WIN ISSA LIFT FOR HAMMERS

Diop and Ogbonna spare blushes

WEST HAM almost hit the buffers in the District Line Derby but were spared more humiliation by a Felipe Anderson-inspired fightback.

Boss Manuel Pellegrini was heading for more frustration as League One minnows AFC Wimbledon stunned West Ham with a 77-second opener.

And despite playing against 10 men from the 18th minute Pellegrini needed to turn to record signing Anderson to help turn the tie around.

He showed his class after coming on at the break and set up Issa Diop’s crucial equaliser before further goals from Angelo Ogbonna and Javier Hernandez broke Wimbledon hearts and resistance.

The comeback finally earned Pellegrini his first win as Hammers boss in a game given its nickname with the two teams formerly from areas at opposite ends of the London Tube line.

And victory might have taken a while to secure, against 10-man third-tier opposition, but after starting his reign with three successive league defeats Pellegrini would not have been complaining.

Wimbledon’s no-nonsense, direct and physical approach soon paid off. A long ball pumped deep into the Hammers box caused chaos and from the resulting Mitch Pinnock corner Joe Pigott powered a header past Adrian.

West Ham failed to really extend Dons keeper Tom King but their comeback hopes were raised when defender Rod McDonald was shown a second yellow for tugging Hernandez back as he tried to reach Robert Snodgrass’s cross.

Pellegrini brought on £33.5million Anderson and the Brazilian bought composure and quality to West Ham’s attacking play.

He teed up their equaliser, smashed in by Diop from 25 yards before Ogbonna put West Ham ahead in the 83rd minute from Snodgrass’s corner.

Hernandez ended a frustrating night by squeezing in an injury-time third.