West Ham United suffered a blow in their fight against relegation from the Premier League as they lost 3-1 against Newcastle United this afternoon.
The Hammers were 1-0 behind with 16 minutes played when Yohan Cabaye carefully placed the ball in the bottom corner.
Newcastle began to dominate after that and doubled their lead through Loic Remy's close-range shot. Despite getting a lifeline when Mike Williamson scored an own goal, Cabaye wrapped up the win with a late free kick.
Here, Sports Mole takes a closer look at the action.
Match statistics
West Ham United
Shots: 11
On target: 2
Possession: 48%
Corners: 4
Fouls: 9
Newcastle United
Shots: 19
On target: 9
Possession: 52%
Corners: 3
Fouls: 6
Was the result fair?
Except for a spell in the second half, Newcastle were the better team throughout and deserve their victory. They were dangerous in the final third and created chances, which Cabaye and Remy gratefully put away. That was the difference in the game, although West Ham weren't awful. However, when they did get a chance, their strikers failed to find the net.
West Ham's performance
The main problem for Sam Allardyce is his team's inability to take their chances. Perhaps the Hammers could have defended better for the first two goals and restricted Newcastle's space and time on the ball, but they had two glorious opportunities in the second half that were wasted. With a natural goalscorer in the West Ham starting XI, it could have been a lot harder for the visitors.
Newcastle's performance
Manager Alan Pardew will be delighted with a very professional and impressive Newcastle performance. It wasn't spectacular but, as mentioned above, the Magpies made the most of their chances. What will please Pardew is the way his players defended in the second half when West Ham took control for a 10-minute spell. They didn't panic and stuck to their jobs.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Yohan Cabaye: Remy had a good day, but Cabaye showed why he is so highly rated with a display full of composure and skill. His first goal was a lesson in how to finish, while the free kick demonstrated precision and power. With him in midfield, Newcastle are capable of going far this season.
Biggest gaffe
There are a couple of contenders for this award today, but Carlton Cole gets it for an awful miss with his side 2-1 down. Matthew Taylor delivered a pinpoint cross, but Cole somehow managed to divert the ball wide from six yards out.
Referee performance
Andre Marriner had a quiet 90 minutes and generally did a good job of allowing the game to flow when he could. Without a single yellow card shown, it was a good day for the Birmingham-born referee.
What next?
West Ham: The Hammers host Manchester City in the Capital One Cup semi-final second leg on Tuesday night.
Newcastle: The Magpies travel to Norwich City in the Premier League on Tuesday, January 28.
Gary Peters
