Kanoute gives Hammers lifeline

Manchester City 0, West Ham United 1

Freddie Kanoute grabbed a Premiership lifeline for West Ham with his 80th-minute winner against Manchester City at Maine Road.

Kanoute tapped home after fellow substitute Don Hutchison had stabbed a shot against a post to get Trevor Brooking’s three-match reign as manager off to the best possible start.

The result leaves the third-bottom Hammers two points adrift of Bolton and three behind Leeds with just two games remaining, although it did come at a price as veteran front-man Les Ferdinand was stretchered off with a suspected broken leg.

Anelka wasted another decent opportunity when he elected to drive a long-range shot at goal rather than pick out a team-mate and when the effort whistled yards wide, hoots of derision were heard from the home support.

With 20 minutes remaining, Keegan made a double change, with Jon Macken and Djamel Belmadi replacing Fowler and Benarbia.

As City re-adjusted, the visitors launched their most sustained attacking raid of the match and almost went in front in the process.

After forcing a right-wing corner, which Steve Lomas got on the end of, a deflection off a City defender fell kindly for Defoe, whose hooked first-time effort beat Schmeichel but crucially not Jensen, who headed off the line.

Barton blocked another Defoe effort shortly afterwards, then Kanoute just failed to get on the end of a long Hutchison free-kick, turning his ankle as he landed.

Fortunately for the Hammers, he recovered and on their next attack, he was the man who helped put them in front.

Cole was given too much space to swing over a cross from the left and with the City defence falling asleep, Hutchison found himself in space six yards out.

Schmeichel did brilliantly to save the substitute’s initial effort but could not hold on and Hutchison stabbed the rebound onto the inside of the post.

For Brooking, time must have stood still as the ball rolled along the goal-line but the home defenders were watching as well, and Kanoute strode up to gleefully tap in.

The visiting contingent erupted but their cheers would have been strangled had Belmadi not blazed over when presented with a golden chance by Anelka’s cut back.

To huge cheers, Goater made a belated appearance three minutes from the end as Keegan’s team went searching for an equaliser. Despite six minutes of injury-time, it would not come, leaving Bolton and Leeds facing a nervous end to the season.