Carroll caps Hammers fightback to down Saints

Former Liverpool and Newcastle forward buried a header to secure a first win for the east Londoners since October

LONDON: Andy Carroll ended West Ham's eight-match winless run as the striker came off the bench to score the late goal that clinched a 2-1 success against Southampton on Monday.

Slaven Bilic's side looked as though they would have to settle for a sixth successive draw after Michail Antonio's bizarre equaliser cancelled out a Carl Jenkinson own goal in the first half at Upton Park.

But former Liverpool and Newcastle forward Carroll, who is just back from another injury lay-off, buried a header to secure a first win for the east Londoners since they beat Chelsea in October.

Ironically, Carroll had also starred on that occasion when he scored the winner in the closing stages.



Southampton, fresh from their 4-0 Boxing Day thumping of Arsenal, took the lead with virtually their first attack of the match after 13 minutes.

A slick move saw Victor Wanyama's header flicked on by Sadio Mane to Steven Davis, who fed Shane Long down the left-hand side of West Ham's penalty area.

Long drove in a low cross and Dusan Tadic got in front of Jenkinson to get a toe on to the ball before it went rolled over the goal-line via the Hammers defender's shin.

Hammers keeper Adrian did well to keep out a close-range header from Jose Fonte, with Wanyama blasting the rebound high over the crossbar.

Bilic had seen enough by half-time and made his double change, throwing on Manuel Lanzini and Carroll for Alex Song and Mauro Zarate.

The move almost paid off immediately when James Collins met Lanzini's corner, but his header was cleared off the line by Cuco Martina.

Carroll should have scored when the ball came back into the area from Mark Noble, but the striker blazed over from eight yards.

Instead it was former Nottingham Forest winger Antonio who grabbed an equaliser in comical style for his first goal for the club.

Antonio embarked on a mazy run into the area in the 69th minute, then over-ran the ball and promptly fell over.

But when Wanyama charged in to avert the danger his clearance hit Antonio on the head, looped up over Saints keeper Maarten Stekelenburg and into the net.

And Carroll, in front of watching England boss Roy Hodgson, made up for his earlier miss with 11 minutes to go when he nodded in the rebound after Antonio had headed Enner Valencia's cross against a post.