Beattie piles pressure onto Roeder

West Ham 0 Southampton 1

James Beattie heaped more pressure onto Glenn Roeder's shoulders with an injury-time goal to give Southampton a 1-0 win at West Ham.

Defeat leaves the Hammers rooted to the bottom of the table and still without a home win this season.

West Ham threw everything at Southampton but failed to score and were sunk by Beattie's late winner 71 seconds into injury time.

The hosts should have been ahead after nine minutes when Paolo di Canio delivered an inviting cross from the right and Jermain Defoe was unmarked in front of the penalty spot, but hooked his volley narrowly beyond the far post.

Di Canio was the creator again two minutes later when his skill released Joe Cole on the left. He played a quick ball inside for Michael Carrick to hit a low 30-yard drive which Antti Niemi saved low to his right.

Another good chance went begging after 15 minutes when Trevor Sinclair won a free-kick on the right flank following Chris Marsden's handball.

Di Canio swung in the cross and Sinclair directed a glancing header wide of the far post.

Makeshift striker Ian Pearce's size was causing problems for the Saints defence and he did well to get in a downward header which Niemi stopped on his line in the 22nd minute.

The one-way traffic relented when Southampton's first half-decent effort materialised after 26 minutes when Wayne Bridge's deep cross was met in the air by Agustin Delgado, but David James made the save diving to his left

The best chance of the half arrived in the 35th minute, but West Ham were denied by a brilliant save.

Matt Oakley allowed Cole to nick the ball away from him, and he quickly fed Pearce, who was eight yards from goal. His shot was strong and on target, but Niemi stood his ground and made a superb block.

James was caught out in the final minute of the half as he came to meet Fabrice Fernandes' cross from the right, and Beattie got in a header which flew wide.

After a slow start to the second half, Defoe had two good chances in as many minutes just after the hour mark.

First, a cross from the right was flicked onto him by Pearce at the far post, but he seemed to scuff his shot slightly as he directed the ball wide.

In the next minute Defoe went it alone as he cut in from the right and tried to score from a tight angle, when both Pearce and Cole were waiting in the centre, and his shot was blocked by Niemi.

West Ham's hard work almost came undone with seven minutes remaining as James got in a tangle with Rory Delap before scrambling the ball clear.

Then a lack of concentration cost the Hammers dear as the match moved into injury time.

Substitute Brett Ormerod drilled in a low cross from the left and Beattie crashed the ball in at the near post to give beleaguered Roeder even more problems.