NOBLE IS A PRIZE GUY
Nervy Hammers seal it thanks to Mark
IN the land of Payet and mash, the pressure eased on Slaven Bilic.
But West Ham were such a bag of nerves that you would not let them near the fairy lights on your tree for fear of being electrocuted.
Hammers manager Bilic (right) has never been further away from crisis than a length of tinsel all season and edging past the Premier League’s worst team on the road is not the stuff of ringing endorsements.
And while Mark Noble’s winner in first-half stoppage time earned Bilic valuable breathing space, confidence at the Taxpayers’ Stadium remains as brittle as a festive bauble.
Make no mistake, the Hammers were worth their first win in eight games and, if Dimitri Payet remains on the payroll beyond January, they will have enough stardust to avoid the unthinkable.
But they were indebted to Wales striker Sam m Vokes for a dreadful miss as Burnley threatened atk to pick their pockets.
By the law of averages, Burnley – only one point, and as many goals, , away from theirir Turf Moor fortressress all season – were e due to pick up something on the road.
But they played with all the festive ambition of turkeys on a poultry farm.
Watching England manager Gareth Southgate would have been offered a mince pie in the boardroom, but the Clarets offered only honest endeavour.
At least they knew what was coming when Andy Carroll was handed his first start in four months by Bilic. And Carroll took just 80 seconds to announce himself, climbing highest to meet Michail Antonio’s nio cross, but d directing his h header wide. Aerial routes l looked West H Ham’s likeliest s source of joy, a and Michael Ke Keane appeared to fieldf Payet’s corner i inadvertently with his forearm. But it took 32 minutes for either side to muster a shot on target, England keeper Tom Heaton gathering Antonio’s daisy- cutter with a routine stop. Suitably encouraged by a rare sight of goal, the home side came close to puncturing the tedium three minutes later as Pedro Obiang let fly from 25 yards and his effort brushed Heaton’s right-hand upright.
As if to even things up, Heaton’s other post was rattled by Noble’s spectacular curling shot, but the Hammers’ skipper wasn’t to be denied for long.
In first-half stoppage time, referee Bobby Madley spotted Ben Mee’s armlock on Winston Reid and, although Heaton sprawled to his left to keep out Noble’s spot kick, he devoured the rebound, which ultimately settled the match.