Hammers squeeze through

AVRAM GRANT saw his West Ham side squeeze through to an FA Cup fifth-round meeting with Burnley as new signing Robbie Keane looked on.

Prior to sealing a loan-deal to the Hammers last night, Keane was at Upton Park to see striker Victor Obinna score a hat-trick as West Ham beat Nottingham Forest 3-2.

Grant insisted he also intends to add another signing to the reinforcements he has already made to his squad before tonight’s 11pm deadline.

Gary O’Neil, Demba Ba and Wayne Bridge have all arrived at West Ham during the transfer window.

Obinna scored two goals in the first half against Forest and completed his hat-trick with a penalty in the second after Joel Lynch had brought down Winston Reid.

Grant said of Obinna: “He is a good talent. He has not played so many games in the last few years and he is developing. He will get better and better. He scored three goals but we need him to be efficient in league games.”

Dele Adebola and Dave McGoldrick scored the goals for a Forest side who were the better team for large periods of an entertaining cup tie which served to highlight West Ham’s defensive shortcomings.

Grant, however, was delighted with West Ham’s response following their Carling Cup semi-final defeat against Birmingham.

Grant said: “It was very disappointing, the result on Wednesday, especially after the first half when we thought everything was going like we wanted it to. But the most important thing is the reaction and today it was very good.

“We didn’t play well in the first half but in the second half we dominated.”

West Ham: Green, Jacobsen, Gabbidon, Reid, Ilunga, Barrera (Hines 90), Kovac, Noble (Boa Morte 74), Obinna, Sears, Piquionne (Nouble 87).

Nottm Forest: Camp, Gunter, Morgan, Chambers, Lynch, McKenna (McCleary 78), Majewski (Tyson 68), Cohen, McGugan, Adebola (Earnshaw 66), McGoldrick.

Referee: Michael Oliver (Northumberland).