Vassell late strike beats Hammers

Vassell made West Ham pay for earlier misses

Aston Villa 2-1 West Ham
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Darius Vassell scored a last-minute winner to give Graham Taylor his first win since returning as Villa Park boss.

Vassell turned home a low cross from Jloyd Samuel to give Villa a deserved win after they had the better of an entertaining encounter against a spirited West Ham side.

The match looked to be heading for an eighth consecutive Premiership draw between the two sides until Vassell fired home.

I desperately want Juan Pablo Angel to stay and we will do everything in our powers to persuade him to stop here

Villa manager
Graham Taylor

The Hammers took the lead in the 13th minute from a Paolo di Canio penalty after Jermaine Defoe was brought down in a clumsy challenge by Olof Mellberg.

But Villa pressed forward and notched a deserved equaliser 10 minutes later after Juan Pablo Angel and Vassell had both gone close.

Angel got his head to a Gareth Barry cross and the ball squeezed into the bottom corner, despite West Ham goalkeeper David James getting a touch.

Di Canio opened the scoring with a penalty

Mustapha Hadji nearly gave Villa the lead moments later after he latched onto a weak Ian Pearce header, but his shot was deflected over the bar.

Villa goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel fingertipped away a 30-yard shot from Di Canio as the action flowed from one end to the other.

And James got his body in the way of an effort from Thomas Hitzlsperger after the German tried his luck from a similar range on his full debut.

To lose like that, once again, was hard to take. It's happened three times now recently

West Ham boss
Glenn Roeder

Villa started well after the break and James did well to claw a stinging volley from Barry around the post.

And the midfielder came close again when he chested down a free kick in the six-yard box, but Christian Dailly cleared the danger with a last ditch tackle.

James saved the Hammers yet again by stretching to turn aside another long range effort from Hitzlsperger.

Defoe and Joe Cole both missed good chances for West Ham late in the game before Vassell gave Taylor something to celebrate.

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Aston Villa: Schmeichel, Delaney, Mellberg, Staunton, Samuel, Hadji (Merson 78), Hitzlsperger, Boateng, Barry, Angel, Vassell.

Subs Not Used: Enckelman, Hendrie, Balaban, Kachloul.

West Ham: James, Schemmel, Repka, Pearce, Winterburn, Sinclair, Dailly, Cole, Garcia (Labant 68), Di Canio, Defoe.

Subs Not Used: Kitson, Hislop, Minto, McCann.

Booked: Pearce.

Att: 37,341

Ref: G Barber (Tring).