Nolan delivers and Hammers go joint top

WEST HAM moved level with Southampton at the top of the npower Championship with a 1-0 win over Coventry yesterday.

Although they were not at their best, the Hammers got the breakthrough in the 66th minute when Kevin Nolan took advantage of poor defending to finish from close range. And that was enough for West Ham to join the Saints on 47 points as seconds after Nolan’s goal, Jake Forster-Caskey pounced on an error from Kelvin Davies to put Brighton 1-0 up against Southampton en route to a 3-0 win.

Matthew Sparrow doubled the lead in the 76th minute and then scored again four minutes from time to sink Southampton, who suffered a second straight defeat, having had Rickie Lambert sent off for the first time in his career following a clash with Adam El-Abd in the second-half. Brighton also finished with 10 men following the late dismissal of Gordon Greer.