Premiership: Hammers fight for valuable away point

Derby 0 West Ham 0

This was the sort of away clash which West Ham were once guaranteed to lose, but new signing Don Hutchison’s added grit helped Glenn Roeder’s side come away from Pride Park with a point.

Roeder will remained concerned at the lack of goals - the Hammers have yet to score from open play in three Premiership games this season - but at least the Londoners did not leave empty-handed.

This was a clash between West Ham’s exciting ball-players and the no-nonsense men of Derby who have kept the Rams in the top flight for six seasons now under Jim Smith.

All eyes were on Hutchison, bought by Hammers boss Roeder for £5million from Sunderland to replace Frank Lampard, and he provided some muscle at the heart of the Hammers’ midfield which they often missed even when Lampard was there.

He could even have had a goal, but just could not was unable to reach a quick free-kick from Paolo di Canio, and might have won a penalty when he appeared to be held back in the first half but did not even appeal.

However, the Hammers would have been content with a point despite dominating the play, especially as it was their keeper Shaka Hislop who was the busier keeper.

Indeed, Derby must have been rueing the saves he made to deny Fabrizio Ravanelli on two occasions and Craig Burley late on.

West Ham had cause to be grateful to Hutchison as early as the fourth minute, when he dived in to rob Deon Burton just as the Derby striker was poised to shoot from 20 yards out.

Frederic Kanoute, recovered from a hamstring injury, then sent shivers down Derby spines with a piece of sublime trickery which so nearly opened the scoring.

The leggy French striker loped onto a hopeful punt forward by Rigobert Song before fooling Danny Higginbotham by feinting to cross.

As the defender backed off, Kanoute struck a left-foot shot from a difficult angle which clipped the crossbar.

Joe Cole was playing in the left midfield position many believe will be his future role for England, but came inside frequently and it was from one of these runs that he linked with Carrick before thumping a shot into keeper Andy Oakes’ midriff.

Burton, starting instead of the hamstrung Malcolm Christie, should have done much better when Derby broke away in the 20th minute, presented with a clear run on goal on the left after Giorgi Kinkladze and Seth Johnson had opened up the Hammers’ defence.

But the striker tried a first-time cross to Ravanelli instead and the opportunity went begging.

Cole, cutting inside, struck another promising shot from 20 yards but this time his effort bounced just wide of the post.

In the three minutes before half-time, Ravanelli was presented with two golden opportunities but was denied by Hislop on both occasions.

First, Burley robbed Carrick and set Burton free, charging down the right.

This time his cross landed perfectly for the Italian but Hislop came swooping out of his goal to block the first-time shot.

In first-half injury time, Hislop denied the Italian again, grabbing his header at point-blank range after Kinkladze’s cross.

Immediately after the break, Hutchison nearly capitalised on some quick thinking by di Canio, after the Hammers skipper took a free-kick early to pick out the new signing’s run across goal.

Luckily for Derby, it was just in front of the midfielder and he could not get a proper touch.

After 56 minutes, Hislop came to the rescue again to prevent a Nigel Winterburn own goal.

Ravanelli’s run threw the Hammers into panic and when Winterburn attempted a clearance it struck Sebastien Schemmel and bounced towards the goal-line, only for Hislop to dive down and scoop it safety.

The Hammers had been guilty of over-elaborating in attack but Michael Carrick, who had an accomplished game, finally won space to try a shot from just inside the area which curled just away from the angle of post and bar.

Another great chance, though, again fell to Derby and the Hammers were once again grateful to Hislop for racing off his line to block Burley’s side-footed shot with his legs.

With a minute remaining, substitute Jermain Defoe, on for di Canio, toe-poked wide when presented with a clear opening eight yards out.