West Ham beat Black Cats

West Ham battled past a resilient Sunderland side 3-1 thanks to goals from Carlton Cole, an own goal by Craig Gordon and Craig Bellamy. Nolberto Solano made his debut and impressed for the Hammers, who ended their three match winless streak.

Carlton Cole scored early on but then Sunderland hit back at the start of the second half through Kenwyne Jones, only for Gordon's own goal and a late Bellamy strike to seal it for the Hammers, who move up to 10th in the table while Sunderland drop down to 16th.

After 9 minutes Hayden Mullins' ball found George McCartney down the left and the former Sunderland defender's cross was expertly nodded home by Cole in the six-yard box.

Jones got a deserved equaliser with a superb leap and a firm header into the bottom corner and his aerial threat was soon evident again as he flicked on Gordon's punt downfield.

But it was a substitution from Alan Curbishley that led to the winning goal, in the most unfortunate of circumstances for Sunderland.

Solano replaced Noble and clinically pounced on a loose ball inside the area.

As Gordon lay on the turf having seen the former Newcastle midfielder's cool effort come back off the woodwork, the ball connected with his outstretched right foot and rolled agonisingly into the net.

In the dying minutes Luis Boa Morte broke down the left and crossed for Bellamy to flick home at the near post and give the scoreline an unfair reflection.

Sunderland boss Roy Keane said: "Annoyed would be an understatement.

"You make your own luck and we've got to stop giving away bad goals.

"I made a mistake with the three in midfield but changed it and we got the goal back. I always thought the next goal was going to win it."