West Ham 2-1 Stoke City: Hammers grab victory as Stoke players turn on each other

Gianfranco Zola toasted his first home win in three months after civil war broke out in the Stoke ranks.

West Ham supersub Diego Tristan grabbed an 88th-minute winner to deliver a knock-out blow to 10-man Stoke.

But this will long be remembered as the game which saw a bust-up between Stoke team-mates Ricardo Fuller and Andy Griffin which brought back memories of Lee Bowyer's punchup with Kieron Dyer at Newcastle in April 2005.

Fuller angrily confronted Stoke captain Griffin after blaming him for Carlton Cole's 51st-minute equaliser, slapping him round the back of the head before teammates Glenn Whelan and Danny Higginbotham pulled them apart.

Referee Michael Jones had no option but to send off Fuller for violent conduct while Stoke boss Tony Pulis clearly did not absolve Griffin from the blame as he substituted him for Andrew Davies shortly afterwards.

Stoke's 10 men still bravely clung on hoping that Abdoulaye Faye's fourth-minute opener would give them a point until finally the visitors succumbed to Tristan's lucky winner.

But away day misery goes on for Stoke as they have yet to win on their travels and they have the worst away record in the Premier League.

And with in-fighting among their own players, Stoke pressed the self-destruct button after it looked as if they would bravely grind out a point against all the odds.

Stoke looked the more confident team in the opening stages and West Ham's jitters of playing in front of their own fans made them look far more edgy than Pulis's travel-sick team.

Roared on by their huge and vocal support, Stoke made a flying start when Faye headed them into an early lead.

Danny Pugh floated over a corner and West Ham's defence went AWOL to leave Faye completely unmarked at the back post and the Stoke centrehalf powered home a header into the net.

It was as easy as that for Stoke and the West Ham fans, already twitchy about their team's appalling home results under Zola, made a collective groan.

It is so typical of West Ham's on Cole's back until he scored after missing several decent chances.

The best came in the 33rdminute when Di Michele swung over a cross for Cole who towered unchallenged high above the static Stoke defence only to head hopelessly over the bar.

West Ham were jeered off at half time and yet the crowd could have had no complaints about the entertainment value after the restart.

West Ham finally broke Stoke's resistance in the 51st minute when Scott Parker's ball found Cole. City defender Griffin failed to clear and Cole curled home a perfect shot on the turn.

But then all hell broke loose as the teams lined up for the restart.

The Stoke ranks broke out in civil war over the recriminations about West Ham's equaliser.

Stoke striker Fuller angrily confronted Griffin in the centre circle, threw a punch and had to be pulled apart by team-mates Higginbotham and Whelan.

Referee Jones, however, stepped in and sent off Fuller to the absolute bewilderment of Stoke boss Pulis and the majority of the crowd at Upton Park.

But Stoke refused to roll over despite their internal strife. The Hammers struggled to create any openings even against 10 men.

Luis Boa Morte's 68th-minute shot was half blocked by Stoke keeper Thomas Sorensen and then hacked off the line by Higginbotham as the visitors stood firm until their last-gasp heartbreak.

West Ham laid siege to the Stoke penalty box, Cole fired in a low shot which deflected off Tristan's boot and into the net to gift the Spanish striker his first goal for the club and a priceless three points for Zola.

Man Of The Match: - Carlton Cole - Grabbed the equaliser and set up winner for Tristan.

Vllain of the match: Ricardo Fuller - Moment of madnesss as he attacked his own team-mate.

NEXT THREE GAMES

WEST HAM

Saturday: Barnsley (h) FA Cup
Sat Jan 10: Newcastle (a) Prem
Sun Jan 18: Fulham (h) Prem

STOKE CITY

Saturday: Hartlepool (a) FA Cup
Sat Jan 10: Liverpool (h) Prem
Sat Jan 17: Chelsea (a) Prem

West Ham: Green 6, Faubert 5, Collins 5, Upson 6, Ilunga 6, Behrami 7, Parker 7, Collison 7, Boa Morte 5, Di Michele 5 d(Spector 89), Cole 7 d. Goals: Cole 51, Tristan 88.

Stoke City: Sorensen 7, Griffin 5 (Davies, 58, 6), Shawcross 7, Faye 7 d, Higginbotham 7 d, Delap 6, Olofinjana 6, Whelan 6, Pugh 6 (Pericard, 52, 5), Cresswell 5, Fuller 5 d. Goal: Faye 4

Referee: Mike Jones

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