Daily Star Sunday

JOSE PILES MORE MISERY ON MOYES

- By Matt Freeman

WEST HAM’S week of turmoil ended with a defeat to plunge them back into the relegation mix.

Goals from Glenn Murray, Jose Izquierdo and Pascal Gross secured a priceless second win in 14 matches for the Seagulls to boost their chances of avoiding the drop.

Javier Hernandez was on target for West Ham but it was a miserable end to a turbulent few days for the east London club, who had to sack their head of recruitmen­t Tony Henry after claims he told agents they did not want to sign any more African players.

Anger and frustratio­n towards the West Ham board from supporters is at an all-time high following the scandal, as well as an underwhelm­ing transfer window.

But Hammers boss David Moyes refused to blame the off-field turmoil for their surrender. “It had no effect whatsoever. The club have done what they think they have to do and move on – and we have to,” he said.

“When I took over we were in the bottom three so to be where we are now I’d have said, ‘Thanks very much’. We are still in a battle to stay up but it’s the same for the other teams.”

The first chants of “Sack the board” were belted out from the away end even before Murray put Brighton ahead in the eighth minute.

The goal came after referee Roger East allowed play to continue despite Aaron Cresswell’s foul on Anthony Knockaert. Gross immediatel­y pinged the loose ball to Murray and the striker coolly side-footed past Adrian for his 10th goal of the season.

Hernandez started and finished the move for West Ham’s equaliser, first laying the ball off to Mark Noble who prodded it forward to Joao Mario just inside the area.

The Inter Milan loan signing flicked the ball back to Hernandez who buried a fierce drive into the top corner.

Midway through the second half Brighton retook the lead through Izquierdo when the Colombia winger curled a stunning effort into the top corner. And Moyes’ misery was complete when Gross rifled a low shot into the far corner after 75 minutes.

Brighton boss Chris Hughton said: “We were disappoint­ed to come in at 1-1, we knew we had to raise our game again and the second half was close to being as good as we’ve been this season.”

Both managers were unaware of an incident at half-time in the tunnel when West Ham’s Cresswell and Brighton’s Knockaert apparently had to be separated.

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