MX23RW : Tuesday, March 19 05:42:35| >> :600:300021:300021:
[monks data]
Sunderland
Premier League
Mar 31, 2014 at 8pm UK
 
West Ham logo

1-2

Johnson (65')
FT(HT: 0-1)
Carroll (9'), Diame (50')

Match Analysis: Sunderland 1-2 West Ham United

Sports Mole takes a closer look at West Ham United's 2-1 victory over Sunderland on Monday night.

West Ham United beat Sunderland 3-1 on Monday night to edge another step closer to securing their Premier League status for another season.

The Hammers opened the scoring in the ninth minute thanks to Andy Carroll's header, and their advantage was doubled when Mohamed Diame beat Vito Mannone with a deflected effort in the early stages of the second half.

A dramatic finish was set up when Adam Johnson curled in a shot in the 65th minute, but Sunderland failed to add to their tally late on as West Ham held on for the win.

Below, Sports Mole takes a closer look at the match.

Match statistics

Sunderland
Shots: 25
On target: 7
Possession: 61%
Corners: 8
Fouls: 11

West Ham
Shots: 11
On target: 6
Possession: 39%
Corners: 3
Fouls: 14

Was the result fair?

For long stages of the match, it was difficult to see anything other than a West Ham win happening at the Stadium of Light. However, a fightback from Sunderland made things interesting as they searched for a positive result on a crucial night. Their pressure would probably have earned a draw on another day, and they can perhaps feel unlucky not to have claimed something from the game.

Sunderland's performance

The Black Cats needed to step up, but they were very poor in all areas during the fist half. In defence, they allowed Carroll to dominate throughout, and they were short of ideas in attack. Gus Poyet's side improved when Johnson was introduced, but a lack of creativity in the final third of the pitch proved to be costly as they struggled to turn pressure into clear chances.

West Ham's performance

Sam Allardyce's men approached the match with a clear gameplan as they happily invited pressure before attempting to launch counter-attacks at pace, with Stewart Downing at the heart of most things as he linked impressively with the dominant Carroll. Winston Reid and James Tomkins were barely troubled in defence until they conceded, but their calmness was a key factor in the victory. Overall, it was a great away performance from the Hammers.

Sports Mole's man of the match

Andy Carroll: Downing could have easily picked up this award tonight, but it was Carroll who played the most important role for the visitors. The England international held the ball up impressively, and was more than happy to run into the channels to chase down longer balls. A trademark headed goal capped off an excellent display.

Biggest gaffe

Lee Cattermole had a great opportunity to equalise for Sunderland just three minutes after they fell behind, but the midfielder lacked composure while in plenty of space as he struck a weak effort straight at Adrian from close range.

Referee performance

Howard Webb will not be a popular man in Sunderland. The hosts should have been awarded a penalty late in the first half when Kevin Nolan appeared to use his elbow to taken the ball away from John O'Shea. It looked like the referee had a clear view, so there was no excuse for not pointing to the spot.

What next?

Sunderland: Poyet's side return to action next Monday against Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane.

West Ham: The Hammers face a tricky trip to Anfield to face title chasers Liverpool on Sunday.

ID:147457: cacheID:147457:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:6063:No Data Analysis info
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Andy Carroll of West Ham celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the Barclays Premier League match between Sunderland and West Ham United at the Stadium of Light on March 31, 2014
Read Next:
West Ham edge past Sunderland
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Leeds UnitedLeeds38257670284282
2Leicester CityLeicester37264774334182
3Ipswich TownIpswich38249580493181
4Southampton36227773472673
5West Bromwich AlbionWest Brom381991059362366
6Norwich CityNorwich381871369541561
7Hull City371610115346758
8Coventry CityCoventry3715121059431657
9Preston North EndPreston37168134954-556
10Middlesbrough38166165352154
11Cardiff CityCardiff38165174351-853
12Sunderland38146184845348
13Watford381212145351248
14Bristol City38138174245-347
15Swansea CitySwansea381210164858-1046
16Millwall381110173650-1443
17Blackburn RoversBlackburn38119185164-1342
18Plymouth ArgylePlymouth381011175462-841
19Stoke CityStoke38118193553-1841
20Queens Park RangersQPR381010183650-1440
21Birmingham CityBirmingham38109194259-1739
22Huddersfield TownHuddersfield38815154261-1939
23Sheffield WednesdaySheff Weds38115223061-3138
24Rotherham UnitedRotherham38311243077-4720

Subscribe to our newsletter


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!