Hammers make triumphant return

West Ham 3 Blackburn 1

West Ham marked their return to the Barclays Premiership in style with a superb victory over Blackburn at Upton Park.

Blackburn took the lead after 17 minutes when Andy Todd profited from a defensive lapse – but as the newly-promoted Hammers adapted to the pace of the Premiership they began to look more dangerous.

Teddy Sheringham slotted the equaliser just after the interval, Nigel Reo-Coker blasted West Ham ahead and then Matthew Etherington sealed the win with 10 minutes remaining.

To compound Blackburn’s misery, substitute striker Paul Dickov was sent off just a minute later for a late challenge on Paul Konchesky.

Not that the 33,305 crowd had too much sympathy. They were too busy singing: “We are top of the league”.

They sit level with London rivals Charlton looking down, for now at least, on the likes of Manchester United.

Blackburn included summer signings Craig Bellamy and Shefki Kuqi up front while Pardew gave West Ham debuts to goalkeeper Roy Carroll, left-back Paul Konchesky, Welsh centre-back Danny Gabbidon and Israeli midfielder Yossi Benayoun.

Captain Christian Dailly was switched to right-back after Tomas Repka fell ill overnight and Hayden Mullins partnered Reo-Coker in the centre of West Ham’s midfield.

Reo-Coker, the England Under-21 international, created the first real chance after four minutes with a perfectly-weighted pass through to Marlon Harewood, who then scuffed his shot across the face of goal.

But the early exchanges were dominated by Blackburn, who kept possession neatly in midfield and threatened to undo West Ham’s new-look defence. Gabbidon was frequently called upon to clear West Ham’s lines with timely interventions and Konchesky rose to head Robbie Savage’s goalbound free-kick out for a corner.

It was last-ditch stuff for the Hammers and eventually Blackburn fashioned the breakthrough. Morten Gamst Pedersen’s low free-kick caused confusion in the West Ham area and as the ball bobbled around, Todd stepped up to stroke it inside the far corner.

Kuqi’s height and power was causing West Ham’s defence problems and the visitors began to control the middle of the park. But as Pardew’s men settled they began to play the better football.

Savage was booked for tripping Harewood just as the West Ham striker threatened to break clear down the right. Etherington was lively down the left and Sheringham was pulling the strings in his deep-lying role up front.

Harewood latched onto a perfectly-weighted ball into the box from Sheringham but his first touch in the box took him too wide and the chance was gone.

Sheringham, linking well with Benayoun, then forced Brad Friedel into a low save to his left before curling another chance just wide of Blackburn’s far post.

Rovers carried the lead into the interval but West Ham had been threatening a breakthrough and it took less than 50 seconds of the second half to find one.

For the first time in the game Benayoun found space to run at the Blackburn defence. His pass into the box clipped Todd’s heel and sat up nicely for Sheringham to slot the ball past Friedel.

The goal cranked up the pace of the game. Pedersen fired a volley over Carroll’s crossbar and then Harewood shot wide on the turn as play swung almost recklessly from box to box.

Konchesky cleared West Ham’s lines after Ferdinand had misjudged his jump and then Sheringham, stretching on the edge of the six-yard box to reach Harewood’s cross, skewed his effort wide.

But it was not long before West Ham conjured up a second, wonderfully-taken goal.

Konchesky cleared the ball off his own line as another Blackburn corner caused problems inside the West Ham box. Unperturbed, the Hammers burst downfield again. Etherington played the ball square for Reo-Coker, who beat Aaron Mokoena with a brilliant half-turn on the edge of the Blackburn box and then drove the ball into the top corner.

Reo-Coker’s strike prompted tactical changes from both sides. Sheringham was replaced by Shaun Newton as Benayoun moved inside to support Harewood, while Blackburn threw on Paul Dickov to add extra fire-power.

But that just prompted a disastrous five-minute spell for Blackburn.

Dominic Matteo carelessly gave the ball away to Benayoun on the edge of his own box. The Israeli advanced on goal and calmly played it square to Etherington who sealed the game for West Ham.

Things still got worse for Blackburn. In a fit of pique, Dickov lunged in late on Konchesky and was shown a straight red card by referee Wiley.