THE windy conditions at Upton Park last night might have demanded leg irons, but West Ham United refused to accept the role in an exciting, fluctuating game which saw five goals scored before half time, when Tottenham found themselves 3-2 behind.

David Howells quickly brought the scores level, but with 19 minutes remaining he brought down John Hart son, one of West Ham's two recent signings, and Julian Dicks restored the strugglers' lead with the penalty.

The latest, and most desperate attempts to solve West Ham's scoring problem made their first home appearances for West Ham last night. John Hartson, undisciplined though not untalented, and Paul Kitson, an irregular scorer of goals rather than a natural goalscorer, have been signed from Arsenal and Newcastle.

Teddy Sheringham needed only six minutes to remind Spurs of what they had been missing. In Tottenham's first serious attack Steve Carr gathered a ball from Andy Sinton on the right and as he centred to the near post Sheringham moved between Dicks and Rio Ferdinand, West Ham's 18 year old sweeper, to direct a firm header past Ludek Miklosko.

At least the powerful wind was neutral. By the 19th minute West Ham were level, by the 21st they were ahead. Each goal followed a corner from Michael Hughes and in each case the defenders were confused by sudden, capricious gusts.

The scoring was never likely to end there. A minute before the half hour West Ham's defence seemed totally unprepared for the long clearance from Ian Walker which found Stefan Iversen striding clear. The Norwegian spotted, Darren Anderton advancing unmarked to his right and sent the England player through to score with a precise lob over the head of the advancing Miklosko.

The rain eased, but not the deluge of goals and near misses. Sheringham might have restored Spurs' lead after 32 minutes but met Iversen's short centre with a header which bounced over the bar. Five minutes later Dicks swung a free kick to the far post and Hartson hurtled in behind Sol Campbell to nod West Ham back in front.

So Tottenham had been undone three times at set pieces. Not that the swinging doors of West Ham's defence gave the home side any room for complacency, as Spurs were quick to demonstrate seven minutes into the second half.

There seemed little obvious danger as Sheringham collected Iversen's short, square pass. Dicks appeared to have covered any threat. But after screening the ball cleverly Sheringham backheeled it to Howells, whose precise shot squeezed inside the righthand post.