Carroll hammers bruised Boro with another gem
MIDDLESBROUGH 1 Stuani (27) WEST HAM 3 Carroll (9, 43), Calleri (90)
WHIPLASH victim Andy Carroll ensured the Dimitri Payet saga was forgotten for 90 minutes as he fired West Ham to victory at Boro.
The England striker, whose stunning volley against Crystal Palace last weekend confirmed his return to both fitness and form, gave the visitors the lead with a brutal header and then helped himself to a second from close range after Cristhian Stuani had levelled8.
However, the Hammers, who claimed a third in added time through sub Jonathan Calleri, had earlier been grateful for the woodwork as the unwitting Stuani was denied a second equaliser by the bar after charging down Aaron Cresswell’s attempted clearance.
Payet may remain absent as he looks to leave the club, but West Ham had enough firepower without him.
Any fears that Carroll’s injury, suffered in last week’s win against Palace, might hamper him were dispelled within nine minutes.
He lost marker Bernardo and rose to power a trademark header past Victor Valdez from Manuel Lanzini’s corner.
With Lanzini, Michail Antonio and Sofiane Feghouli repeatedly stretching Boro with their pace, the visitors enjoyed the better of the early stages.
However, Aitor Karanka’s men gradually worked their way into the game as Chelsea target Adama Traore pinned West Ham back. They got their reward after 27 minutes when, after Marten de Roon,
Alvaro Negredo and Adam Clayton combined to play Traore into space, he fed Calum Chambers.
Chambers crossed for Stuani to slide the ball back across helpless keeper Darren Randolph and inside a post.
Buoyed by the goal, the Teess id ers stepped up another gear and Traore sent one cross skidding across Randolph’s goal and another inches ahead of Negredo.
But they succumbed once again with two minutes of the half remaining when Antonio was allowed to run towards goal and unleash a powerful long- range effort that Victor Valdes could only parry and Carroll was on hand to slam home the rebound.
The Hammers wanted an injur y- time penalty for Friend’s clumsy challenge on Feghouli, but referee Martin Atkinson waved away their pleas.
Antonio passed up a glorious chance to increase his side’s led within seconds of the restart when he headed over from Sam Byram’s cross, and Lanzini was equally wasteful two minutes later, shooting straight at Valdes after being played in by Carroll.
However, Randolph had to claw away De Roon’s header from a 56th- minute Traore cross and Chambers fired high over three minutes later after robbing Pedro Obiang as the home side responded.
But the keeper needed a stroke of good fortune when Cresswell attempted to clear Traore’s dangerous 65thminute cross.
The defender blasted it straight at Stuani and saw the ball come back off the underside of the bar.
Substitute Rudy Gestede might have snatched a point for Boro late on when he volleyed towards goal, but the ball sailed wide.
Calleri made sure in stoppage time with a shot that deflected into the net via Adam Clayton.