin Atkinson pointed to the spot and booked Faubert, and Beattie confidently dispatched the penalty.
West Ham's response saw Diamanti, who was struggling to cope with the physical opposition put up by Stoke, fire well over from 30 yards.
The Italian's theatrical response to a tackle from Salif Diao earned the Senegal midfielder a booking and West Ham a 30-yard free-kick in a central position.
However, Diamanti curled his shot straight at Sorensen, who caught it comfortably.
England goalkeeper Green almost embarrassed himself in the 31st minute at the other end when his duffed kick only just crept past Beattie five yards in front of him.
But it was another England international, Upson, who grabbed West Ham's equaliser three minutes later.
No-one tracked the centre-back's run from the edge of the penalty area and he was able to head home Noble's in-swinging left-wing corner unchallenged.
Second period
West Ham came out after the break visibly more confident and Diamanti was first to test Sorensen with a curling left-footed shot which the Dane saved low to his right.
Ryan Shawcross had two chances to put his side in front again from Etherington's corner, first with a header which was blocked two yards off the line by Radoslav Kovac and then with his follow-up which he stabbed wide.
The England Under-21 centre-back, who was outstanding all afternoon, then produced a perfectly-timed challenge at the other end to block Carlton Cole's shot.
Stoke then went ahead again in the 69th minute thanks to the invention and pace of Fuller and the strength of Beattie.
Fuller turned Upson 35 yards from goal and raced down the inside-right channel before unleashing a shot which Green could only parry and that allowed Beattie to out-muscle Faubert and score from close range at the far post.
Robert Huth was lucky to escape without any punishment after appearing to swing an arm at Upson, who was already carrying a facial injury from an accidental boot in the face during the first half.
Etherington should have made it 3-1 in the 76th minute, after substitute Liam Lawrence had battled his way through two challenges in the penalty area, but the winger's far-post header went wide.
Zavon Hines was introduced for Diamanti but his first contribution was to be booked for a late lunge on Lawrence.
Late on Fuller almost produced a carbon copy of his assist for the second goal but this time his cross rolled through the six-yard area with no team-mate close.
