Ashton strike lifts West Ham’s hopes

DEAN ASHTON provided the cutting edge that turned a scrappy game into three points for a West Ham side that has now lost just once in eight matches.

The England hopeful, whose last 18 months have been wrecked by injuries, the most recent a knee problem, came off the bench to replace Matthew Etherington at half-time to score the only goal of the game six minutes after the restart.

The visitors had dominated the opening period but a lack of cohesion between Carlton Cole and Luis Boa Morte meant that they could not take full advantage until Ashton turned in George McCartney’s low cross.