Hammers in another Upton Park nightmare

West Ham 1, Leeds 4 (half-time)

West Ham suffered another Upton Park nightmare as they conceded four first-half goals and were booed off the pitch by their fans.

Harry Kewell struck twice and Nick Barmby and Mark Viduka scored one each as Leeds took full advantage of West Ham’s dismal home record in a tense clash at Upton Park.

Barmby gave Leeds the lead after 11 minutes with the 50th League goal of his career. Ian Pearce’s back-header sold David James short, Kewell lobbed the stranded goalkeeper and Barmby scored with a diving header into an empty net from five yards.

The Hammers equalised after 19 minutes when Michael Carrick’s fierce drive from 25 yards was parried by Paul Robinson and skipper Paolo di Canio pounced to tuck home the loose ball from six yards.

But Kewell restored the visitors’ advantage after 27 minutes when he rose highest on the edge of the six-yard box to meet Ian Harte’s corner from the left and scored with a header inside the far post.

Kewell grabbed his second, and Leeds’ third, after 40 minutes when West Ham again failed to clear a Harte corner and he fired home an angled drive from 12 yards.

West Ham’s luck deserted them again in injury time as James rushed out to clear the ball from a loose back pass from Christian Dailly and it rebounded off Viduka and ran towards an empty net.

Viduka had all the time in the world to slide the ball home and effectively seal the three points with half the game completed.

West Ham twice went close when first Carrick’s drive was charged down by Teddy Lucic, and then Robinson blocked di Canio’s close-range flick after a good run and cross from Steve Lomas after 25 minutes.

But the Hammers again shot themselves in the foot by conceding a second goal, as this time Kewell was allowed to get in a free header.

It came after 27 minutes when Harte sent in a left-wing corner to the near post and Kewell rose highest to head the ball inside the far post from the edge of the six-yard box.

James again came to the rescue after 31 minutes when he beat away Lee Bowyer’s near post shot.

The loose ball fell for Kewell, but he scooped his shot high and wide.

Feelings were running high and there was a running battle between Repka and Viduka, which resulted in both players being booked after 36 minutes.

Repka has a reputation for being hot-headed, and he needed to keep his temper under control if he was going to last the full 90 minutes.

Things did get worse for West Ham as they conceded a third goal five minutes before the break.

Harte took a corner from the right, and Kewell almost scored with another header, but this time James blocked it on the line. However, the ball was not properly cleared and it was Kewell who did fire home an angled drive from 12 yards.

Kewell was sniffing for his hat-trick and tried his luck after 44 minutes when Viduka teed him up from 25 yards, but James pushed the ball to safety.

But West Ham’s luck deserted them in injury time as James rushed out to clear the ball following a stray backpass from Christian Dailly and it rebounded off Viduka and ran towards an empty net.

The Australian had all the time in the world to slide the ball home and effectively seal the three points with half the game completed.

Upton Park was a sombre place as the half-time whistle sounded, and the home fans chanted: “What a load of rubbish.”